Distribution of bone morphogenetic protein receptors in human scleral fibroblasts cultured in vitro and human sclera

Harnessing the potential of recombinant human BMP2: regulating scleral changes in myopic guinea pigs

Studies have shown that the development of myopia is associated with scleral remodeling, but the exact mechanism is not yet clear. This study investigates the effects of vitreous injection of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP2) on scleral remodeling in myopic guinea pigs and the possible signaling pathways. Guinea pigs were randomly divided into normal control (NC) group, lens-induced myopia (LIM) group, rhBMP2 low-dose group (LD), rhBMP2 medium-dose group (MD), and rhBMP2 high-dose group (HD). After rhBMP2 intervention, myopic refraction was reduced and axial growth was delayed compared with the LIM group; Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining showed that the arrangement of scleral collagen fibers was loose, the disorder was improved, and the cavities were reduced, especially in MD group; and immunofluorescence staining showed elevated α-SMA protein expression. Q-PCR and western blot results showed that after rhBMP2 intervention, at the mRNA and protein levels, the expression of BMPRIA, smad1, smad5, smad9, smad4, TIMP2, and Col1A1 was up-regulated, and MMP2 expression was down-regulated when compared with the LIM group. From this study, we conclude that after injecting rhBMP2 into the vitreous cavity of experimental myopic guinea pigs, it can bind to BMP2-related receptors, activate smad signaling pathway, affect the expression of MMP2/TIMP2, promote the expression of Col1A1 gene, regulate scleral remodeling, promote collagen I synthesis, and delay the development of myopia.

The Study on Biological Function of Keratin 26, a Novel Member of Liaoning Cashmere Goat Keratin Gene Family

In our research, we explored the relationship between Keratin 26 and the regulation of fine hair, BMP signaling pathway, MT, FGF5, and IGF-I. The result of hybridization in situ revealed that Keratin 26 was specially expressed in cortex of skin hair follicles; the result of immunohistochemistry indicated that Keratin 26 was expressed in internal root sheath, external root sheath. Then, Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that relative expressive quantity of Keratin 26 was 1.08 or 3.3 × greater in secondary follicle than primary follicle during anagen or catagen; the difference during anagen was not remarkable (p>0.05), however, that of catagen was extremely significant (p<0.01). Relative expressive quantity of Keratin 26 increased during telogen; the difference was extremely significant (p<0.01). Moreover, after Noggin expression interference using RNAi technology, we found that relative expressive quantity of Keratin 26 extremely remarkably declined (p<0.01); after K26 overexpression, we found that relative expressive quantity of Noggin extremely remarkably increased (p<0.01). We detected expressive quantity change of Keratin 26 and Keratin 26 using Real-time quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence technologies after fibroblasts were treated with MT, FGF5 or IGF-I; the results indicated that MT and FGF5 played a positive role in Keratin 26 and Keratin 26 expression, IGF-I played a negative role in Keratin 26 expression, positive role in Keratin 26 expression. The results above showed that Keratin 26 could inhibit cashmere growth, and was related to entering to catagen and telogen of hair follicles; Keratin 26 and BMP signaling pathway were two antagonistic pathways each other which could inhibit growth and development of cashmere; MT, FGF5 and IGF-I could affect expression of Keratin 26 and Keratin 26, and Keratin 26 was one of the important pathways that MT induced cashmere production in advance, FGF5 regulated cashmere growth and IGF-I promoted cashmere growth and development.

The Expression of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 and Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 through Retinoic Acid Receptor Beta Induced by All-Trans Retinoic Acid in Cultured ARPE-19 Cells

Purpose

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plays an important role in ocular development. Previous studies found that retinoic acid could influence the metabolism of scleral remodeling by promoting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells to secrete secondary signaling factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether retinoic acid affected secretion of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and to explore the signaling pathway of retinoic acid in cultured acute retinal pigment epithelial 19 (ARPE-19) cells.

Methods

The effects of ATRA (concentrations from 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁵ mol/l) on the expression of retinoic acid receptors (RARs) in ARPE-19 cells were examined at the mRNA and protein levels using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot assay, respectively. The effects of treating ARPE-19 cells with ATRA concentrations ranging from 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁵ mol/l for 24 h and 48 h or with 10^-6mol/l ATRA at different times ranging from 6h to 72h were assessed using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The contribution of RARβ-induced activation of ARPE-19 cells was confirmed using LE135, an antagonist of RARβ.

Results

RARβ mRNA levels significantly increased in the ARPE-19 cells treated with ATRA for 24h and 48h. These increases in RARβ mRNA levels were dose dependent (at concentrations of 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁵ mol/l) with a maximum effect observed at 10⁻⁶ mol/l. There were no significant changes in the mRNA levels of RARα and RARγ. Western blot assay revealed that RARβ protein levels were increased significantly in a time-dependent manner in ARPE-19 cells treated with 10⁻⁶ mol/l ATRA from 12 h to 72 h, with a marked increase observed at 24 h and 48 h. The upregulation of RARβ and the ATRA-induced secretion in ARPE-19 cells could be inhibited by the RARβ antagonist LE135.

Conclusion

ATRA induced upregulation of RARβ in ARPE-19 cells and stimulated these cells to secrete BMP-2 and MMP-2.

BMP-2 Is Involved in Scleral Remodeling in Myopia Development

The development of myopia is associated with scleral remodeling, but it is unclear which factors regulate this process. This study investigated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) expression in the sclera of guinea pigs with lens-induced myopia (LIM) and after recovery from myopia and evaluated the effect of BMP-2 on extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis in human scleral fibroblasts (HSFs) cultured in vitro. Lens-induced myopia was brought about in two groups of guinea pigs (the lens-induced myopia and myopia recovery groups) by placing -4.00 D lenses on the right eye for three weeks. The left eye served as a contralateral control. In the recovery group, the lenses were removed after one week. The refractive power and axial length of the eyes were measured, and the BMP-2 expression levels in the sclera were measured. After three weeks, the lens-induced eyes acquired relative myopia in both groups of guinea pigs. Immunostaining of the eyeballs revealed significantly decreased BMP-2 expression in the posterior sclera of the myopic eyes compared to the contralateral eyes. One week after lens removal, BMP-2 expression recovered, and no differences were observed between the experimental and contralateral eyes in the recovery group. HSFs were cultured with BMP-2 or transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Type I and type III collagen synthesis was significantly up-regulated following BMP-2 treatment in culture after one and two weeks, but the ratio of type III to type I collagen mRNA was not increased. Biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and aggrecan was increased in HSFs treated with BMP-2. Some chondrogenesis-associated genes expression increased in HSFs treated with BMP-2. From this study, we concluded that BMP-2 is involved in scleral remodeling in the development and recovery of lens-induced myopia.