Relationships between ulinastatin and alpha-1-microglobulin in human urine

Effect of Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation of Microglia-Derived Exosomes on Hippocampal Neurons: A Study on miR-124 and Inflammatory Cytokines

Stroke is a cerebrovascular disease that threatens human health. Developing safe and effective drugs and finding therapeutic targets has become an urgent scientific problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oxygen-glucose deprivation of the microglia-derived exosome on hippocampal neurons and its relationship to miR-124 in the exosome. We incubated hippocampal neurons with exosomes secreted by oxygen-glucose deprivation/ reoxygenation (OGD/R) microglia. The levels of glutamic acid (GLU) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the culture supernatant were detected by ELISA. CCK-8 was used to measure neuronal survival rates. The mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by RT-qPCR to evaluate the effect of exosomes on neurons. RT-qPCR was then used to detect miR-124 in microglia and their secreted exosomes. Finally, potential targets of miR-124 were analyzed through database retrieval, gene detection with dual luciferase reporters, and western blotting experiments. The results showed that the contents of GLU, TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA increased in the supernatant of cultured hippocampal neurons, the content of GABA decreased, and the survival rate of neurons decreased. Oxygen-glucose deprivation increases miR-124 levels in microglia and their released exosomes. miR-124 acts as a target gene on cytokine signaling suppressor molecule 1(SOCS1), while miR-124 inhibitors reduce the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA in neurons. These results suggest that oxygen- and glucose-deprived microglia regulate inflammatory cytokines leading to reduced neuronal survival, which may be achieved by miR-124 using SOCS1 as a potential target.

High-level secretion of human bikunin from recombinant Pichia pastoris

Human bikunin is a glycoprotein that exhibits trypsin inhibitory activity against serine proteases, and is effective in clinic. However, limited productivity and high price of human bikunin retard its further application. In this study, a high-yield, low-cost process of recombinant human bikunin (rh-bikunin) production from Pichia pastoris was established. The trypsin inhibitory activity reached 6·2 × 10(3)  IU ml(-1) after 120 h induction of P. pastoris fermentation process, which was 20-fold higher than that of the previous yield. Furthermore, a simple and low-cost purification process, including ammonium sulphate precipitation, anion exchange adsorption of impurity and cation exchange chromatography, was developed with the results of 38·7% recovery and 96·6% purity of rh-bikunin. This work made a big step to improve bikunin further application in clinic.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study demonstrated the highest rh-bikunin production process towards its application as trypsin inhibitor in clinic. In this work, Pichia pastoris GS115 was used as a host for higher rh-bikunin production which was 20-fold higher than that of P. pastoris X-33. Then, a simple, low-cost purification procedure of rh-bikunin was developed. This potential high productivity and low cost of rh-bikunin process will benefit patients eventually.

Urinary trypsin inhibitor levels are reduced in cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica patients during relapse

BACKGROUND

Neutrophil-mediated inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Concentrations of urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) have attracted attention as a useful index of the status of inflammatory response. Evidence suggests serum UTI levels are increased in some inflammatory diseases, but little attention has been paid to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of UTI.

OBJECTIVE

To measure CSF concentration of UTI and determine its relationship with disease activity in MS and NMO.

METHODS

CSF UTI was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 18 MS patients, 28 NMO patients and eight controls.

RESULTS

CSF UTI concentrations in MS and NMO groups were both significantly lower than those in controls. Expanded disability status scale scores of MS and NMO revealed a trend of increased disease disability with decreased CSF UTI level. The CSF UTI concentrations were not significantly associated with CSF white blood cell counts, total protein, glucose and chlorine concentrations in MS and NMO subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate a reduced UTI level in CSF of MS and NMO patients. The levels were associated with the severity of the two demyelinating diseases during relapse.

Bikunin--not just a plasma proteinase inhibitor

Bikunin is a plasma proteinase inhibitor that has received little attention in the past, probably because its activity towards various proteinases was found to be relatively weak in early work. It was recently discovered, however, that bikunin effectively inhibits a proteinase that seems to be involved in the metastasis of tumour cells--cell surface plasmin--and that a fragment of bikunin inhibits two proteinases of the coagulation pathway--factor Xa and kallikrein. Furthermore, it has been found that bikunin has other properties, such as the ability to modulate cell growth and to block cellular calcium uptake. Most of the bikunin in the blood occurs as a covalently linked subunit of the proteins pre- and inter-alpha-inhibitor. In this form bikunin lacks some of its known activities, and there is evidence that its release by partial proteolytic degradation may function as a regulatory mechanism. Although the physiological function of bikunin still remains to be established, current data suggest that this protein plays a role in inflammation. Further studies could therefore lead to results of therapeutical value.

Sex- and age-related changes in urinary contents of alpha 1-microglobulin and ulinastatin in mice

1. Using two murine strains, ICR/Jcl and senescence-accelerated-prone inbred mouse 1 (SAMP1), age-associated changes in urine indices (e.g. urine volume, creatinine contents, contents of alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1M) and ulinastatin (UT) and the relation of urinary contents of alpha 1M and UT were investigated. 2. Sex-related differences in the indices were not observed in ICR nor in SAMP1 mice. 3. Urine indices per 24 h of ICR mice at 6 and 14 months of age were higher than those at 3 months of age, although indices of SAMP1 mice did not change with ageing. Urinary contents of alpha 1M and UT in ICR mice at 6 and 14 months of age were higher than those in SAMP1 mice. However, contents of alpha 1M and UT expressed as the contents per creatinine did not differ between these two strains. 4. In the relation between urinary contents of alpha 1M and UT, a positive correlation was displayed both in ICR and SAMP1 mice, and the regression slope did not significantly differ with ageing in these two strains. 5. These results suggest that ageing per se is not a factor which affects the relation of urinary contents of alpha 1M and UT.

Non-existence of a positive correlation between urinary levels of alpha 1-microglobulin and ulinastatin in patients with Parkinson's disease

Urinary levels of alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1M) and of ulinastatin (UT) and the alpha 1M/UT ratio did not differ significantly between age-matched controls and patients with Parkinson's disease, and among subdivided groups based on Yahr's stages in Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, these indexes did not correlate with Yahr's stages. Although alpha 1M and UT levels did not correlate in patients with Parkinson's disease, a positive correlation was observed in the control group. The non-existence of a positive correlation between alpha 1M and UT levels distinguishes Parkinson's disease from other neuropsychiatric diseases such as dementia (Alzheimer-type and vascular dementia), schizophrenia and mood disorder.