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Dohi A, Noguchi T, Yamashita M, Sasaguri K, Yamamoto T, Mori Y. Acute stress transiently activates macrophages and chemokines in cervical lymph nodes. Immunol Res 2024; 72:212-224. [PMID: 38351242 PMCID: PMC11031481 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-023-09409-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Acute restraint stress (RS) is routinely used to study the effects of psychological and/or physiological stress. We evaluated the impact of RS on cervical lymph nodes in rats at molecular and cellular levels. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to stress by immobilization for 30, 60, and 120 min (RS30, RS60, and RS120, respectively) and compared with rats of a no-stress control (C) group. The expression of genes encoding chemokines CXCL1/CXCL2 (Cxcl1 and Cxcl2) and their receptor CXCR2 (Cxcr2) was analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and microarray analyses. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were performed to determine the expression of these proteins and the macrophage biomarker CD68. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression of 514 and 496 genes was upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in the RS30 group. Compared with the C group, the RS30 group exhibited a 23.0-, 13.0-, and 1.6-fold increase in Cxcl1, Cxcl2, and Cxcr2 expression. Gene Ontology analysis revealed the involvement of these three upregulated genes in the cytokine network, inflammation, and leukocyte chemotaxis and migration. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that the mRNA levels of Cxcl1 and Cxcl2 were significantly increased in the RS30 group but were reverted to normal levels in the RS60 and RS120 groups. Cxcr2 mRNA level was significantly increased in the RS30 and RS120 groups compared with that in the C group. RS-induced CXCL1-immunopositive cells corresponded to B/plasma cells, whereas CXCL2-immunopositive cells corresponded to endothelial cells of the high endothelial venules. Stress-induced CXCR2-immunopositive cells corresponded to macrophages. Psychological and/or physiological stress induces an acute stress response and formation of an immunoreactive microenvironment in cervical lymph nodes, with the CXCL1/CXCL2-CXCR2 axis being pivotal in the acute stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Dohi
- Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Tadahide Noguchi
- Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
| | - Masako Yamashita
- Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Kenichi Sasaguri
- Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Yamamoto
- Brain Functions and Neuroscience Division, Department of Oral Science, Graduate School of Dentistry, Kanagawa Dental University, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Mori
- Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
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Zhu S, Chen L, Wang M, Zhang J, Chen G, Yao Y, Song S, Li T, Xu S, Yu Z, Shen B, Xu D, Chi ZL, Wu W. Schwann cell-derived extracellular vesicles as a potential therapy for retinal ganglion cell degeneration. J Control Release 2023; 363:641-656. [PMID: 37820984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Optic neuropathy is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and is characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Several studies have demonstrated that transplantation of Schwann cells (SCs) is a promising candidate therapy for optic neuropathy and that intravitreally transplanted cells exert their effect via paracrine actions. Extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapies are increasingly recognized as a potential strategy for cell replacement therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective and regenerative effects of SC-EVs following optic nerve injury. We found that SC-EVs were internalized by RGCs in vitro and in vivo without any transfection reagents. Intriguingly, SC-EVs significantly enhanced the survival and axonal growth of primary RGCs in a coculture system. In a rat optic nerve crush model, SC-EVs mitigated RGC degeneration, prevented RGC loss, and preserved the thickness of the ganglion cell complex, as demonstrated by the statistically significant improvement in RGC counts and thickness measurements. Mechanistically, SC-EVs activated the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway and regulated reactive gliosis in ONC rats, which is crucial for RGC protection and axonal regeneration. These findings provide novel insights into the neuroprotective and regenerative properties of SC-EVs, suggesting their potential as a cell-free therapeutic strategy and natural biomaterials for neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senmiao Zhu
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Lili Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Min Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Gang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Yinghao Yao
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Shihan Song
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Shenglan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Zhonghao Yu
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Bingyan Shen
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Duogang Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Zai-Long Chi
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China.
