Mixed Aqueous Extract of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Reduces Blood Pressure through Inhibition of Vascular Remodelling and Oxidative Stress in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) contains four major aqueous active ingredients, which have been isolated, purified and identified as danshensu (DSS), salvianolic acid A (Sal-A), salvianolic acid B (Sal-B) and protocatechuic aldehyde (PAL), totally abbreviated as SABP. Although SM is often used to treat various cardiovascular diseases in traditional Chinese medicine, the efficacy and function of optimal compatibility ratio of SM's active ingredients (SABP) in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases remain uncertain. This study investigated antihypertensive effect and underlying mechanisms of SABP vs. SM lyophilized powder (SMLP) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and to establish the ratio of the optimal compatibility of DSS, Sal-A, Sal-B and PAL in improving cardiovascular functions. METHODS: The SHRs were treated with either SABP or SMLP and their systolic blood pressures (SBP) were monitored. The isolated thoracic aorta of SHRs was segregated for immunohistochemistry, Hematoxylin-Eosin stain and mRNA and protein expression of NOX4, TGF-ß1, Col-I, ET-1, α-SMA and Smad7. Moreover, the adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) were isolated and cultured from SD rats' aorta and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined after SABP or SMLP treatment. RESULTS: SABP, but not SMLP, significantly reduced SBP, which were accompanied by the inhibited morphological changes in the thoracic aorta and the reduced mRNA and protein expression of NOX4, TGF-ß1, Col-I, ET-1 and α-SMA, but the increased Smad 7 expression in SHRs. Moreover, SABP also resulted in a decreased ROS production in AFs of SD rats. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that SABP, but not SMLP, treatment potently inhibits hypertension through improvements of vascular remodeling and oxidative stress. The present study provides new evidence that the efficacy and function from optimal compatibility ratio of SM active ingredients is much better than its lyophilized powder, which represents a strategy to develop SM's new beneficial effect in improving cardiovascular functions.

Characterization and functions of vascular adventitial fibroblast subpopulations.

BACKGROUND: Adventitial fibroblasts have been shown to play an important role in vascular remodeling and contribute to neointimal formation in vascular diseases. However, little is known about adventitial fibroblast subpopulations. This study explored the process of isolating rat thoracic aorta adventitial fibroblast subpopulations and characterized their properties following stimulation with angiotensin II (ANG II), a critical factor involved in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. METHODS: Adventitial fibroblasts were isolated and cultured from rat aorta. Fibroblast subpopulations were individually expanded using cloning ring techniques. Cells were treated with ANG II (10 nM, 100 nM and 1 µM) for 0.5, 1, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, or 24 h, and ANG II-induced proliferation and migration were measured by MTT assay and Transwell. Cells were treated with ANG II (100 nM) in the presence or absence of ANG II receptor antagonists (100 µM), losartan (for AT1) and PD-123319 (for AT2). PreproET-1 mRNA and ET-1 were determined by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Collagen type I was detected by western blotting. RESULTS: Two major fibroblast subpopulations were found in the adventitia, epithelioid-like cells and spindle-like cells; Although ANG II promotes the growth of both subpopulations, epithelioid-like cell proliferation shows dose-dependency on ANG II from 10 nM to 1 µM, while proliferation of spindle-like cells reaches a peak value following 100 nM ANG II stimulation; ANG II stimulation enhanced epithelioid-like but not spindle-like cell migration; ANG II dose-dependently increased the expression of preproET-1 and collagen type I, and enhanced ET-1 secretion in epithelioid-like but not spindle-like cells, effects abolished by the AT1 receptor antagonist, but not with AT2 receptor antagonist. CONCLUSION: Adventitial fibroblasts are heterogeneous and epithelioid-like subpopulations with high sensitivity to ANG II stimulation may be implicated in the pathophysiological mechanisms of vascular remodeling, reparative processes and cardiovascular diseases.

Expression of recombinant human Apolipoprotein A-IMilano in Nicotiana tabacum.

