STELLATE GANGLION BLOCK REVERSES PHSML-INDUCED VASCULAR HYPOREACTIVITY THROUGH INHIBITING AUTOPHAGY-MEDIATED PHENOTYPIC TRANSFORMATION OF VSMCs.

ABSTRACT: Posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return-contributed excessive autophagy of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is involved in vascular hyporeactivity, which is inhibited by stellate ganglion block (SGB) treatment. The contractile phenotype of VSMCs transforms into a synthetic phenotype after stimulation with excessive autophagy. Therefore, we hypothesized that SGB ameliorates PHSML-induced vascular hyporeactivity by inhibiting autophagy-mediated phenotypic transformation of VSMCs. To substantiate this hypothesis, a hemorrhagic shock model in conscious rats was used to observe the effects of SGB intervention or intravenous infusion of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) on intestinal blood flow and the expression of autophagy- and phenotype-defining proteins in mesenteric secondary artery tissues. We also investigated the effects of intraperitoneal administration of PHSML intravenous infusion and the autophagy agonist rapamycin (RAPA) on the beneficial effect of SGB. The results showed that hemorrhagic shock decreased intestinal blood flow and enhanced the expression of LC3 II/I, Beclin 1, and matrix metalloproteinase 2, which were reversed by SGB or 3-MA treatment. In contrast, RAPA and PHSML administration abolished the beneficial effects of SGB. Furthermore, the effects of PHSML or PHSML obtained from rats treated with SGB (PHSML-SGB) on cellular contractility, autophagy, and VSMC phenotype were explored. Meanwhile, the effects of 3-MA on PHSML and RAPA on PHSML-SGB were observed. The results showed that PHSML, but not PHSML-SGB, incubation decreased VSMC contractility and induced autophagy activation and phenotype transformation. Importantly, 3-MA administration reversed the adverse effects of PHSML, and RAPA treatment attenuated the effects of PHSML-SGB incubation on VSMCs. Taken together, the protective effect of SGB on vascular reactivity is achieved by inhibiting excessive autophagy-mediated phenotypic transformation of VSMCs to maintain their contractile phenotype.

An IFNT/FOXO1/PTGS2 axis regulates prostaglandin F2α synthesis in goat uterus during early pregnancy.

In ruminants, IFN-tau (IFNT) regulates the production of prostaglandins (PG) in the endometrium, which is crucial for conceptus adhesion. However, the related molecular regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), a member of the FOXO subfamily of transcription factors, is known to be important for mouse implantation and decidualization. In this study, we determined the spatiotemporal expression profile of FOXO1 in goat endometrium during early pregnancy. FOXO1 was highly expressed in the glandular epithelium since the onset of conceptus adhesion (d 16 of pregnancy). Then, we validated that FOXO1 could bind to the promoter of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and increase its transcription. And the expression profile of PTGS2 was similar to that of FOXO1 in the peri-implantation uterus. Moreover, IFNT could upregulate the levels of FOXO1 and PTGS2 in goat uterus and primary endometrial epithelium cells (EEC). In EEC, the intracellular content of PGF2α was positively correlated with the levels of IFNT and FOXO1. Altogether, we found an IFNT/FOXO1/PTGS2 axis that controls the synthesis of PGF2α but not prostaglandin E2 in goat uterine glands. These findings contribute to better understanding the function of FOXO1 in the reproductive physiology of goats and provide more insights into the implantation of small ruminants.

ESTROGEN ALLEVIATES POSTHEMORRHAGIC SHOCK MESENTERIC LYMPH-MEDIATED LUNG INJURY THROUGH AUTOPHAGY INHIBITION.

