Secretome from Magnetically Stimulated Muscle Exhibits Anticancer Potency: Novel Preconditioning Methodology Highlighting HTRA1 Action.

Briefly (10 min) exposing C2C12 myotubes to low amplitude (1.5 mT) pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) generated a conditioned media (pCM) that was capable of mitigating breast cancer cell growth, migration, and invasiveness in vitro, whereas the conditioned media harvested from unexposed myotubes, representing constitutively released secretome (cCM), was less effective. Administering pCM to breast cancer microtumors engrafted onto the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken eggs reduced tumor volume and vascularity. Blood serum collected from PEMF-exposed or exercised mice allayed breast cancer cell growth, migration, and invasiveness. A secretome preconditioning methodology is presented that accentuates the graded anticancer potencies of both the cCM and pCM harvested from myotubes, demonstrating an adaptive response to pCM administered during early myogenesis that emulated secretome-based exercise adaptations observed in vivo. HTRA1 was shown to be upregulated in pCM and was demonstrated to be necessary and sufficient for the anticancer potency of the pCM; recombinant HTRA1 added to basal media recapitulated the anticancer effects of pCM and antibody-based absorption of HTRA1 from pCM precluded its anticancer effects. Brief and non-invasive PEMF stimulation may represent a method to commandeer the secretome response of muscle, both in vitro and in vivo, for clinical exploitation in breast and other cancers.

The Developmental Implications of Muscle-Targeted Magnetic Mitohormesis: A Human Health and Longevity Perspective.

Muscle function reflects muscular mitochondrial status, which, in turn, is an adaptive response to physical activity, representing improvements in energy production for de novo biosynthesis or metabolic efficiency. Differences in muscle performance are manifestations of the expression of distinct contractile-protein isoforms and of mitochondrial-energy substrate utilization. Powerful contractures require immediate energy production from carbohydrates outside the mitochondria that exhaust rapidly. Sustained muscle contractions require aerobic energy production from fatty acids by the mitochondria that is slower and produces less force. These two patterns of muscle force generation are broadly classified as glycolytic or oxidative, respectively, and require disparate levels of increased contractile or mitochondrial protein production, respectively, to be effectively executed. Glycolytic muscle, hence, tends towards fibre hypertrophy, whereas oxidative fibres are more disposed towards increased mitochondrial content and efficiency, rather than hypertrophy. Although developmentally predetermined muscle classes exist, a degree of functional plasticity persists across all muscles post-birth that can be modulated by exercise and generally results in an increase in the oxidative character of muscle. Oxidative muscle is most strongly correlated with organismal metabolic balance and longevity because of the propensity of oxidative muscle for fatty-acid oxidation and associated anti-inflammatory ramifications which occur at the expense of glycolytic-muscle development and hypertrophy. This muscle-class size disparity is often at odds with common expectations that muscle mass should scale positively with improved health and longevity. Brief magnetic-field activation of the muscle mitochondrial pool has been shown to recapitulate key aspects of the oxidative-muscle phenotype with similar metabolic hallmarks. This review discusses the common genetic cascades invoked by endurance exercise and magnetic-field therapy and the potential physiological differences with regards to human health and longevity. Future human studies examining the physiological consequences of magnetic-field therapy are warranted.

Brief, weekly magnetic muscle therapy improves mobility and lean body mass in older adults: a Southeast Asia community case study.

Brief (10 min) weekly exposure to low energy pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) has been shown to improve human muscle mitochondrial bioenergetics and attenuate systemic lipotoxicity following anterior cruciate ligament surgical reconstruction. Here we present data generated from 101 participants, 62% female, aged 38-91 years, recruited from the QuantumTx Demo Centre in Singapore, wherein 87% of participants (n = 88) presented with pre-existing mobility dysfunction and 13% (n = 13) were healthy volunteers. Participants were recruited if: (i) not pregnant; (ii) above 35 years of age and; (iii) without surgical implants. All participants completed mobility testing, pre- and post- PEMF intervention for 12 weeks, whereas bioelectrical impedance analysis was conducted in a subgroup of 42 and 33 participants at weeks 4 and 8, respectively. Weekly PEMF exposure was associated with significant improvements in mobility (Timed Up and Go, 5 times Sit-to-Stand, and 4m Normal Gait Speed) and body composition (increased skeletal muscle mass and reduced total and visceral fat mass), particularly in the older participants. Perception of pain was also significantly reduced. PEMF therapy may provide a manner to counteract age-associated mobility and metabolic disruptions and merits future investigation in randomized controlled trials to elucidate its clinical benefits in the frail and older adult populations.