| | - Wencan Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
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3
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Dong Z, Min F, Zhang S, Zhang H, Zeng T. EGR1-Driven METTL3 Activation Curtails VIM-Mediated Neuron Injury in Epilepsy. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:3349-3362. [PMID: 37268752 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-03950-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Uncovering mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis aids in preventing further epilepsy progression and to lessen seizure severity and frequency. The purpose of this study is to explore the antiepileptogenic and neuroprotective mechanisms of EGR1 in neuron injuries encountered in epilepsy. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify the key genes related to epilepsy. The mice were rendered epileptic using the kainic acid protocol, followed by measurement of seizure severity, high amplitude and frequency, pathological changes of hippocampal tissues and neuron apoptosis. Furthermore, an in vitro epilepsy model was constructed in the neurons isolated from newborn mice, which was then subjected to loss- and gain-of-function investigations, followed by neuron injury and apoptosis assessment. Interactions among EGR1, METTL3, and VIM were analyzed by a series of mechanistic experiments. In the mouse and cell models of epilepsy, VIM was robustly induced. However, its knockdown reduced hippocampal neuron injury and apoptosis. Meanwhile, VIM knockdown decreased inflammatory response and neuron apoptosis in vivo. Mechanistic investigations indicated that EGR1 transcriptionally activated METTL3, which in turn downregulated VIM expression through m6A modification. EGR1 activated METTL3 and reduced VIM expression, thereby impairing hippocampal neuron injury and apoptosis, preventing epilepsy progression. Taken together, this study demonstrates that EGR1 alleviates neuron injuries in epilepsy by inducing METTL3-mediated inhibition of VIM, which provides clues for the development of novel antiepileptic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaofei Dong
- Department of Neurology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518033, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuli Min
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Sai Zhang
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Huili Zhang
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Zeng
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
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Adini A, Ko VH, Puder M, Louie SM, Kim CF, Baron J, Matthews BD. PR1P, a VEGF-stabilizing peptide, reduces injury and inflammation in acute lung injury and ulcerative colitis animal models. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1168676. [PMID: 37187742 PMCID: PMC10175756 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1168676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are each characterized by tissue damage and uncontrolled inflammation. Neutrophils and other inflammatory cells play a primary role in disease progression by acutely responding to direct and indirect insults to tissue injury and by promoting inflammation through secretion of inflammatory cytokines and proteases. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule that plays a key role in maintaining and promoting cell and tissue health, and is dysregulated in both ARDS and UC. Recent evidence suggests a role for VEGF in mediating inflammation, however, the molecular mechanism by which this occurs is not well understood. We recently showed that PR1P, a 12-amino acid peptide that binds to and upregulates VEGF, stabilizes VEGF from degradation by inflammatory proteases such as elastase and plasmin thereby limiting the production of VEGF degradation products (fragmented VEGF (fVEGF)). Here we show that fVEGF is a neutrophil chemoattractant in vitro and that PR1P can be used to reduce neutrophil migration in vitro by preventing the production of fVEGF during VEGF proteolysis. In addition, inhaled PR1P reduced neutrophil migration into airways following injury in three separate murine acute lung injury models including from lipopolysaccharide (LPS), bleomycin and acid. Reduced presence of neutrophils in the airways was associated with decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines (including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and Myeloperoxidase (MPO) in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Finally, PR1P prevented weight loss and tissue injury and reduced plasma levels of key inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 in a rat TNBS-induced colitis model. Taken together, our data demonstrate that VEGF and fVEGF may each play separate and pivotal roles in mediating inflammation in ARDS and UC, and that PR1P, by preventing proteolytic degradation of VEGF and the production of fVEGF may represent a novel therapeutic approach to preserve VEGF signaling and inhibit inflammation in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avner Adini
- Vascular Biology Program, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Avner Adini,
| | - Victoria H. Ko
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mark Puder
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sharon M. Louie
- Stem Cell Program and Divisions of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Carla F. Kim
- Stem Cell Program and Divisions of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joseph Baron
- Janus Biotherapeutics, Inc, Wellesley, MA, United States
| | - Benjamin D. Matthews
- Vascular Biology Program, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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5