ABSTRACT: Background: Hemorrhagic shock-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is commonly associated with the posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return. Whether excessive autophagy is involved in PHSML-mediated ALI remains unclear. The relationship between estrogen treatment and PHSML or autophagy needs to verify. The current study will clarify the role of estrogen in reducing PHSML-mediated ALI through inhibition of autophagy. Methods: First, a hemorrhagic shock model in conscious rats was used to observe the effects of 17ß-estradiol (E2) on intestinal blood flow, pulmonary function, intestinal and pulmonary morphology, and expression of autophagy marker proteins. Meanwhile, the effect of PHSML and autophagy agonist during E2 treatment was also investigated. Secondly, rat primary pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were used to observe the effect of PHSML, PHSML plus E2, and E2-PHSML (PHSML obtained from rats treated by E2) on the cell viability. Results: Hemorrhagic shock induced intestinal and pulmonary tissue damage and increased wet/dry ratio, reduced intestinal blood flow, along with pulmonary dysfunction characterized by increased functional residual capacity and lung resistance and decreased inspiratory capacity and peak expiratory flow. Hemorrhagic shock also enhanced the autophagy levels in intestinal and pulmonary tissue, which was characterized by increased expressions of LC3 II/I and Beclin-1 and decreased expression of p62. E2 treatment significantly attenuated these adverse changes after hemorrhagic shock, which was reversed by PHSML or rapamycin administration. Importantly, PHSML incubation decreased the viability of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, while E2 coincubation or E2-treated lymph counteracted the adverse roles of PHSML. Conclusions: The role of estrogen reducing PHSML-mediated ALI is associated with the inhibition of autophagy.

TLR2/TLR4-Enhanced TIPE2 Expression Is Involved in Post-Hemorrhagic Shock Mesenteric Lymph-Induced Activation of CD4+T Cells.

Purpose: Post hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return contributes to CD4+ T cell dysfunction, which leads to immune dysfunction and uncontrolled inflammatory response. Tumor necrosis factor α induced protein 8 like-2 (TIPE2) is one of the essential proteins to maintain the immune homeostasis. This study investigated the role of TIPE2 in regulation of CD4+ T lymphocyte function in interaction of PHSML and TLR2/TLR4. Methods: The splenic CD4+ T cells were isolated from various mice (WT, TLR2-/-, TLR4-/-) by immunomagnetic beads, and stimulated with PHSML, normal lymphatic fluid (NML), respectively. Application of TIPE2-carrying interfering fragments of lentivirus were transfected to WT, TLR4-/-, and TLR2-/- CD4+ T cells, respectively. After interference of TIPE2, they were stimulated with PHSML and NML for the examinations of TIPE2, TLR2, and TLR4 mRNA expressions, proliferation, activation molecules on surface, and cytokine secretion function. Results: PHSML stimulation significantly upregulated TIPE2, TLR2, and TLR4 mRNA expressions, decreased proliferation, CD25 expression, and IFN-γ secretion, and increased the secretion ability of IL-4 in WT CD4+ T cells. TIPE2 silencing enhanced proliferative capacity, upregulated CD25 expression, and increased IFNγ secretion in CD4+ T cells. PHSML stimulated TLR2-/-CD4+ T or TLR4-/-CD4+ T cells of which TIPE2 were silenced. TLR2 or TLR4 knockout attenuated PHSML-induced CD4+ T cells dysfunction; PHSML stimulation of silent TIPE2-expressing TLR2-/-CD4+ T or TLR4-/-CD4+ T revealed that the coexistence of low TIPE2 expression with lack of TLR2 or TLR4 eliminated this beneficial effect. Conclusion: TIPE2 improves the PHSML-mediated CD4+T cells dysfunction by regulating TLR2/TLR4 pathway, providing a new intervention target following hemorrhagic shock-induced immune dysfunction.

Viable offspring derived from single unfertilized mammalian oocytes.

