Advanced glycosylation end products in adrenal lipofuscin

Regulation of lipid droplets and cholesterol metabolism in adrenal cortical cells

The adrenal gland is composed of two distinctly different endocrine moieties. The interior medulla consists of neuroendocrine chromaffin cells that secrete catecholamines like adrenaline and noradrenaline, while the exterior cortex consists of steroidogenic cortical cells that produce steroid hormones, such as mineralocorticoids (aldosterone), glucocorticoids (cortisone and cortisol) and androgens. Synthesis of steroid hormones in cortical cells requires substantial amounts of cholesterol, which is the common precursor for steroidogenesis. Cortical cells may acquire cholesterol from de novo synthesis and uptake from circulating low- and high-density lipoprotein particles (LDL and HDL). As cholesterol is part of the plasma membrane in all mammalian cells and an important regulator of membrane fluidity, cellular levels of free cholesterol are tightly regulated. To ensure a robust supply of cholesterol for steroidogenesis and to avoid cholesterol toxicity, cortical cells store large amounts of cholesterol as cholesteryl esters in intracellular lipid droplets. Cortical steroidogenesis relies on both mobilization of cholesterol from lipid droplets and constant uptake of circulating cholesterol to replenish lipid droplet stores. This chapter will describe mechanisms involved in cholesterol uptake, cholesteryl ester synthesis, lipid droplet formation, hydrolysis of stored cholesteryl esters, as well as their impact on steroidogenesis. Additionally, animal models and human diseases characterized by altered cortical cholesteryl ester storage, with or without abnormal steroidogenesis, will be discussed.

A novel method for evaluating the dynamic biocompatibility of degradable biomaterials based on real-time cell analysis

Degradable biomaterials have emerged as a promising type of medical materials because of their unique advantages of biocompatibility, biodegradability and biosafety. Owing to their bioabsorbable and biocompatible properties, magnesium-based biomaterials are considered as ideal degradable medical implants. However, the rapid corrosion of magnesium-based materials not only limits their clinical application but also necessitates a more specific biological evaluation system and biosafety standard. In this study, extracts of pure Mg and its calcium alloy were prepared using different media based on ISO 10993:12; the Mg²⁺ concentration and osmolality of each extract were measured. The biocompatibility was investigated using the MTT assay and xCELLigence real-time cell analysis (RTCA). Cytotoxicity tests were conducted with L929, MG-63 and human umbilical vein endothelial cell lines. The results of the RTCA highly matched with those of the MTT assay and revealed the different dynamic modes of the cytotoxic process, which are related to the differences in the tested cell lines, Mg-based materials and dilution rates of extracts. This study provides an insight on the biocompatibility of biodegradable materials from the perspective of cytotoxic dynamics and suggests the applicability of RTCA for the cytotoxic evaluation of degradable biomaterials.

Lipofuscin Accumulation in Cortisol-Producing Adenomas With and Without PRKACA Mutations

The adrenal cortex accumulates lipofuscin granules with age. Lipofuscin accumulation is also seen in adrenocortical tumors associated with Cushing syndrome (CS), particularly those with PRKAR1A mutations, such as in primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD). We investigated the presence of lipofuscin in cortisol-producing adenomas (CPAs) responsible for CS with and without the PRKACA (pLeu206Arg) somatic mutation. Ten paraffin-embedded sections of CPAs from cases with overt CS with (n=4) and without (n=6) a PRKACA mutation were microscopically examined through three detection methods, the hematoxylin-Eosin (H & E) staining, the Fontana Masson (FM) staining using light microscopy, and lipofuscin autofluorescence, using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Sections were examined quantitatively according to the intensity of the pigmentation, as well as qualitatively based on the total number of granular pigments at all visual fields per tissue slide. Tissues from CPAs were compared to peritumoral adjacent tissues (n=5), to Conn adenomas (n=4), and PPNAD (n=3). CPAs had significantly higher number of lipofuscin-pigment granules compared to peritumoral adrenal tissue and Conn adenomas (46.9±9.5 vs. 3.8±4.8, p=0.0001). The presence of the PRKACA mutation did not increase the chances of pigmentation in the form of lipofuscin granules within CPAs associated with CS. Thus, all CPAs leading to CS accumulate lipofuscin, which presents like pigmentation sometimes seen macroscopically but always detected microscopically. PPNAD caused by PRKAR1A mutations is the best known adrenal lesion leading to CS associated with intense lipofuscin pigmentation and this was confirmed here; CPAs harboring PRKACA mutations did not have statistically significantly more pigmentation than CPAs without mutation, but a larger study might have shown a difference.