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Cao W, Zhang H, Zhou N, Zhou R, Zhang X, Yin J, Deng J, Ao X, Shi C. Functional recovery of myocardial infarction by specific EBP-PR1P peptides bridging injectable cardiac extracellular matrix and vascular endothelial growth factor. J Biomed Mater Res A 2022; 111:995-1005. [PMID: 36579729 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most potent angiogenic factor and plays an important role in therapy of myocardial infarction (MI). Currently, how to retain regional concentration and decrease rapid diffusion is critical for its clinical application of VEGF. In recent years, the application of targeting peptides has been developed rapidly and provides new strategies for the sustained release of VEGF. In present study, a bi-functional EBP-PR1P peptide was designed and bridged VEGF to injectable cardiac extracellular matrix (c-ECM). Through EBP-PR1P peptides, VEGF could specifically bind with c-ECM to realize the sustained release, without impacting the bioactivity of VEGF. Then VEGF/EBP-PR1P/c-ECM scaffolds were constructed and administrated into rats with MI. The results showed VEGF/EBP-PR1P/c-ECM could promote angiogenesis, protect cardiomyocytes survival against apoptosis, and improve the recovery of cardiac function. In addition, the mechanism of EBP-PR1P/VEGF was also investigated which canonical downstream of VEGF-Akt signaling pathway was activated. These results showed specific VEGF/EBP-PR1P/c-ECM scaffolds served as promising delivery system for VEGF that facilitated the functional recovery of MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan Cao
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ning Zhou
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Runxue Zhou
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhang
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jia Yin
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jin Deng
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiang Ao
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chunying Shi
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Yin J, Shi C, He W, Yan W, Deng J, Zhang B, Yin M, Pei H, Wang H. Specific bio-functional CBD-PR1P peptide binding VEGF to collagen hydrogels promotes the recovery of cerebral ischemia in rats. J Biomed Mater Res A 2022; 110:1579-1589. [PMID: 35603700 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ischemic stroke was a leading cause of death and long-term disability. It was an effective way to improve cerebral ischemia injury by promoting angiogenesis and neuroprotection. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was a potent pro-angiogenic factor, and had neuroprotective effect. A short peptide (PR1P) derived from the extracellular VEGF-binding glycoprotein-Prominin-1 was reported to specifically bind to VEGF. In order to realize sustained release of VEGF, a bio-functional peptide-CBD-PR1P was constructed, which target VEGF to collagen hydrogels to limit the diffusion of VEGF. When the collagen hydrogels loading with CBD-PR1P and VEGF were injected into the cerebral ischemic cortex, increased angiogenesis, decreased apoptosis and enhanced neurons survival were observed in the ischemic area, that promoted the motor functional recovery of cerebral ischemic injury. Thus, this targeting delivery system of VEGF provided a promising therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Yin
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Chunying Shi
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Wenli He
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Wenjing Yan
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jin Deng
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Mengmeng Yin
- The Second Department of Neurology, Qingdao Central Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Haitao Pei
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Haiping Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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Yuan Z, Sheng D, Jiang L, Shafiq M, Khan AUR, Hashim R, Chen Y, Li B, Xie X, Chen J, Morsi Y, Mo X, Chen S. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Capturing Aligned Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Gelatin Nanofibers Promote Patellar Ligament Regeneration. Acta Biomater 2022; 140:233-46. [PMID: 34852300 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.11.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Ligament injuries are common in sports and other rigorous activities. It is a great challenge to achieve ligament regeneration after an injury due the avascular structure and low self-renewal capability. Herein, we developed vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-binding aligned electrospun poly(caprolactone)/gelatin (PCL/Gel) scaffolds by incorporating prominin-1-binding peptide (BP) sequence and exploited them for patellar ligament regeneration. The adsorption of BP onto scaffolds was discerned by various techniques, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscope. The accumulation of VEGF onto scaffolds correlated with the concentration of the peptide in vitro. BP-anchored PCL/Gel scaffolds (BP@PCL/Gel) promoted the tubular formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and wound healing in vitro. Besides, BP containing scaffolds exhibited higher content of CD31+ cells than that of the control scaffolds at 1 week after implantation in vivo. Moreover, BP containing scaffolds improved biomechanical properties and facilitated the regeneration of matured collagen in patellar ligament 4 weeks after implantation in mice. Overall, this strategy of peptide-mediated orchestration of VEGF provides an enticing platform for the ligament regeneration, which may also have broad implications for tissue repair applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Ligament injuries are central to sports and other rigorous activities. Given to the avascular nature and poor self-healing capability of injured ligament tissues, it is a burgeoning challenge to fabricate tissue-engineered scaffolds for ligament reconstruction. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is pivotal to the neo-vessel formation. However, the high molecular weight of VEGF as well as its short half-life in vitro and in vivo limits its therapeutic potential. To circumvent these limitations, herein, we functionalized aligned electrospun polycaprolactone/gelatin (PCL/Gel)-based scaffolds with VEGF-binding peptide (BP) and assessed their biocompatibility and performance in vitro and in vivo. BP-modified scaffolds accumulated VEGF, improved tube formation of HUVECs, and induced wound healing in vitro, which may have broad implications for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