Magnetic field therapy enhances muscle mitochondrial bioenergetics and attenuates systemic ceramide levels following ACL reconstruction: Southeast Asian randomized-controlled pilot trial.

Background: Metabolic disruption commonly follows Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) surgery. Brief exposure to low amplitude and frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) has been shown to promote in vitro and in vivo murine myogeneses via the activation of a calcium-mitochondrial axis conferring systemic metabolic adaptations. This randomized-controlled pilot trial sought to detect local changes in muscle structure and function using MRI, and systemic changes in metabolism using plasma biomarker analyses resulting from ACLR, with or without accompanying PEMF therapy. Methods: 20 patients requiring ACLR were randomized into two groups either undergoing PEMF or sham exposure for 16 weeks following surgery. The operated thighs of 10 patients were exposed weekly to PEMFs (1 â€‹mT for 10 â€‹min) for 4 months following surgery. Another 10 patients were subjected to sham exposure and served as controls to allow assessment of the metabolic repercussions of ACLR and PEMF therapy. Blood samples were collected prior to surgery and at 16 weeks for plasma analyses. Magnetic resonance data were acquired at 1 and 16 weeks post-surgery using a Siemens 3T Tim Trio system. Phosphorus (31P) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) was utilized to monitor changes in high-energy phosphate metabolism (inorganic phosphate (Pi), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and phosphocreatine (PCr)) as well as markers of membrane synthesis and breakdown (phosphomonoesters (PME) and phosphodiester (PDE)). Quantitative Magnetization Transfer (qMT) imaging was used to elucidate changes in the underlying tissue structure, with T1-weighted and 2-point Dixon imaging used to calculate muscle volumes and muscle fat content. Results: Improvements in markers of high-energy phosphate metabolism including reductions in ΔPi/ATP, Pi/PCr and (Pi â€‹+ â€‹PCr)/ATP, and membrane kinetics, including reductions in PDE/ATP were detected in the PEMF-treated cohort relative to the control cohort at study termination. These were associated with reductions in the plasma levels of certain ceramides and lysophosphatidylcholine species. The plasma levels of biomarkers predictive of muscle regeneration and degeneration, including osteopontin and TNNT1, respectively, were improved, whilst changes in follistatin failed to achieve statistical significance. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry revealed reductions in small molecule biomarkers of metabolic disruption, including cysteine, homocysteine, and methionine in the PEMF-treated cohort relative to the control cohort at study termination. Differences in measurements of force, muscle and fat volumes did not achieve statistical significance between the cohorts after 16 weeks post-ACLR. Conclusion: The detected changes suggest improvements in systemic metabolism in the post-surgical PEMF-treated cohort that accords with previous preclinical murine studies. PEMF-based therapies may potentially serve as a manner to ameliorate post-surgery metabolic disruptions and warrant future examination in more adequately powered clinical trials. The Translational Potential of this Article: Some degree of physical immobilisation must inevitably follow orthopaedic surgical intervention. The clinical paradox of such a scenario is that the regenerative potential of the muscle mitochondrial pool is silenced. The unmet need was hence a manner to maintain mitochondrial activation when movement is restricted and without producing potentially damaging mechanical stress. PEMF-based therapies may satisfy the requirement of non-invasively activating the requisite mitochondrial respiration when mobility is restricted for improved metabolic and regenerative recovery.

Brief exposure to directionally-specific pulsed electromagnetic fields stimulates extracellular vesicle release and is antagonized by streptomycin: A potential regenerative medicine and food industry paradigm.

