[A case of aconitum kusnezoffii intoxication with severe arrhythmia]

Aconitum kusnezoffii is a traditional Chinese medicine of Ranunculaceae family. Its toxicity is relatively strong, and its dosage is similar to that of poisoning. In clinical practice, poisoning events are often caused by excessive dosage or improper use. There is no specific antidote for kusnezoff root poisoning. Severe kusnezoff root poisoning can cause malignant arrhythmia and even death.A case of severe kusnezoff monkshood poisoning was reported in January 2021, which was treated with nificaran hydrochloride for injection in the emergency medicine department of the First Hospital of Handan City. The patient developed ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and AS syndrome. In addition to conventional treatment, the patient did not have arrhythmia again after intravenous injection of 25 mg of nifekalan load and continuous pumping of 0.4 mg/kg/h for 7 hours, and did not relapse after discontinuation of nifekalan 24 hours later. It is suggested that the malignant arrhythmia caused by clinical severe kusnezoff monkshood poisoning can be controlled by nifekalan. Whether nifekalan is superior to conventional antiarrhythmic drugs still needs more accumulation and verification of clinical application data.

[Study on feasibility of enhanced recovery after surgery combined with mobile microendoscopic discectomy-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) combined with mobile microendoscopic discectomy-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MMED-TLIF) in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis and its influence on postoperative rehabilitation. Methods: From October 1 2014 to July 1 2016 , a cohort of 52 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis who received the program of ERAS-MMED-TLIF were retrospectively reviewed in Department of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Tianjin Hospital.The primary outcomes include the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, VAS score (low back pain and leg pain) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at different follow-up time and complication.The height of intervertebral space and fusion rate were also recorded as radiographic indicators. Results: All cases had an average follow-up of 12 months. The mean operative time was (115±30) min with a mean blood loss of (100±35) ml.Compared with preoperative condition, VAS score of low back pain (6.3±3.3 vs 3.5±2.3, P<0.05), VAS score of leg pain (7.1 ± 4.2 vs 3.1 ± 2.6, P<0.05) and the ODI disability index score (43.5±9.6 vs 20.9±7.3, P<0.05) at the postoperative 24 h were decreased and the difference was statistically significant.The mean hospitalized time were (4.9±1.3) days with mean postoperative hospital stay (2.1±1.2) days.Fusion rate was 92.31% (48/52) at the last follow-up time. Conclusion: ERAS combined with MMED-TLIF is feasible in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis, which can significantly reduce intraoperative bleeding, shorten the total length of stay and postoperative hospital stay, improve postoperative pain and promote rapid rehabilitation of patients after operation without increasing the operation time and influencing the long-term effect, it can be applied in clinical practice.

Oligonucleotide microarray analysis reveals dysregulation of energy-related metabolism in insulin-sensitive tissues of type 2 diabetes patients

Impaired insulin action within skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and the liver is an important characteristic of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In order to identify common underlying defects in insulin-sensitive tissues that may be involved in the pathogenesis of T2D, the gene expression profiles of skeletal muscle, visceral adipose tissue, and liver from autopsy donors with or without T2D were examined using oligonucleotide microarrays and quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR. Compared with controls, 691 genes were commonly dysregulated in these three insulin-sensitive tissues of humans with T2D. These co-expressed genes were enriched within the mitochondrion, with suggested involvement in energy metabolic processes such as glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, fatty acid beta oxidative, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and electron transport. Genes related to energy metabolism were mostly downregulated in diabetic skeletal muscle and visceral adipose tissue, while they were upregulated in the diabetic liver. This observed dysregulation in energy-related metabolism may be the underlying factor leading to the molecular mechanisms responsible for the insulin resistance of patients with T2D.

Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and progression to arterial stiffness in middle-aged and elderly Chinese

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is an indicator of arterial stiffness, which is recognized as a predictor of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between HDL-c and baPWV among middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

METHODS

A total number of 1133 Chinese (430 men, 703 women) aged from 50 to 90 years old were recruited from Shanghai downtown district. The baPWV and major cardiovascular risk factors of the participants were measured.