Apolipoprotein A-IMilano (Apo A-IMilano) is a natural mutant of Apolipoprotein. It is currently the only protein that can clear arterial wall thrombus deposits and promptly alleviate acute myocardial ischemia. Apo A-IMilano is considered as the most promising therapeutic protein for treating atherosclerotic diseases without obvious toxic or side effects. However, the current biopharmaceutical platforms are not efficient for developing Apo A-IMilano. The objectives of this research were to express Apo A-IMilano using the genetic transformation ability of N. tabacum. The method is to clone the coding sequence of Apo A-IMilano into the plant binary expression vector pCHF3 with a Flag/His6/GFP tag. The constructed plasmid was transformed into N. tabacum by a modified agrobacterium-mediated method, and transformants were selected under antibiotic stress. PCR, RT-qPCR, western blot and co-localization analysis was used to further verify the resistant N. tabacum. The stable expression and transient expression of N. tabacum were established, and the pure product of Apo A-IMilano was obtained through protein A/G agarose. The results showed that Apo A-IMilano was expressed in N. tabacum with a yield of 0.05 mg/g leaf weight and the purity was 90.58% ± 1.65. The obtained Apo A-IMilano protein was subjected to amino acid sequencing. Compared with the theoretical sequence of Apo A-IMilano, the amino acid coverage was 86%, it is also found that Cysteine replaces Arginine at position 173, which indicates that Apo A-IMilano, a mutant of Apo A-I, is accurately expressed in N. tabacum. The purified Apo A-IMilano protein had a lipid binding activity. The established genetic modification N. tabacum will provide a cost-effective system for the production of Apo A-IMilano. Regarding the rapid propagation of N. tabacum, this system provides the possibility of large-scale production and accelerated clinical translation of Apo A-IMilano.

Exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells alleviate Parkinson's disease and neuronal damage through inhibition of microglia.

Microglia-mediated inflammatory responses have been shown to play a crucial role in Parkinson's disease. In addition, exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells have shown anti-inflammatory effects in the treatment of a variety of diseases. However, whether they can protect neurons in Parkinson's disease by inhibiting microglia-mediated inflammatory responses is not yet known. In this study, exosomes were isolated from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and injected into a 6-hydroxydopamine-induced rat model of Parkinson's disease. We found that the exosomes injected through the tail vein and lateral ventricle were absorbed by dopaminergic neurons and microglia on the affected side of the brain, where they repaired nigral-striatal dopamine system damage and inhibited microglial activation. Furthermore, in an in vitro cell model, pretreating lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 cells with exosomes reduced interleukin-1ß and interleukin-18 secretion, prevented the adoption of pyroptosis-associated morphology by BV2 cells, and increased the survival rate of SH-SY5Y cells. Potential targets for treatment with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes were further identified by high-throughput microRNA sequencing and protein spectrum sequencing. Our findings suggest that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes are a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease, and that their neuroprotective effects may be mediated by inhibition of excessive microglial proliferation.

[Effects of angiotensin II and its receptor blockers on migration and endothelin-1 expression of rat vascular adventitial fibroblast subpopulations].

The study is to investigate the effect of angiotensin II (Ang II) and its receptor blockers on migration and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression of rat vascular adventitial fibroblast subpopulations. Vascular adventitial fibroblasts were individually expanded by using cloning rings, and the effects of Ang II on the migration of adventitial fibroblast subpopulations were evaluated by Transwell. Fluorescence quantitative-PCR detected the expression of preproET-1 mRNA induced by Ang II, and its receptor antagonists losartan and PD-123319. The concentration of ET-1 was determined by ELISA. It showed that spindle shaped and epithelioid shaped cells were isolated by using cloning rings, named as spindle cells and round cells. RT-PCR showed that fibroblast subpopulations did not have leukocytes, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, namely pure cell lines. Compared with respective control cells, two subpopulations had transferring ability. Ang II significantly improved round cells migration in a concentration-dependent manner, and had no obvious influence on spindle cells migration. Ang II (1 x 10(-8) - 1 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1)) significantly increased the expression of preproET-1 mRNA in round cells (P < 0.01), and had no significant effect on the expression of preproET-1 mRNA in spindle cells. Losartan blocked the expression of preproET-1 mRNA induced by Ang II in round cells, and had no significant effect on the expression of preproET-1 mRNA in spindle cells. The effects of Ang II and ET-1 receptor inhibitors on the release of ET-1 were similar to the expression of preproET-1 mRNA. The results indicate that there are two cell subpopulations: round cells and spindle cells in rat vascular adventitial fibroblasts. Ang II significantly improved cells migration, and increased the expression of ET-1 in round cell subpopulation. It suggested that there may be different migratory mechanisms in two cell subpopulations, and the two subpopulations may play a different role in vascular remodeling and reparative process.

Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells repair a Parkinson's disease model by inducing autophagy.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressively debilitating neurodegenerative condition that leads to motor and cognitive dysfunction. At present, clinical treatment can only improve symptoms, but cannot effectively protect dopaminergic neurons. Several reports have demonstrated that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) afford neuroprotection, while their application is limited because of their uncontrollable differentiation and other reasons. Stem cells communicate with cells through secreted exosomes (Exos), the present study aimed to explore whether Exos secreted by hucMSCs could function instead of hucMSCs. hucMSCs were successfully isolated and characterized, and shown to contribute to 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-stimulated SH-SY5Y cell proliferation; hucMSC-derived Exos were also involved in this process. The Exos were purified and identified, and then labeled with PKH 26, it was found that the Exos could be efficiently taken up by SH-SY5Y cells after 12 h of incubation. Pretreatment with Exos promoted 6-OHDA-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells to proliferate and inhibited apoptosis by inducing autophagy. Furthermore, Exos reached the substantia nigra through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo, relieved apomorphine-induced asymmetric rotation, reduced substantia nigra dopaminergic neuron loss and apoptosis, and upregulated the level of dopamine in the striatum. These results demonstrate that hucMSCs-Exos have a treatment capability for PD and can traverse the BBB, indicating their potential for the effective treatment of PD.