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8
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Yu W, Jin H, Sun W, Nan D, Deng J, Jia J, Yu Z, Huang Y. Connexin43 promotes angiogenesis through activating the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway under chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2021; 41:2656-2675. [PMID: 33899559 PMCID: PMC8504949 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x211010354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, a major vascular contributor to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia, can exacerbate small vessel pathology. Connexin43, the most abundant gap junction protein in brain tissue, has been found to be critically involved in the pathological changes of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. However, the precise mechanisms underpinning its role are unclear. We established a mouse model via bilateral common carotid arteries stenosis on connexin43 heterozygous male mice and demonstrated that connexin43 improves brain blood flow recovery by mediating reparative angiogenesis under chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, which subsequently reduces the characteristic pathologies of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia including white matter lesions and irreversible neuronal injury. We additionally found that connexin43 mediates hypoxia inducible factor-1α expression and then activates the PKA signaling pathway to regulate vascular endothelial growth factor-induced angiogenesis. All the above findings were replicated in bEnd.3 cells treated with 375 µM CoCl2in vitro. These results suggest that connexin 43 could be instrumental in developing potential therapies for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia caused by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Yu
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Haiqiang Jin
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ding Nan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jianwen Deng
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Jia
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zemou Yu
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yining Huang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
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Adini A, Adini I, Grad E, Tal Y, Danenberg HD, Kang PM, Matthews BD, D’Amato RJ. The Prominin-1-Derived Peptide Improves Cardiac Function Following Ischemia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5169. [PMID: 34068392 PMCID: PMC8153573 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of death in the western world. Despite advancements in interventional revascularization technologies, many patients are not candidates for them due to comorbidities or lack of local resources. Non-invasive approaches to accelerate revascularization within ischemic tissues through angiogenesis by providing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in protein or gene form has been effective in animal models but not in humans likely due to its short half-life and systemic toxicity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that PR1P, a small VEGF binding peptide that we developed, which stabilizes and upregulates endogenous VEGF, could be used to improve outcome from MI in rodents. To test this hypothesis, we induced MI in mice and rats via left coronary artery ligation and then treated animals with every other day intraperitoneal PR1P or scrambled peptide for 14 days. Hemodynamic monitoring and echocardiography in mice and echocardiography in rats at 14 days showed PR1P significantly improved multiple functional markers of heart function, including stroke volume and cardiac output. Furthermore, molecular biology and histological analyses of tissue samples showed that systemic PR1P targeted, stabilized and upregulated endogenous VEGF within ischemic myocardium. We conclude that PR1P is a potential non-invasive candidate therapeutic for MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avner Adini
- Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (B.D.M.); (R.J.D.)
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Irit Adini
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, The Center for Engineering in Medicine, Mass General Hospital, Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston, Boston, MA 02114, USA;
| | - Etty Grad
- Interventional Cardiology, Heart Institute, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91200, Israel; (E.G.); (H.D.D.)
| | - Yuval Tal
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit and Department of Medicine, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91200, Israel;
| | - Haim D. Danenberg
- Interventional Cardiology, Heart Institute, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91200, Israel; (E.G.); (H.D.D.)
| | - Peter M. Kang
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Benjamin D. Matthews
- Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (B.D.M.); (R.J.D.)