RESULTS

Serum HDL-c was negatively correlated with baPWV (r = -0.143, P < 0.001) after adjustment for age and gender. Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that age (P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001), HDL-c (P < 0.001), smoking (P = 0.001), BMI (P = 0.002), fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.004), and white blood cell (P = 0.005) were independently associated with baPWV. After multiple adjustments, participants in the highest quartile of HDL-c had an odds ratio of 0.442 (95% CI 0.268-0.729) for developing high arterial stiffness compared with participants in the lowest quartile. The association remained significant after further adjustment for major cardiovascular risk factors.

CONCLUSION

HDL-c has an independent protective effect on arterial stiffness in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Early detection of HDL-c level is important in high risk populations with arterial stiffness. Increasing HDL-c level may be an attractive therapeutic target for the prevention of arterial function and subsequent disease.

Impaired mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in multiple insulin-sensitive tissues of humans with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Alteration of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) may contribute to insulin resistance. It is unclear, however, which characteristics are common to insulin-sensitive tissues. Using an oligonucleotide microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, the gene expression profiles of skeletal muscle, visceral adipose tissue and liver from autopsy donors with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus were determined. Common dysregulated genes were enriched in mitochondrial OXPHOS, and most of these genes were down-regulated in both the skeletal muscle and visceral adipose tissue of diabetic subjects, but up-regulated in diabetic liver. Messenger RNA (mRNA) for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator 1alpha was significantly increased in diabetic liver but significantly reduced in diabetic skeletal muscle. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha mRNA was significantly down-regulated in diabetic visceral adipose tissue. The mitochondrial DNA content was slightly, though not significantly, reduced in diabetic liver and diabetic skeletal muscle. It is concluded that defects in OXPHOS genes and individual transcription co-factors in insulin-sensitive tissues may play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes and the insulin-resistant state.

MicroRNA-320 expression in myocardial microvascular endothelial cells and its relationship with insulin-like growth factor-1 in type 2 diabetic rats

1. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of myocardial microvascular endothelial cells (MMVEC) in impaired angiogenesis of type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. 2. A microRNA (miRNA) microarray was used to assess miRNA expression in MMVEC from GK and Wistar rats. Upregulation of miRNA-320 was observed in MMVEC from GK rats using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). 3. So far, nine miRNAs have been reported to target angiogenic factors and/or receptors, including kinase insert domain containing receptor (Flk-1), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R). The predicted genes targeted by miR-320 include Flk-1, IGF-1 and IGF-1R. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR were used to analyse the protein and mRNA expression, respectively, of the putative genes IGF-1 and IGF-1R. The expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R proteins decreased significantly in diabetic MMVEC. However, the expression of IGF-1 mRNA increased rather than decreased. The mRNA expression of IGF-1R did not differ significantly between diabetic and control MMVEC. 4. Transfection of an miR-320 inhibitor into MMVEC from GK rats confirmed that miR-320 impaired angiogenesis. The proliferation and migration of diabetic MMVEC improved after transfection of the miR-320 inhibitor. In addition, the miR-320 inhibitor significantly increased the expression of IGF-1 protein, but had no effect on the expression of IGF-1R. 5. Eleven miRNAs were upregulated in MMVEC from GK rats compared with those in Wistar rats: let-7e, miR-129, miR-291-5p, miR-320, miR-327, mir-333, miR-363-5p, miR-370, miR-494, miR-503 and miR-664. 6. The results indicate that upregulation of miR-320 in MMVEC from GK rats may be responsible for the inconsistency between the expression of IGF-1 protein and mRNA and therefore related to impaired angiogenesis in diabetes. Transfection of an miR-320 inhibitor may be a therapeutic approach for the treatment of impaired angiogenesis in diabetes.

High prevalence of albuminuria in population-based patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the Shanghai downtown

OBJECTIVE

The prevalence of albuminuria and the risk factors associated with albuminuria were evaluated among the Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 in the Shanghai downtown. We also evaluated the variability of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) among the three measurements and the relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and albuminuria.

METHODS

The 1039 Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 were investigated by randomized cluster sampling in the Shanghai downtown and 1018 patients were analyzed in this study. Body mass measurements including height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference, resting blood pressure, fasting blood measures, urinary ACR and the digitally stored fundus images were investigated. The prevalence of albuminuria was calculated and the risk factors associated with albuminuria were evaluated by stepwise logistic regression. The concordance of urinary ACR was evaluated by observed agreement. The relationship between albuminuria and DR was also evaluated.