MiR-9 regulates the post-transcriptional level of VEGF165a by targeting SRPK-1 in ARPE-19 cells

PURPOSE

To investigate the effect of the overexpression of miRNA-9 to the ratio of pro- and anti-angiogenic isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human retinal pigment cells (ARPE-19).

METHODS

Oxidative stress was induced to ARPE-19 cells by 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BH), and hypoxia chamber with 1% O₂. Expression patterns of miRNAs were validated by qPCR. Relative mRNA levels of VEGF and PEDF were measured by semi-quantitative PCR. After the transfection of miR-9 mimic and inhibitor, transcriptional levels of VEGF165a, VEGF 165b, and SRPK-1 were measured by qPCR.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that miR-9 expression is decreased in ARPE-19 human retinal pigment cells under hypoxic stress induced by 4-HNE, a lipid peroxidation end-product. We observed that miR-9 mimic transfection of ARPE-19 inhibited one of its targets, serine-arginine protein kinase-1 (SRPK-1), modulating the transcriptional level of VEGF165b. Transfection of miR-9 reduced the alternative splicing of VEGF165a mRNA in ARPE-19 cells under hypoxic conditions, suggesting that miR-mediated regulation of alternative splicing could be a potential therapeutic target in neovascular pathologies.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypoxic stress decreased the miR-9 level in ARPE-19 cells, which increased the transcriptional level of SRPK-1, resulting in alternative splicing shift to pro-angiogenic isoforms of VEGF165 in human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Dynamic assessment of cell viability, proliferation and migration using real time cell analyzer system (RTCA)

Cell viability and cell migration capacities are critical parameters for cell culture-related studies. It is essential to monitor the dynamic changes of cell properties under various co-culture conditions to our better understanding of their behaviours and characteristics. The real time cell analyzer (RTCA, xCELLigence, Roche) is an impedance-based technology that can be used for label-free and real-time monitoring of cell properties, such as cell adherence, proliferation, migration and cytotoxicity. The practicality of this system has been proven in our recent cancer studies. In the present method, we intend to use co-cultures of pancreatic cancer cells (HP62) and mesenchymal stem cells to describe in detail, the procedures and benefits of RTCA.

Robust in vivo transduction of nervous system and neural stem cells by early gestational intra amniotic gene transfer using lentiviral vector

Presently, in vivo methods to efficiently and broadly transduce all major cell types throughout both the central (CNS) and peripheral adult nervous system (PNS) are lacking. In this study, we hypothesized that during early fetal development neural cell populations, including neural stem cells (NSCs), may be accessible for gene transfer via the open neural groove. To test this hypothesis, we injected lentiviral vectors encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker gene into the murine amniotic cavity at embryonic day 8. This method (i) efficiently and stably transduced the entire nervous system for at least 80% of the lifespan of the mice, (ii) transduced all major neural cell types, and (iii) transduced adult NSCs of the subventricular zone (SVZ) and subgranular zones (SGZs). This simple approach has broad applications for the study of gene function in nervous system development and adult NSCs and may have future clinical applications for treatment of genetic disorders of the nervous system.

You say lipofuscin, we say ceroid: defining autofluorescent storage material

Accumulation of intracellular autofluorescent material or "aging pigment" has been characterized as a normal aging event. Certain diseases also exhibit a similar accumulation of intracellular autofluorescent material. However, autofluorescent storage material associated with aging and disease has distinct characteristics. Lipofuscin is a common term for aging pigments, whereas ceroid is used to describe pathologically derived storage material, for example, in the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs). NCLs are a family of neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by an accumulation of autofluorescent storage material (ceroid) in the lysosome, which has been termed "lipofuscin-like". There have been many studies that describe this autofluorescent storage material, but what is it? Is this accumulation lipofuscin or ceroid? In this review we will try to answer the following questions: (1) What is lipofuscin and ceroid? (2) What contributes to the accumulation of this storage material in one or the other? (3) Does this material have an effect on cellular function? Studying parallels between the accumulation of lipofuscin and ceroid may provide insight into the biological relevance of these phenomena.