Pulsing electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been shown to promote in vitro and in vivo myogeneses via mitohormetic survival adaptations of which secretome activation is a key component. A single 10-min exposure of donor myoblast cultures to 1.5 mT amplitude PEMFs produced a conditioned media (pCM) capable of enhancing the myogenesis of recipient cultures to a similar degree as direct magnetic exposure. Downwardly-directed magnetic fields produced greater secretome responses than upwardly-directed fields in adherent and fluid-suspended myoblasts. The suspension paradigm allowed for the rapid concentrating of secreted factors, particularly of extracellular vesicles. The brief conditioning of basal media from magnetically-stimulated myoblasts was capable of conferring myoblast survival to a greater degree than basal media supplemented with fetal bovine serum (5%). Downward-directed magnetic fields, applied directly to cells or in the form of pCM, upregulated the protein expression of TRPC channels, markers for cell cycle progression and myogenesis. Direct magnetic exposure produced mild oxidative stress, whereas pCM provision did not, providing a survival advantage on recipient cells. Streptomycin, a TRP channel antagonist, precluded the production of a myogenic pCM. We present a methodology employing a brief and non-invasive PEMF-exposure paradigm to effectively stimulate secretome production and release for commercial or clinical exploitation.

Corrigendum: Modulated TRPC1 Expression Predicts Sensitivity of Breast Cancer to Doxorubicin and Magnetic Field Therapy: Segue Towards a Precision Medicine Approach.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.783803.].

Modulated TRPC1 Expression Predicts Sensitivity of Breast Cancer to Doxorubicin and Magnetic Field Therapy: Segue Towards a Precision Medicine Approach.

Chemotherapy is the mainstream treatment modality for invasive breast cancer. Unfortunately, chemotherapy-associated adverse events can result in early termination of treatment. Paradoxical effects of chemotherapy are also sometimes observed, whereby prolonged exposure to high doses of chemotherapeutic agents results in malignant states resistant to chemotherapy. In this study, potential synergism between doxorubicin (DOX) and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy was investigated in: 1) MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro; 2) MCF-7 tumors implanted onto a chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and; 3) human patient-derived and MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenografts implanted into NOD-SCID gamma (NSG) mice. In vivo, synergism was observed in patient-derived and breast cancer cell line xenograft mouse models, wherein PEMF exposure and DOX administration individually reduced tumor size and increased apoptosis and could be augmented by combined treatments. In the CAM xenograft model, DOX and PEMF exposure also synergistically reduced tumor size as well as reduced Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 1 (TRPC1) channel expression. In vitro, PEMF exposure alone impaired the survival of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, but not that of non-malignant MCF10A breast cells; the selective vulnerability of breast cancer cells to PEMF exposure was corroborated in human tumor biopsy samples. Stable overexpression of TRPC1 enhanced the vulnerability of MCF-7 cells to both DOX and PEMF exposure and promoted proliferation, whereas TRPC1 genetic silencing reduced sensitivity to both DOX and PEMF treatments and mitigated proliferation. Chronic exposure to DOX depressed TRPC1 expression, proliferation, and responses to both PEMF exposure and DOX in a manner that was reversible upon removal of DOX. TRPC1 channel overexpression and silencing positively correlated with markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including SLUG, SNAIL, VIMENTIN, and E-CADHERIN, indicating increased and decreased EMT, respectively. Finally, PEMF exposure was shown to attenuate the invasiveness of MCF-7 cells in correlation with TRPC1 expression. We thus demonstrate that the expression levels of TRPC1 consistently predicted breast cancer sensitivity to DOX and PEMF interventions and positively correlated to EMT status, providing an initial rationale for the use of PEMF-based therapies as an adjuvant to DOX chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancers characterized by elevated TRPC1 expression levels.

Cell-Derived Vesicles as TRPC1 Channel Delivery Systems for the Recovery of Cellular Respiratory and Proliferative Capacities.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) are capable of specifically activating a TRPC1-mitochondrial axis underlying cell expansion and mitohormetic survival adaptations. This study characterizes cell-derived vesicles (CDVs) generated from C2C12 murine myoblasts and shows that they are equipped with the sufficient molecular machinery to confer mitochondrial respiratory capacity and associated proliferative responses upon their fusion with recipient cells. CDVs derived from wild type C2C12 myoblasts include the cation-permeable transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, TRPC1 and TRPA1, and directly respond to PEMF exposure with TRPC1-mediated calcium entry. By contrast, CDVs derived from C2C12 muscle cells in which TRPC1 has been genetically knocked-down using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, do not. Wild type C2C12-derived CDVs are also capable of restoring PEMF-induced proliferative and mitochondrial activation in two C2C12-derived TRPC1 knockdown clonal cell lines in accordance to their endogenous degree of TRPC1 suppression. C2C12 wild type CDVs respond to menthol with calcium entry and accumulation, likewise verifying TRPA1 functional gating and further corroborating compartmental integrity. Proteomic and lipidomic analyses confirm the surface membrane origin of the CDVs providing an initial indication of the minimal cellular machinery required to recover mitochondrial function. CDVs hence possess the potential of restoring respiratory and proliferative capacities to senescent cells and tissues.