RESULTS

(1) The mean age of all patients was 66.10+/-11.54 years and the duration of diabetes was 7.89+/-7.16 years. (2) The prevalence of albuminuria was 49.6% among the Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 in the Shanghai downtown, 41.4% with microalbuminuria and 8.2% with macroalbuminuria. (3) Microalbuminuria was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure, gender and waist circumference. Macroalbuminuria was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure and duration of diabetes. (4) Observed agreement among the three urinary ACR measurement for albuminuria staging was 73.3% (first versus second), 64.5% (first versus third) and 77.5% (second versus third). Observed agreement in the albuminuria staging between the single urinary ACR measurement and all three urinary ACR measurements was 85.8% (first versus all three), 87.6% (second versus all three) and 81.9% (third versus all three). (5) The percentage of DR in the macroalbuminuric group (59.2%) was significantly higher than that in the normalbuminuria group (16.1%) and microalbuminuria group (24.6%). (6) The macroalbuminuric patients with DR had significantly increased fasting blood glucose and HbA1c compared with the macroalbuminuric patients without DR.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of microalbuminuria observed in the Chinese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 in the Shanghai downtown reached up to 41.4% though the observations in our study might be representative of the diabetic patients of the Shanghai downtown. We agreed that at least two of the three urinary collections were done in a 3- to 6-month period because of the day-to-day variability in albumin excretion. The percentage of DR among the patients with macroalbuminuria was 59.2%, and the macroalbuminuric patients with the significantly high plasma glucose and DR were prone to diagnose DN.

A novel mitochondrial DNA missense mutation at G3421A in a family with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness

OBJECTIVE

Mutations in mtDNA are thought to be responsible for the pathogenesis of maternally inherited diabetes. Here, we report a family with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness whose members did not harbour the mtDNA A3243G mutation, the most frequent point mutation in mitochondrial diabetic patients. This study aimed to investigate a possible other mtDNA mutation and its prevalence in type 2 diabetic patients.

METHODS

Height, body weight, waistline, and hip circumference were measured and serum biochemical marks determined in all members of the family. In addition, a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test and electric listening test were conducted in these members. Genomic DNA was prepared from peripheral leukocytes. Direct sequencing of PCR products was used to detect the mtDNA mutation in this family. The prevalence of mtDNA G3421A nucleotide substitutions was investigated by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in 1350 unrelated type 2 diabetic patients recruited by random cluster sampling from the central city area of Shanghai, China.

RESULTS

(1) A new missense homoplasmic mutation of mtDNA G3421A was found in a maternally inherited diabetic family and existed neither in 1350 unrelated type 2 diabetic patients nor in 50 non-diabetic individuals. (2) The mode of mutation and diabetes transmission was typical maternal inheritance in this family. (3) All diabetic family members were found to have an onset at 35-42 years of age, accompanied by deafness of varying degrees.

CONCLUSION

mtDNA G3421A (Val39Ile) found in a family with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness is a novel missense mutation. Whether this is a diabetogenic mutation and its effect on mitochondrial function needs to be further studied.

Role of the substrate conformation and of the S1 protein in the cleavage efficiency of the T4 endoribonuclease RegB

The T4 endoribonuclease RegB is involved in the inactivation of the phage early messengers. It cuts specifically in the middle of GGAG sequences found in early messenger intergenic regions but not GGAG sequences located in coding sequences or in late messengers. In vitro RegB activity is very low but is enhanced by a factor up to 100 by the ribosomal protein S1. In the absence of clear sequence motif distinguishing substrate and non-substrate GGAG-containing RNAs, we postulated the existence of a structural determinant. To test this hypothesis, we correlated the structure, probed by NMR spectroscopy, with the cleavage propensity of short RNA molecules derived from an artificial substrate. A kinetic analysis of the cleavage was performed in the presence and absence of S1. In the absence of S1, RegB efficiently hydrolyses substrates in which the last G of the GGAG motif is located in a short stem between two loops. Both strengthening and weakening of this structure strongly decrease the cleavage rate, indicating that this structure constitutes a positive cleavage determinant. Based on our results and those of others, we speculate that S1 favors the formation of the structure recognized by RegB and can thus be considered a "presentation protein."