In mammals, a new life starts with the fusion of an oocyte and asperm cell. Parthenogenesis, a way of generating offspring solelyfrom female gametes, is limited because of problems arising fromgenomic imprinting. Here, we report live mammalian offspringderived from single unfertilized oocytes, which was achieved by tar-geted DNA methylation rewriting of seven imprinting control regions.Oocyte coinjection of catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9)-Dnmt3a ordCpf1-Tet1 messenger RNA (mRNA) with single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs)targeting specific regions induced de novo methylation or demethyla-tion, respectively, of the targeted region. Following parthenogeneticactivation, these edited regions showed maintenance of methylationas naturally established regions during early preimplantation develop-ment. The transfer of modified parthenogenetic embryos into fostermothers resulted in significantly extended development andfinally inthe generation of viable full-term offspring. These data demonstratethat parthenogenesis can be achieved by targeted epigenetic rewrit-ing of multiple critical imprinting control regions.

Controlled Hemorrhage Sensitizes Angiotensin II-Elicited Hypertension through Activation of the Brain Renin-Angiotensin System Independently of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Hemorrhagic shock is associated with activation of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Previous studies demonstrated that central RAS activation produced by various challenges sensitizes angiotensin (Ang) II-elicited hypertension and that ERS contributes to the development of neurogenic hypertension. The present study investigated whether controlled hemorrhage could sensitize Ang II-elicited hypertension and whether the brain RAS and ERS mediate this sensitization. Results showed that hemorrhaged (HEM) rats had a significantly enhanced hypertensive response to a slow-pressor infusion of Ang II when compared to sham HEM rats. Treatment with either angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 1 inhibitor, captopril, or ACE2 activator, diminazene, abolished the HEM-induced sensitization of hypertension. Treatment with the ERS agonist, tunicamycin, in sham HEM rats also sensitized Ang II-elicited hypertension. However, blockade of ERS with 4-phenylbutyric acid in HEM rats did not alter HEM-elicited sensitization of hypertension. Either HEM or ERS activation produced a greater reduction in BP after ganglionic blockade, upregulated mRNA and protein expression of ACE1 in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and elevated plasma levels of Ang II but reduced mRNA expression of the Ang-(1-7) receptor, Mas-R, and did not alter plasma levels of Ang-(1-7). Treatment with captopril or diminazene, but not phenylbutyric acid, reversed these changes. No treatments had effects on PVN protein expression of the ERS marker glucose-regulated protein 78. The results indicate that controlled hemorrhage sensitizes Ang II-elicited hypertension by augmenting RAS prohypertensive actions and reducing RAS antihypertensive effects in the brain, which is independent of ERS mechanism.

Establishment of an in vitro safety assessment model for lipid-lowering drugs using same-origin human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells.

Cardiovascular safety assessment is vital for drug development, yet human cardiovascular cell models are lacking. In vitro mass-generated human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiovascular cells are a suitable cell model for preclinical cardiovascular safety evaluations. In this study, we established a preclinical toxicology model using same-origin hPSC-differentiated cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) and endothelial cells (hPSC-ECs). For validation of this cell model, alirocumab, a human antibody against proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9), was selected as an emerging safe lipid-lowering drug; atorvastatin, a common statin (the most effective type of lipid-lowering drug), was used as a drug with reported side effects at high concentrations, while doxorubicin was chosen as a positive cardiotoxic drug. The cytotoxicity of these drugs was assessed using CCK8, ATP, and lactate dehydrogenase release assays at 24, 48, and 72 h. The influences of these drugs on cardiomyocyte electrophysiology were detected using the patch-clamp technique, while their effects on endothelial function were determined by tube formation and Dil-acetylated low-density lipoprotein (Dil-Ac-LDL) uptake assays. We showed that alirocumab did not affect the cell viability or cardiomyocyte electrophysiology in agreement with the clinical results. Atorvastatin (5-50 µM) dose-dependently decreased cardiovascular cell viability over time, and at a high concentration (50 µM, ~100 times the normal peak serum concentration in clinic), it affected the action potentials of hPSC-CMs and damaged tube formation and Dil-Ac-LDL uptake of hPSC-ECs. The results demonstrate that the established same-origin hPSC-derived cardiovascular cell model can be used to evaluate lipid-lowering drug safety in cardiovascular cells and allow highly accurate preclinical assessment of potential drugs.