Magnetic fields modulate metabolism and gut microbiome in correlation with Pgc-1α expression: Follow-up to an in vitro magnetic mitohormetic study.

Exercise modulates metabolism and the gut microbiome. Brief exposure to low mT-range pulsing electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) was previously shown to accentuate in vitro myogenesis and mitochondriogenesis by activating a calcium-mitochondrial axis upstream of PGC-1α transcriptional upregulation, recapitulating a genetic response implicated in exercise-induced metabolic adaptations. We compared the effects of analogous PEMF exposure (1.5 mT, 10 min/week), with and without exercise, on systemic metabolism and gut microbiome in four groups of mice: (a) no intervention; (b) PEMF treatment; (c) exercise; (d) exercise and PEMF treatment. The combination of PEMFs and exercise for 6 weeks enhanced running performance and upregulated muscular and adipose Pgc-1α transcript levels, whereas exercise alone was incapable of elevating Pgc-1α levels. The gut microbiome Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio decreased with exercise and PEMF exposure, alone or in combination, which has been associated in published studies with an increase in lean body mass. After 2 months, brief PEMF treatment alone increased Pgc-1α and mitohormetic gene expression and after >4 months PEMF treatment alone enhanced oxidative muscle expression, fatty acid oxidation, and reduced insulin levels. Hence, short-term PEMF treatment was sufficient to instigate PGC-1α-associated transcriptional cascades governing systemic mitohormetic adaptations, whereas longer-term PEMF treatment was capable of inducing related metabolic adaptations independently of exercise.

Ambient and supplemental magnetic fields promote myogenesis via a TRPC1-mitochondrial axis: evidence of a magnetic mitohormetic mechanism.

We show that both supplemental and ambient magnetic fields modulate myogenesis. A lone 10 min exposure of myoblasts to 1.5 mT amplitude supplemental pulsed magnetic fields (PEMFs) accentuated in vitro myogenesis by stimulating transient receptor potential (TRP)-C1-mediated calcium entry and downstream nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)-transcriptional and P300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF)-epigenetic cascades, whereas depriving myoblasts of ambient magnetic fields slowed myogenesis, reduced TRPC1 expression, and silenced NFAT-transcriptional and PCAF-epigenetic cascades. The expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α, the master regulator of mitochondriogenesis, was also enhanced by brief PEMF exposure. Accordingly, mitochondriogenesis and respiratory capacity were both enhanced with PEMF exposure, paralleling TRPC1 expression and pharmacological sensitivity. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas9 knockdown of TRPC1 precluded proliferative and mitochondrial responses to supplemental PEMFs, whereas small interfering RNA gene silencing of TRPM7 did not, coinciding with data that magnetoreception did not coincide with the expression or function of other TRP channels. The aminoglycoside antibiotics antagonized and down-regulated TRPC1 expression and, when applied concomitantly with PEMF exposure, attenuated PEMF-stimulated calcium entry, mitochondrial respiration, proliferation, differentiation, and epigenetic directive in myoblasts, elucidating why the developmental potential of magnetic fields may have previously escaped detection. Mitochondrial-based survival adaptations were also activated upon PEMF stimulation. Magnetism thus deploys an authentic myogenic directive that relies on an interplay between mitochondria and TRPC1 to reach fruition.-Yap, J. L. Y., Tai, Y. K., Fröhlich, J., Fong, C. H. H., Yin, J. N., Foo, Z. L., Ramanan, S., Beyer, C., Toh, S. J., Casarosa, M., Bharathy, N., Kala, M. P., Egli, M., Taneja, R., Lee, C. N., Franco-Obregón, A. Ambient and supplemental magnetic fields promote myogenesis via a TRPC1-mitochondrial axis: evidence of a magnetic mitohormetic mechanism.

C9orf72 intermediate repeats are associated with corticobasal degeneration, increased C9orf72 expression and disruption of autophagy.