Conversion of Amadori products of the Maillard reaction to N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine by short-term heating: possible detection of artifacts by immunohistochemistry

Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) of the Maillard reaction increases by aging and in age-enhanced diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetic complications. Immunohistochemical analysis has been used to demonstrate AGE in vivo. In immunochemistry, the heat-induced epitope retrieval technique is extensively used with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Here we examined whether AGE could be formed artificially through the heating process. Normal rat skin and liver samples were divided into two groups, one rapidly frozen, the other formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and submitted to heat-induced epitope retrieval treatment. In heat-treated sections, the cytoplasm of rat epidermal cells and hepatocytes were strongly stained by monoclonal antibody against N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), while the staining was negligible in either frozen sections or in paraffin-embedded but heat-untreated sections. To clarify the mechanism, we conducted heat treatment to glycated human serum albumin (HSA), a model Amadori protein, and generation of CML was determined by immunochemical and HPLC analysis. CML was generated from glycated HSA by heat treatment (above 80 degrees C) and increased in a time-dependent manner. In contrast, generation of CML from glycated HSA was significantly inhibited in the presence of NaBH4, a reducing agent, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, a chelator of transition metal ion, or aminoguanidine, a trapping reagent for alpha-oxoaldehydes. Furthermore, heat-induced CML formation in rat liver samples determined by HPLC was markedly reduced by pretreatment with NaBH4. Reactive intermediates such as glucosone, 3-deoxyglucosone, methylglyoxal, and glyoxal were formed upon heat treatment of glycated HSA at 100 degrees C, indicating that these aldehydes generated from Amadori products by oxidative cleavage can contribute to further CML formation. CML generated by heating, directly from Amadori products or via these aldehydes, might serve as an artifact upon immunohistochemistry.

Differentially expressed genes in zona reticularis cells of the human adrenal cortex

The zona reticularis (ZR) cell in the human adrenal cortex is responsible for the secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone, but its biology, origin, and putative decrease in number during aging are poorly understood. In the present experiments, we investigated to what extent ZR and zona fasciculata (ZF) cells differ in patterns of gene expression. Both cell types were purified by microdissection from adult adrenal cortex specimens. After a brief period in culture, RNA was harvested from the cells and used to prepare radioactively labeled probes following amplification by PCR. Probes were used in hybridizations of arrays of cDNAs on nylon membranes (PCR products or plasmids obtained from an adrenal cDNA library). Analysis of hybridization intensities showed that 17 of the 750 genes studied differed in expression by more than 2-fold. Several genes expressed at higher levels in ZR cells encode components of the major histocompatibility complex or enzymes involved in peroxide metabolism. Members of the tubulin gene family were expressed at higher levels in ZF cells. Differential expression of four of the genes was confirmed by Northern blotting. These differences show that although ZR and ZF cells are similar in gene expression, ZR cells have a gene expression pattern related to the unique biology of this cell type.

A receptor for advanced glycosylation endproducts (AGEs) is colocalized with neurofilament-bound AGEs and SOD1 in motoneurons of ALS: immunohistochemical study

Neurofilament (NF)-bound AGEs colocalize immunochemically with SOD1 in the motoneurons of patients with ALS. Among three types of AGE receptors reported in the human brain, AGE-R1 (oligosaccharyltransferase family) and AGE-R2 (substrate of protein kinase C) have been found in neurons, while AGE-R3 is restricted to glia. The present study investigates which of these receptors may be responsible for binding AGEs in the NF conglomerates of motoneurons. Immunostaining of paraffin sections from eight ALS patients (five sporadic and three familial) and three control cases was performed with antibodies directed against R1 and R2, in parallel with those against AGEs and SOD1. The sites of AGE-R1 immunoreactivity (IR) in motoneurons were in conformity to those of NF-associated AGE and SOD1 IRs. By contrast, the IR of R2 was negative in NF conglomerates. Negative R2 IR for NF conglomerates was outlined by surrounding coarse R2 immunopositive granules in the perikaryon. No IR for R1 or R2 was found in hyaline or Bunina inclusions. There was no extraneuronal expression of IR for AGE-R1 or AGEs in microglia or astroglia around the NF accumulation. The colocalization of AGE, AGE-R1, and SOD1 at NF conglomerates in motoneurons supports the notion that AGE-mediated oxidative stress and protein aggregation may be implicated in NF conglomeration and ALS pathogenesis.