Patient-specific iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes reveal abnormal regulation of FGF16 in a familial atrial septal defect.

AIMS: Congenital heart disease (CHD) frequently occurs in newborns due to abnormal formation of the heart or major blood vessels. Mutations in the GATA4 gene, which encodes GATA binding protein 4, are responsible for atrial septal defect (ASD), a common CHD. This study aims to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of CHD using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a family cohort with ASD. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patient-specific iPSCs possess the same genetic information as the donor and can differentiate into various cell types from all three germ layers in vitro, thus presenting a promising approach for disease modelling and molecular mechanism research. Here, we generated a patient-specific iPSC line (iPSC-G4T280M) from a family cohort carrying a hereditary ASD mutation in GATA4 gene (T280M), as well as a human embryonic stem cell line (ESC-G4T280M) carrying the isogenic T280M mutation using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing method. The GATA4-mutant iPSCs and ESCs were then differentiated into cardiomyocytes (CMs) to model GATA4 mutation-associated ASD. We observed an obvious defect in cell proliferation in cardiomyocytes derived from both GATA4T280M-mutant iPSCs (iPSC-G4T280M-CMs) and ESCs (ESC-G4T280M-CMs), while the impaired proliferation ability of iPSC-G4T280M-CMs could be restored by gene correction. Integrated analysis of RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq data indicated that FGF16 is a direct target of wild-type GATA4. However, the T280M mutation obstructed GATA4 occupancy at the FGF16 promoter region, leading to impaired activation of FGF16 transcription. Overexpression of FGF16 in GATA4-mutant cardiomyocytes rescued the cell proliferation defect. The direct relationship between GATA4T280M and ASD was demonstrated in a human iPSC model for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study revealed the molecular mechanism of the GATA4T280M mutation in ASD. Understanding the roles of the GATA4-FGF16 axis in iPSC-CMs will shed light on heart development and provide novel insights for the treatment of ASD and other CHD disorders.

Requirements for human cardiomyocytes.

'Requirements for human cardiomyocytes', jointly drafted and agreed upon by experts from the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research, is the first guideline for human cardiomyocytes in China. This standard specifies the technical requirements, test methods, test regulations, instructions for use, labelling requirements, packing requirements, storage requirements, transportation requirements and waste disposal requirements for human cardiomyocytes, which is designed to normalize and standardize human cardiomyocyte research and production. It was originally released by the China Society for Cell Biology on 9 January 2021. We hope that the publication of this guideline will promote institutional establishment, acceptance and execution of proper protocols, and accelerate the international standardization of human cardiomyocytes for applications.

Autophagy Is Involved in Stellate Ganglion Block Reversing Posthemorrhagic Shock Mesenteric Lymph-Mediated Vascular Hyporeactivity.

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the role of autophagy in stellate ganglion block (SGB) reversing posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML)-mediated vascular hyporeactivity. Methods: Hemorrhagic shock model in conscious rats was employed to observe the effects of SGB (0.2 ml of 0.25% ropivacaine hydrochloride hydrate) and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA; 30 mg/kg) on the vascular reactivity of second-order rat mesenteric arteries in vitro, while the effects of PHSML (1 ml/kg) and autophagy agonist rapamycin (Rapa, 10 mg/kg) on the beneficial effect of SGB were investigated. The cellular viability, contractility, and autophagy-related protein expressions in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were detected following treatments of PHSML, PHSML obtained from the rats that underwent hemorrhagic shock plus SGB (PHSML-SGB), and PHSML plus 3-MA (5 mM), respectively. Results: Hemorrhagic shock significantly decreased the vascular reactivity to gradient norepinephrine (NE), which is reversed by the SGB treatment and 3-MA administration. On the contrary, PHSML intravenous infusion and Rapa administration inhibited the vascular contractile responses in rats that underwent hemorrhagic shock plus SGB treatment. PHSML treatment significantly inhibited the cellular viability and contractility in VSMCs, increased the expressions of LC3-II and Beclin 1, and decreased the expression of p62, along with opposite appearances in these indices following PHSML-SGB treatment. In addition, 3-MA counteracted the adverse roles of PHSML in these indices in VSMCs. Conclusion: SGB inhibits PHSML-mediated vascular hyporeactivity by reducing the excessive autophagy in VSMCs.