Microsatellite repeat expansion disease loci can exhibit pleiotropic clinical and biological effects depending on repeat length. Large expansions in C9orf72 (100s-1000s of units) are the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD). However, whether intermediate expansions also contribute to neurodegenerative disease is not well understood. Several studies have identified intermediate repeats in Parkinson's disease patients, but the association was not found in autopsy-confirmed cases. We hypothesized that intermediate C9orf72 repeats are a genetic risk factor for corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a neurodegenerative disease that can be clinically similar to Parkinson's but has distinct tau protein pathology. Indeed, intermediate C9orf72 repeats were significantly enriched in autopsy-proven CBD (n = 354 cases, odds ratio = 3.59, p = 0.00024). While large C9orf72 repeat expansions are known to decrease C9orf72 expression, intermediate C9orf72 repeats result in increased C9orf72 expression in human brain tissue and CRISPR/cas9 knockin iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells. In contrast to cases of FTD/ALS with large C9orf72 expansions, CBD with intermediate C9orf72 repeats was not associated with pathologic RNA foci or dipeptide repeat protein aggregates. Knock-in cells with intermediate repeats exhibit numerous changes in gene expression pathways relating to vesicle trafficking and autophagy. Additionally, overexpression of C9orf72 without the repeat expansion leads to defects in autophagy under nutrient starvation conditions. These results raise the possibility that therapeutic strategies to reduce C9orf72 expression may be beneficial for the treatment of CBD.

The ALS-FTD-linked gene product, C9orf72, regulates neuronal morphogenesis via autophagy.

Mutations in C9orf72 leading to hexanucleotide expansions are the most common genetic causes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). A phenotype resembling ALS and FTD is seen in transgenic mice overexpressing the hexanucleotide expansions, but is absent in C9orf72-deficient mice. Thus, the exact function of C9orf72 in neurons and how loss of C9orf72 may contribute to neuronal dysfunction remains to be clearly defined. Here, we showed that primary hippocampal neurons cultured from c9orf72 knockout mice have reduced dendritic arborization and spine density. Quantitative proteomic analysis identified C9orf72 as a component of the macroautophagy/autophagy initiation complex composed of ULK1-RB1CC1-ATG13-ATG101. The association was mediated through the direct interaction with ATG13 via the isoform-specific carboxyl-terminal DENN and dDENN domain of C9orf72. Furthermore, c9orf72 knockout neurons showed reduced LC3-II puncta accompanied by reduced ULK1 levels, suggesting that loss of C9orf72 impairs basal autophagy. Conversely, wild-type neurons treated with a ULK1 kinase inhibitor showed a dose-dependent reduction of dendritic arborization and spine density. Furthermore, expression of the long isoform of human C9orf72 that interacts with the ULK1 complex, but not the short isoform, rescues autophagy and the dendritic arborization phenotypes of c9orf72 knockout neurons. Taken together, our data suggests that C9orf72 has a cell-autonomous role in neuronal and dendritic morphogenesis through promotion of ULK1-mediated autophagy.

S-Nitrosylation of Divalent Metal Transporter 1 Enhances Iron Uptake to Mediate Loss of Dopaminergic Neurons and Motoric Deficit.

Elevated iron deposition has been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the route of iron uptake leading to high deposition in the substantia nigra is unresolved. Here, we show a mechanism in enhanced Fe2+ uptake via S-nitrosylation of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). While DMT1 could be S-nitrosylated by exogenous nitric oxide donors, in human PD brains, endogenously S-nitrosylated DMT1 was detected in postmortem substantia nigra. Patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings and iron uptake assays confirmed increased Mn2+ or Fe2+ uptake through S-nitrosylated DMT1. We identified two major S-nitrosylation sites, C23 and C540, by mass spectrometry, and DMT1 C23A or C540A substitutions abolished nitric oxide (NO)-mediated DMT1 current increase. To evaluate in vivo significance, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was stereotaxically injected into the substantia nigra of female and male mice to induce inflammation and production of NO. The intranigral LPS injection resulted in corresponding increase in Fe2+ deposition, JNK activation, dopaminergic neuronal loss and deficit in motoric activity, and these were rescued by the NO synthase inhibitor l-NAME or by the DMT1-selective blocker ebselen. Lentiviral knockdown of DMT1 abolished LPS-induced dopaminergic neuron loss.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neuroinflammation and high cytoplasmic Fe2+ levels have been implicated in the initiation and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we report the unexpected enhancement of the functional activity of transmembrane divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) by S-nitrosylation. We demonstrated that S-nitrosylation increased DMT1-mediated Fe2+ uptake, and two cysteines were identified by mass spectrometry to be the sites for S-nitrosylation and for enhanced iron uptake. One conceptual advance is that while DMT1 activity could be increased by external acidification because the gating of the DMT1 transporter is proton motive, we discovered that DMT1 activity could also be enhanced by S-nitrosylation. Significantly, lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO)-mediated neuronal death in the substantia nigra could be ameliorated by using l-NAME, a NO synthase inhibitor, or by ebselen, a DMT1-selective blocker.