Gene expression profiling in the human hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and full-length cDNA cloning

The primary neuroendocrine interface, hypothalamus and pituitary, together with adrenals, constitute the major axis responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis and the response to the perturbations in the environment. The gene expression profiling in the human hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis was catalogued by generating a large amount of expressed sequence tags (ESTs), followed by bioinformatics analysis (http://www.chgc.sh.cn/ database). Totally, 25,973 sequences of good quality were obtained from 31,130 clones (83.4%) from cDNA libraries of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands. After eliminating 5,347 sequences corresponding to repetitive elements and mtDNA, 20,626 ESTs could be assembled into 9, 175 clusters (3,979, 3,074, and 4,116 clusters in hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, respectively) when overlapping ESTs were integrated. Of these clusters, 2,777 (30.3%) corresponded to known genes, 4,165 (44.8%) to dbESTs, and 2,233 (24.3%) to novel ESTs. The gene expression profiles reflected well the functional characteristics of the three levels in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, because most of the 20 genes with highest expression showed statistical difference in terms of tissue distribution, including a group of tissue-specific functional markers. Meanwhile, some findings were made with regard to the physiology of the axis, and 200 full-length cDNAs of novel genes were cloned and sequenced. All of these data may contribute to the understanding of the neuroendocrine regulation of human life.

Endoribonuclease RegB from bacteriophage T4 is necessary for the degradation of early but not middle or late mRNAs

The RegB endoribonuclease from bacteriophage T4 cleaves early mRNAs specifically in the middle of the sequence GGAG. We show here that RegB is required for the degradation of bulk T4 early mRNA. In the absence of RegB, the chemical half-life of early transcripts is increased nearly fourfold, whereas their functional half-life is increased twofold. RegB also regulates the translation of several prereplicative genes. The synthesis of several early proteins is down-regulated, probably as a consequence of RegB cleavages in the Shine-Dalgarno sequence of these genes. The synthesis of several other proteins is up-regulated, suggesting that processing by RegB might improve translation by changing the conformation of a transcript. In contrast, RegB does not affect the average half-life of middle and late mRNA. An analysis of the susceptibility to RegB of many GGAG motifs carried by these mRNA species showed that most middle and all late GGAG-carrying mRNAs escape RegB processing in spite of the fact that the enzyme is acting at least until ten minutes post-infection. The sensitivity or resistance to RegB observed during phage infection could be reproduced in uninfected Escherichia coli cells and in vitro. This shows that the GGAG-carrying RNAs that are uncut during T4 infection are not substrates, whatever the period of the T4 cycle when the transcripts are made.

Astrocyte progression from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle depends upon multiple protein interaction

The proliferation of cultured astrocytes is positively and negatively regulated, respectively, by the endogenous neuropeptides, endothelin-3 (ET-3) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Here, we determined the important steps for the modulation by ET and ANP of G1 to S phase cell cycle progression. ET-3 stimulated an increased number of fetal rat diencephalic astrocytes to progress through G1/S, and this was blocked significantly by ANP. ET augmented the gene expression and/or protein production of D-type, A and E cyclins, whereas ANP inhibited these events significantly. ET also stimulated the activation of the cyclin-dependent kinases Cdk2, Cdk4, and Cdk6, directed against the retinoblastoma protein pRb, and this was inhibited by as much as 80% by ANP. As an additional mechanism of cell cycle restraint, ANP stimulated the production of multiple cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitory (CKI) proteins, including p16, p27, and p57. This was critical because antisense oligonucleotides to each CKI reversed ANP-induced inhibition of ET-stimulated DNA synthesis by as much as 85%. CKI antisense oligonucleotides also reversed the ANP inhibition of Cdk phosphorylation of pRb. In turn, ET inhibited ANP-stimulated production of the CKIs, thereby promoting cell cycle progression. Specific and changing associations of the CKI with Cdk2 and Cdk4 were stimulated by ANP and inhibited by ET. Our findings identify several mechanisms by which endogenous modulators of astrocyte proliferation can control the G1-S progression and indicate that multiple CKIs are necessary to restrain cell cycle progression in these cells.