NADPH oxidase mediates angiotensin II-induced endothelin-1 expression in vascular adventitial fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVE: We have recently reported that adventitial fibroblasts are able to express endothelin-1 (ET-1) in response to angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulation. However, the mechanism by which this occurs in the adventitia remains unclear. As Ang II has been reported to increase oxidant production by NADPH oxidase, we examined the role of this complex in Ang II stimulated ET-1 expression in vascular adventitial fibroblasts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adventitial fibroblasts were isolated and cultured from mouse aorta. Cells were treated with Ang II (100 nmol/L) in the presence or absence of NADPH oxidase inhibitors, apocynin (100 micromol/L) and diphenyleneiodonium (10 micromol/L), superoxide scavengers, SOD (350 units/mL), tempol (100 micromol/L), tiron (100 micromol/L), and ET-receptor antagonists (10 microM), BQ123 (for ET(A)-) and BQ788 (for ET(B)-). PreproET-1 mRNA and ET-1 level were determined by relative RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Type I procollagen-alpha-I (collagen) level was detected by Western blot. Superoxide anion (superoxide) production was determined by coelenterazine or lucigenin chemiluminescence. Ang II-induced collagen expression was inhibited by BQ123, suggesting that adventitial ET-1 plays a significant role in regulating the extracellular matrix. NADPH oxidase inhibitors and superoxide scavengers significantly decreased Ang II-induced ET-1 mRNA and peptide expression, superoxide production as well as collagen expression. Furthermore, deletion of gp91(phox) (a key subunit of NADPH oxidase) and overexpression of SOD1 attenuated Ang II-induced responses. CONCLUSION: Ang II-evoked expression of ET-1 in adventitial fibroblasts appears to be mediated, at least in part, by NADPH oxidase. Functionally, this mechanism stimulates collagen expression thereby implicating the adventitia as a potential contributor to the vascular pathophysiology associated with oxidative stress and vascular remodeling.

[Estrogen receptor subtypes and the regulatory effect of receptor ligand binding on gene transcription].

This review introduces the structure, functions, tissue distribution, physiologic roles of estrogen receptor subtypes (ER alpha and ER beta) along with transcriptional activities of estrogen receptor ligands and the mechanism of the modulatory pathway and tissue specific property of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), and phytoestrogens. This article is to provide a systemic approach for increasing the selectivity of estrogenic drug and optimizing the clinically based strategy of drug design. Differences exist between ER alpha and ER beta in structure, function, tissue distribution, physiologic roles and response to ligands, as well as the regulating effect on gene transcription, which are mainly determined by different co-regulators they recruit respectively.

Endothelin-1 expression in vascular adventitial fibroblasts.

Endothelial cells are a major source of endothelin (ET)-1, but the possibility that vascular adventitial fibroblasts generate ET-1 has not been explored. We hypothesized that aortic adventitial fibroblasts have the ability to produce ET-1, which may contribute to extracellular matrix synthesis. Vascular adventitial fibroblasts were isolated from mouse aorta and incubated with various concentrations of angiotensin II (ANG II). mRNA levels of preproET-1 and type I procollagen were detected with relative RT-PCR. ET-1 levels in culture medium were measured with ELISA. Protein levels of procollagen were detected with Western blotting. ANG II (10 and 100 nM, 1 microM) induced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in preproET-1 mRNA levels (P < 0.05). Induction of preproET-1 mRNA was accompanied by release of immunoreactive peptide ET-1 (P < 0.05). ANG II-evoked increases in preproET-1 mRNA expression and ET-1 release were blocked by losartan (100 microM), an AT1 receptor antagonist, but not PD-123319 (100 microM), an AT2 receptor antagonist. To further confirm our findings, we cloned and then sequenced vascular fibroblast preproET-1 bidirectionally with T7 and M13 reverse sequencing primers. Their nucleotide sequences were identical to preproET-1 cDNA from mouse vascular endothelial cells (accession no. AB081657). Moreover, ANG II-induced type I procollagen mRNA and protein expression were inhibited by BQ-123 (10 microM), an ET(A) receptor inhibitor, but not BQ-788 (10 microM), an ET(B) receptor inhibitor, suggesting a significant role of adventitial ET-1 in regulation of extracellular matrix synthesis. The results demonstrate that vascular adventitial fibroblasts are able to synthesize and release ET-1 in response to ANG II.