Stellate Ganglion Block Improves the Proliferation and Function of Splenic CD4 + T Cells Through Inhibition of Posthemorrhagic Shock Mesenteric Lymph-Mediated Autophagy.

Severe hemorrhagic shock leads to excessive inflammation and immune dysfunction, which results in high mortality related to mesenteric lymph return. A recent study showed that stellate ganglion block (SGB) increased the survival rate in rats suffering hemorrhagic shock. However, whether SGB ameliorates immune dysfunction induced by hemorrhagic shock remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to verify the favorable effects of SGB on the proliferation and function of splenic CD4 + T cells isolated from rats that underwent hemorrhagic shock and to investigate the mechanism related to the SGB interaction with autophagy and posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML). Male rats underwent SGB or sham SGB and conscious acute hemorrhage followed by resuscitation and multiple treatments. After 3 h of resuscitation, splenic CD4 + T cells were isolated to measure proliferation and cytokine production following stimulation with ConA in vitro. CD4 + T cells isolated from normal rats were treated with PHSML drained from SBG-treated rats, and proliferation, cytokine production, and autophagy biomarkers were detected. Hemorrhagic shock reduced CD4 + T cell proliferation and production of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2). SGB or administration of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) normalized these indicators. In contrast, administration of rapamycin (RAPA) autophagy agonist or intravenous injection of PHSML inhibited the beneficial effects of SGB on CD4 + T cells from hemorrhagic shocked rats. Furthermore, PHSML incubation decreased proliferation and cytokine production, increased LC3 II/I and Beclin-1 expression, and reduced p-PI3K and p-Akt expression in normal CD4 + T cells. These adverse effects of PHSML were also abolished by 3-MA administration, as well as incubation with PHSML obtained from SGB-treated rats. SGB improves splenic CD4 + T cell function following hemorrhagic shock, which is related to the inhibition of PHSML-mediated autophagy.

Intermittent Starvation Promotes Maturation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) represent an infinite cell source for cardiovascular disease modeling, drug screening and cell therapy. Despite extensive efforts, current approaches have failed to generate hPSC-CMs with fully adult-like phenotypes in vitro, and the immature properties of hPSC-CMs in structure, metabolism and electrophysiology have long been impeding their basic and clinical applications. The prenatal-to-postnatal transition, accompanied by severe nutrient starvation and autophagosome formation in the heart, is believed to be a critical window for cardiomyocyte maturation. In this study, we developed a new strategy, mimicking the in vivo starvation event by Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS) treatment, to promote hPSC-CM maturation in vitro. We found that EBSS-induced starvation obviously activated autophagy and mitophagy in human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs). Intermittent starvation, via 2-h EBSS treatment per day for 10 days, significantly promoted the structural, metabolic and electrophysiological maturation of hESC-CMs. Structurally, the EBSS-treated hESC-CMs showed a larger cell size, more organized contractile cytoskeleton, higher ratio of multinucleation, and significantly increased expression of structure makers of cardiomyocytes. Metabolically, EBSS-induced starvation increased the mitochondrial content in hESC-CMs and promoted their capability of oxidative phosphorylation. Functionally, EBSS-induced starvation strengthened electrophysiological maturation, as indicated by the increased action potential duration at 90% and 50% repolarization and the calcium handling capacity. In conclusion, our data indicate that EBSS intermittent starvation is a simple and efficient approach to promote hESC-CM maturation in structure, metabolism and electrophysiology at an affordable time and cost.