Oestrogen and progesterone inhibit the stimulated production of endothelin-1

Important vascular proteins such as endothelin-1 (ET-1) promote the development of cardiovascular diseases. Oestrogen, and perhaps progesterone, prevent the development of vascular disease in women through incompletely understood cellular mechanisms. We hypothesized that oestradiol or progesterone might regulate the production of ET-1 as a potential novel mechanism. We found that serum and angiotensin II (AII) significantly stimulated ET-1 secretion from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells, inhibited 50-75% by oestradiol or by progesterone. Serum and AII stimulated ET-1 mRNA levels, inhibited at least 70% by oestradiol and by progesterone. Serum stimulated ET-1 transcription mainly through the first 43 nucleotides of the ET-1 promoter, but oestradiol and progesterone did not inhibit this. In contrast, AII stimulated ET-1 transcription through nucleotides -143 to -98, specifically involving an activator protein-1 (AP-1) site at -102. Oestradiol and progesterone caused a 60-70% inhibition of AII-stimulated wild-type construct -. 143ET-1/CAT activity (CAT is chloramphenicol acyltransferase). AII-stimulation of ET-1 transcription was critically dependent on stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (erk) activity, inhibited by oestradiol and progesterone. In summary, we found that sex steroids inhibit AII-induced erk signalling to the ET-1 transcriptional programme. This novel mechanism of negative transcriptional regulation by oestradiol and progesterone decreases the production of ET-1, potentially contributing to the vascular protective effects of these steroids.

Estrogen and progesterone inhibit vascular smooth muscle proliferation

Estrogen (E) has been identified in epidemiologic and prospective studies to protect against the development of cardiovascular disease in women. It is unclear whether progesterone (P) is similarly beneficial. The mechanisms by which E or P might act are incompletely defined. One possibility is that sex steroids inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle, an early/important event in vascular pathology. We examined the ability of E and P to inhibit the growth of human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (hUVSMC) in culture, when stimulated by serum or the mitogen, endothelin-1 (ET-1). Serum and ET-1 stimulated hVSMC cell numbers by approximately 110% and 43% respectively, compared with control, after 3 days in culture. This stimulation was maximally reversed 75% by E and 64% by P. No synergistic or additive effects of the two steroids were found. ET-1 and serum stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP-K) and MAP-kinase kinase activities, and these were critical for mitogenesis. Mitogen-stimulated MAP-kinase kinase and MAP-K activities were significantly inhibited by either E or P. The steroids also inhibited mitogen-stimulated c-fos and c-myc, downstream targets for MAP-K action. Critical signaling and molecular events through which mitogens stimulate VSMC proliferation can be significantly inhibited by E or P, providing a potential cellular mechanism for their vascular protective actions.

Vasoactive peptides modulate vascular endothelial cell growth factor production and endothelial cell proliferation and invasion

The proliferation of vascular endothelial cells (EC) is an important event in angiogenesis. The synthesis of the EC growth factor, vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF), is stimulated by a variety of activators; but the effects of important vasoactive peptides are not well understood, and there are no known natural inhibitors of VEGF production. We found that the vasoactive peptides endothelin (ET)-1 and ET-3 stimulated the synthesis of VEGF protein 3-4-fold in cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells, comparable in magnitude to hypoxia. ET-1 and ET-3 acted through the ETA and ETB receptors, respectively, and signaling through protein kinase C was important. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), C-type natriuretic peptide, and C-ANP-(4-23), a ligand for the natriuretic peptide clearance receptor, equipotently inhibited production of VEGF by as much as 88% and inhibited ET- or hypoxia-stimulated VEGF transcription. EC proliferation and invasion of matrix were stimulated by VEGF secreted into the medium by ET-incubated vascular smooth muscle cells. This was inhibited by ANP. Our results identify the natriuretic peptides as the first peptide inhibitors of VEGF synthesis and indicate a novel mechanism by which vasoactive peptides could modulate angiogenesis.