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert J. D’Amato
- Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (B.D.M.); (R.J.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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10
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Adini A, Wu H, Dao DT, Ko VH, Yu LJ, Pan A, Puder M, Mitiku SZ, Potla R, Chen H, Rice JM, Matthews BD. PR1P Stabilizes VEGF and Upregulates Its Signaling to Reduce Elastase-induced Murine Emphysema. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2020; 63:452-463. [PMID: 32663413 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2019-0434oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Emphysema is a progressive and fatal lung disease with no cure that is characterized by thinning, enlargement, and destruction of alveoli, leading to impaired gas exchange. Disease progression is due in part to dysregulation of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) signaling in the lungs and increased lung-cell apoptosis. Here we asked whether PR1P (Prominin-1-derived peptide), a novel short peptide we designed that increases VEGF binding to endothelial cells, could be used to improve outcome in in vitro and in vivo models of emphysema. We used computer simulation and in vitro and in vivo studies to show that PR1P upregulated endogenous VEGF receptor-2 signaling by binding VEGF and preventing its proteolytic degradation. In so doing, PR1P mitigated toxin-induced lung-cell apoptosis, including from cigarette-smoke extract in vitro and from LPS in vivo in mice. Remarkably, inhaled PR1P led to significantly increased VEGF concentrations in murine lungs within 30 minutes that remained greater than twofold above that of control animals 24 hours later. Finally, inhaled PR1P reduced acute lung injury in 4- and 21-day elastase-induced murine emphysema models. Taken together, these results highlight the potential of PR1P as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of emphysema or other lung diseases characterized by VEGF signaling dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avner Adini
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Surgery, and.,Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hao Wu
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Duy T Dao
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Victoria H Ko
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Lumeng J Yu
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Amy Pan
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Mark Puder
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Selome Z Mitiku
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Surgery, and.,Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ratnakar Potla
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Hong Chen
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - James M Rice
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Surgery, and
| | - Benjamin D Matthews
- Vascular Biology Program.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Surgery, and.,Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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11
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Calvo PM, de la Cruz RR, Pastor AM. A Single Intraventricular Injection of VEGF Leads to Long-Term Neurotrophic Effects in Axotomized Motoneurons. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0467-19.2020. [PMID: 32371476 PMCID: PMC7266142 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0467-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been recently demonstrated to induce neuroprotective and synaptotrophic effects on lesioned neurons. Hitherto, the administration of VEGF in different animal models of lesion or disease has been conducted following a chronic protocol of administration. We questioned whether a single dose of VEGF, administered intraventricularly, could induce long-term neurotrophic effects on injured motoneurons. For this purpose, we performed in cats the axotomy of abducens motoneurons and the injection of VEGF into the fourth ventricle in the same surgical session and investigated the discharge characteristics of axotomized and treated motoneurons by single-unit extracellular recordings in the chronic alert preparation. We found that injured motoneurons treated with a single VEGF application discharged with normal characteristics, showing neuronal eye position (EP) and velocity sensitivities similar to control, thereby preventing the axotomy-induced alterations. These effects were present for a prolonged period of time (50 d) after VEGF administration. By confocal immunofluorescence we also showed that the synaptic stripping that ensues lesion was not present, rather motoneurons showed a normal synaptic coverage. Moreover, we demonstrated that VEGF did not lead to any angiogenic response pointing to a direct action of the factor on neurons. In summary, a single dose of VEFG administered just after motoneuron axotomy is able to prevent for a long time the axotomy-induced firing and synaptic alterations without any associated vascular sprouting. We consider that these data are of great relevance due to the potentiality of VEGF as a therapeutic agent in neuronal lesions and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula M Calvo
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41012, Spain
| | - Rosa R de la Cruz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41012, Spain
| | - Angel M Pastor
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41012, Spain
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