Transgenic Mice Overexpressing the Divalent Metal Transporter 1 Exhibit Iron Accumulation and Enhanced Parkin Expression in the Brain.

Exposure to divalent metals such as iron and manganese is thought to increase the risk for Parkinson's disease (PD). Under normal circumstances, cellular iron and manganese uptake is regulated by the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). Accordingly, alterations in DMT1 levels may underlie the abnormal accumulation of metal ions and thereby disease pathogenesis. Here, we have generated transgenic mice overexpressing DMT1 under the direction of a mouse prion promoter and demonstrated its robust expression in several regions of the brain. When fed with iron-supplemented diet, DMT1-expressing mice exhibit rather selective accumulation of iron in the substantia nigra, which is the principal region affected in human PD cases, but otherwise appear normal. Alongside this, the expression of Parkin is also enhanced, likely as a neuroprotective response, which may explain the lack of phenotype in these mice. When DMT1 is overexpressed against a Parkin null background, the double-mutant mice similarly resisted a disease phenotype even when fed with iron- or manganese-supplemented diet. However, these mice exhibit greater vulnerability toward 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity. Taken together, our results suggest that iron accumulation alone is not sufficient to cause neurodegeneration and that multiple hits are required to promote PD.

CD151, a laminin receptor showing increased expression in asthmatic patients, contributes to airway hyperresponsiveness through calcium signaling.

BACKGROUND: Airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction underpins airway constriction; however, underlying mechanisms for airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) remain incompletely defined. CD151, a 4-transmembrane glycoprotein that associates with laminin-binding integrins, is highly expressed in the human lung. The role of CD151 in ASM function and its relationship to asthma have yet to be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to ascertain whether CD151 expression is clinically relevant to asthma and whether CD151 expression affects AHR. METHODS: Using immunohistochemical analysis, we determined the expression of CD151 in human bronchial biopsy specimens from patients with varying asthma severities and studied the mechanism of action of CD151 in the regulation of ASM contraction and bronchial caliber in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. RESULTS: The number of CD151+ ASM cells is significantly greater in patients with moderate asthma compared with those in healthy nonasthmatic subjects. From loss- and gain-of-function studies, we reveal that CD151 is required for and enhances G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-induced peak intracellular calcium release, the primary determinant of excitation-contraction coupling. We show that the localization of CD151 can also be perinuclear/cytoplasmic and offer an explanation for a novel functional role for CD151 in supporting protein kinase C (PKC) translocation to the cell membrane in GPCR-mediated ASM contraction at this site. Importantly, CD151-/- mice are refractory to airway hyperreactivity in response to allergen challenge. CONCLUSIONS: We identify a role for CD151 in human ASM contraction. We implicate CD151 as a determinant of AHR in vivo, likely through regulation of GPCR-induced calcium and PKC signaling. These observations have significant implications in understanding the mechanism for AHR and the efficacy of new and emerging therapeutics.

Iron mitigates DMT1-mediated manganese cytotoxicity via the ASK1-JNK signaling axis: Implications of iron supplementation for manganese toxicity.