Therapeutic mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells in acute respiratory distress syndrome reveal potentials for Covid-19 treatment.

The mortality rate of critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is 30.9% to 46.1%. The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has become a global issue with raising dire concerns. Patients with severe Covid-19 may progress toward ARDS. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be derived from bone marrow, umbilical cord, adipose tissue and so on. The easy accessibility and low immunogenicity enable MSCs for allogeneic administration, and thus they were widely used in animal and clinical studies. Accumulating evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cell infusion can ameliorate ARDS. However, the underlying mechanisms of MSCs need to be discussed. Recent studies showed MSCs can modulate immune/inflammatory cells, attenuate endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inhibit pulmonary fibrosis. The paracrine cytokines and exosomes may account for these beneficial effects. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs in ARDS, analyzed the most recent animal experiments and Covid-19 clinical trial results, discussed the adverse effects and prospects in the recent studies, and highlight the potential roles of MSC therapy for Covid-19 patients with ARDS.

Estrogen Enhances the Microvascular Reactivity Through RhoA-ROCK Pathway in Female Mice During Hemorrhagic Shock.

ABSTRACT: Vascular hypo-reactivity plays a critical role inducing organ injury during hemorrhagic shock. 17ß-estradiol (E2) can induce vasodilation to increase blood flow in various vascular beds. This study observed whether E2 can restore vascular hypo-reactivity induced by hemorrhagic shock, and whether E2 effects are associated with RhoA-Rho kinase (ROCK)-myosin light chain kinase phosphatase (MLCP) pathway. The hemorrhagic shock model (40 ±â€Š2 mm Hg for 1 h, resuscitation for 4 h) was established in ovary intact sham operation (OVI), ovariectomized (OVX), and OVX plus E2 supplement female mice. Intestinal microvascular loop was used to assess blood flow in vivo, mRNA expression and vascular reactivity in vitro. Hemorrhagic shock significantly reduced norepinephrine microvascular reactivity. Decreased microvascular reactivity was exacerbated by OVX and reversed by E2 supplement. U-46619 (RhoA agonist) increased microvascular reactivity, and C3 transferase (an ADP ribosyl transferase that selectively induces RhoA ribosylation) or Y-27632 (ROCK inhibitor) inhibited sham mice microvascular reactivity. Similarly, U-46619 increased microvascular reactivity in OVI and OVX mice following hemorrhagic shock, which was abolished by Y-27632 or concomitant incubation of okadaic acid (OA) (MLCP inhibitor) and Y-27632. In OVX plus E2 supplement mice with hemorrhagic shock, Y-27632 inhibited microvascular reactivity, which was abolished by concomitant U-46619 application. Lastly, hemorrhagic shock remarkably decreased intestinal loop blood flow, RhoA and ROCK mRNA expressions in vascular tissues in OVX females, but not in OVI females, which were reversed by E2 supplement. These results indicate that estrogen improves microvascular reactivity during hemorrhagic shock, and RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway may mediate E2 effects.

Formative pluripotent stem cells show features of epiblast cells poised for gastrulation.

The pluripotency of mammalian early and late epiblast could be recapitulated by naïve embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and primed epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs), respectively. However, these two states of pluripotency may not be sufficient to reflect the full complexity and developmental potency of the epiblast during mammalian early development. Here we report the establishment of self-renewing formative pluripotent stem cells (fPSCs) which manifest features of epiblast cells poised for gastrulation. fPSCs can be established from different mouse ESCs, pre-/early-gastrula epiblasts and induced PSCs. Similar to pre-/early-gastrula epiblasts, fPSCs show the transcriptomic features of formative pluripotency, which are distinct from naïve ESCs and primed EpiSCs. fPSCs show the unique epigenetic states of E6.5 epiblast, including the super-bivalency of a large set of developmental genes. Just like epiblast cells immediately before gastrulation, fPSCs can efficiently differentiate into three germ layers and primordial germ cells (PGCs) in vitro. Thus, fPSCs highlight the feasibility of using PSCs to explore the development of mammalian epiblast.