Manganese (Mn(2+)) neurotoxicity from occupational exposure is well documented to result in a Parkinson-like syndrome. Although the understanding of Mn(2+) cytotoxicity is still incomplete, both Mn(2+) and Fe(2+) can be transported via the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), suggesting that competitive uptake might disrupt Fe(2+) homeostasis. Here, we found that DMT1 overexpression significantly enhanced Mn(2+) cytoplasmic accumulation and JNK phosphorylation, leading to a reduction in cell viability. Although a robust activation of autophagy was observed alongside these changes, it did not trigger autophagic cell death, but was instead shown to be essential for the degradation of ferritin, which normally sequesters labile Fe(2+). Inhibition of ferritin degradation through the neutralization of lysosomal pH resulted in increased ferritin and enhanced cytoplasmic Fe(2+) depletion. Similarly, direct Fe(2+) chelation also resulted in aggravated Mn(2+)-mediated JNK phosphorylation, while Fe(2+) repletion protected cells, and this occurs via the ASK1-thioredoxin pathway. Taken together, our study presents the novel findings that Mn(2+) cytotoxicity involves the depletion of the cytoplasmic Fe(2+) pool, and the increase in autophagy-lysosome activity is important to maintain Fe(2+) homeostasis. Thus, Fe(2+) supplementation could have potential applications in the prevention and treatment of Mn(2+)-mediated toxicity.

Enhanced autophagy from chronic toxicity of iron and mutant A53T α-synuclein: implications for neuronal cell death in Parkinson disease.

Parkinson disease (PD), a prevalent neurodegenerative motor disorder, is characterized by the rather selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of α-synuclein-enriched Lewy body inclusions in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. Although the etiology of PD remains incompletely understood, emerging evidence suggests that dysregulated iron homeostasis may be involved. Notably, nigral dopaminergic neurons are enriched in iron, the uptake of which is facilitated by the divalent metal ion transporter DMT1. To clarify the role of iron in PD, we generated SH-SY5Y cells stably expressing DMT1 either singly or in combination with wild type or mutant α-synuclein. We found that DMT1 overexpression dramatically enhances Fe(2+) uptake, which concomitantly promotes cell death. This Fe(2+)-mediated toxicity is aggravated by the presence of mutant α-synuclein expression, resulting in increased oxidative stress and DNA damage. Curiously, Fe(2+)-mediated cell death does not appear to involve apoptosis. Instead, the phenomenon seems to occur as a result of excessive autophagic activity. Accordingly, pharmacological inhibition of autophagy reverses cell death mediated by Fe(2+) overloading. Taken together, our results suggest a role for iron in PD pathogenesis and provide a mechanism underlying Fe(2+)-mediated cell death.

Neurodegenerative diseases: exercising toward neurogenesis and neuroregeneration.

Currently, there is still no effective therapy for neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) despite intensive research and on-going clinical trials. Collectively, these diseases account for the bulk of health care burden associated with age-related neurodegenerative disorders. There is therefore an urgent need to further research into the molecular pathogenesis, histological differentiation, and clinical management of NDD. Importantly, there is also an urgency to understand the similarities and differences between these two diseases so as to identify the common or different upstream and downstream signaling pathways. In this review, the role iron play in NDD will be highlighted, as iron is key to a common underlying pathway in the production of oxidative stress. There is increasing evidence to suggest that oxidative stress predisposed cells to undergo damage to DNA, protein and lipid, and as such a common factor involved in the pathogenesis of AD and PD. The challenge then is to minimize elevated and uncontrolled oxidative stress levels while not affecting basal iron metabolism, as iron plays vital roles in sustaining cellular function. However, overload of iron results in increased oxidative stress due to the Fenton reaction. We discuss evidence to suggest that sustained exercise and diet restriction may be ways to slow the rate of neurodegeneration, by perhaps promoting neurogenesis or antioxidant-related pathways. It is also our intention to cover NDD in a broad sense, in the context of basic and clinical sciences to cater for both clinician's and the scientist's needs, and to highlight current research investigating exercise as a therapeutic or preventive measure.

High dose clopidogrel decreases mice liver mitochondrial respiration function in vitro.

The effects of clopidogrel on mitochondrial respiratory function have not been previously investigated. We show in vitro that isolated mice liver mitochondria treated with very high doses of clopidogrel 10 microg/ml significantly reduces pre-treatment mitochondrial respiratory state 3 (P<0.05) and state 4 respiration (P<0.01), while oxygen consumption in State 3 is prolonged. This suggests a compromise to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation following the addition of high dose clopidogrel. Because clopidogrel at human therapeutic doses 40 ng/ml did not affect isolated mitochondrial respiration, it is thus unlikely, in the absence of cellular bioaccumulation, that clinical doses of clopidogrel would affect mitochondrial bioenergetics in vivo.