Generation of an EFNB2-2A-mCherry reporter human embryonic stem cell line using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated site-specific homologous recombination.

Ephrin B2 (EFNB2) is the first identified and most widely used marker for arterial endothelial cells (AECs). We generated a heterozygous EFNB2-2A-mCherry reporter H1 cell line, H1-EFNB2-2A-mCherry+/- (WAe001-A-57), by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated insertion of 2A-mCherry cassette into the EFNB2 gene locus, immediately before the translation stop codon. The H1-EFNB2-2A-mCherry reporter cells were pluripotent and could differentiate into all three germ layer lineages. Simultaneous expression of mCherry was observed when expression of EFNB2 was increased during endothelial cell differentiation. Thus, the generated reporter cells enable live identification of EFNB2-positive AECs, and screening of small molecule compound and target genes that promote AEC differentiation.

Transcriptome Analysis Revealed Inflammation Is Involved in the Impairment of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Induced by Post-hemorrhagic Shock Mesenteric Lymph.

Vascular endothelial injury caused by post-hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PHSML) return is an important manifestation during refractory hemorrhagic shock. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and transcriptome analysis, this study sought to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the adverse effect of PHSML on vascular endothelium. Post-hemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph was collected from male rats after they underwent hemorrhagic shock and following resuscitation, while normal mesenteric lymph (NML) was harvested from sham rats. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with the culture medium containing either 10% phosphate buffered saline (Control), NML, or PHSML for 3 h, and then were harvested for RNA sequencing. In comparison with NML treated cells, 37 genes were differentially expressed in PHSML-treated HUVECs, including 32 upregulated genes and five downregulated genes. These differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in inflammatory pathways, including signaling pathways for activation of the NOD-like receptors, NF-κB, and TNF. Furthermore, we found that C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) was increased significantly after PHSML treatment, and Bindarit, a CCL2 production inhibitor, attenuated the damage of HUVECs induced by PHSML. The results provide molecular evidence on vascular endothelium damage caused by PHSML. C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 might represent a new target for reducing vascular injury after severe hemorrhagic shock.

CXADR-like membrane protein protects against heart injury by preventing excessive pyroptosis after myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) results in cardiomyocyte death and ultimately leads to heart failure. Pyroptosis is a type of the inflammatory programmed cell death that has been found in various diseased tissues. However, the role of pyroptosis in MI heart remains unknown. Here, we showed that CXADR-like membrane protein (CLMP) was involved in pyroptosis in the mouse MI heart. Our data showed that CLMP was strongly expressed in fibroblasts of the infarcted mouse hearts. The Clmp+/- mice showed more serious myocardial fibrosis and ventricular dysfunction post-MI than wild-type (Clmp+/+ ) mice, indicating a protective effect of the fibroblast-expressed CLMP against MI-induced heart damage. Transcriptome analyses by RNA sequencing indicated that Il-1ß mRNA was significantly increased in the MI heart of Clmp+/- mouse, which indicated a more serious inflammatory response. Meanwhile, cleaved caspase-1 and Gasdermin D were significantly increased in the Clmp+/- MI heart, which demonstrated enhanced pyroptosis in the Clmp knockdown heart. Further analysis revealed that the pyroptosis mainly occurred in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Compared to wild-type fibroblasts, Clmp+/- CFs showed more serious pyroptosis and inflammatory after LPS plus nigericin treatment. Collectively, our results indicate that CLMP participates in the pyroptotic and inflammatory response of CFs in MI heart. We have provided a novel pyroptotic insight into the ischaemic heart, which might hold substantial potential for the treatment of MI.