Atrial natriuretic peptide inhibits mitogen-activated protein kinase through the clearance receptor. Potential role in the inhibition of astrocyte proliferation

The modulation of the activity of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by endogenous growth factors or growth inhibitors provides a potential means of regulating cell proliferation. We determined the effect of the endogenous anti-proliferative peptide, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), on the ability of MAPK to phosphorylate myelin basic protein. In astrocytes, MAPK activity was significantly stimulated (up to 3-fold) by three known glial mitogens, endothelin-3, platelet-derived growth factor, or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. ANP inhibited by 55-70% the ability of each of these mitogens to activate MAPK. The effects of ANP were equipotent to those caused by C-ANP 4-23, a peptide that specifically binds to the natriuretic peptide clearance receptor. Additionally, both natriuretic peptides caused a 70-80% inhibition of the sodium vanadate-stimulated MAPK activity, complete inhibition of the okadaic acid-stimulated activity, and inhibition of the mitogen-stimulated phosphorylation of MAPK. To understand the potential mechanism by which the natriuretic peptides act, we found that both ANP and C-ANP inhibited the mitogen-stimulated activity of the immediate upstream kinase in the cascade, MAPK kinase (MEK). C-ANP also strongly inhibited the endothelin-3-, platelet-derived growth factor-, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced stimulation of DNA synthesis in the astrocytes, while both okadaic acid and sodium vanadate significantly reversed these anti-proliferative actions. Our results identify ANP as a peptide hormone that inhibits growth factor-stimulated MAPK. These data suggest that the ability of the natriuretic peptides to inhibit MAPK may be important for their anti-growth actions. This effect likely occurs via the inhibition of upstream kinase(s), including MEK, uniquely resulting from ligand binding to the natriuretic peptide clearance receptor.

Atrial and brain natriuretic peptides stimulate the production and secretion of C-type natriuretic peptide from bovine aortic endothelial cells

C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a member of the natriuretic peptide family which is produced in vascular endothelial cells and may play an important paracrine role in the vasaculature. We sought to determine the regulation of CNP production by other vasoactive peptides from cultured aortic endothelial cells. The vasoconstrictors endothelin-1 and angiotensin II had little effect on the basal secretion of CNP. In contrast, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) strongly stimulated the secretion of CNP. BNP caused as much as a 400-fold enhancement above the basal accumulated secretion of CNP over 24 h at a concentration of 1 microM; this was 20 times greater than the stimulatory effect of ANP, BNP and ANP also significantly enhanced the production of new CNP protein (translation) and mRNA expressed in the BAEC. In contrast, C-ANP-4-23, a truncated form of ANP which selectively binds to the natriuretic peptide clearance receptor, did not stimulate CNP secretion. The enhanced production and secretion of CNP, caused by either ANP or BNP, was significantly prevented by LY 83583, an inhibitor of cGMP generation, and was also attenuated by KT 5823, an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase. Our results indicate that ANP and BNP can stimulate CNP production through a guanylate cyclase receptor on endothelial cells. BNP is a much more potent stimulator of CNP secretion, compared to ANP. Our findings suggest that the vasodilatory, and anti-mitogenic effects of ANP and BNP in the vasculature could occur in part through CNP production and subsequent action if these interactions occur in vivo.

Insulin stimulates thyroid hormone receptor alpha gene expression in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells

Thyroid hormones and insulin regulate numerous cell processes and potentially interact through the transcriptional regulation of key genes. For instance, thyroid hormones stimulate the transcription of the fatty acid synthase and malic enzyme genes in chick embryonic hepatocytes, while insulin amplifies these effects. It is possible that insulin augments these actions of thyroid hormone by stimulating production of the thyroid hormone nuclear receptor (TR). In these studies, we examined the regulation of TR production/gene expression by insulin in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). We demonstrate that insulin significantly stimulates the gene expression of the TR alpha receptor, from BAEC. Insulin causes a maximal threefold induction above control TR alpha steady state mRNA levels in time and dose-related fashion in these cells. The increased mRNA mainly resulted from a twofold increase in transcription, as determined by nuclear run on. Insulin also increases thyroid receptor number and thyroid hormone binding, determined by Scatchard analysis of competitive inhibition binding studies. An established observation is that insulin can synergistically augment thyroid hormone-induced transcriptional activation of several important genes. It has also been previously determined that thyroid hormone action correlates closely to TR nuclear receptor number. Therefore, our studies, which show that insulin stimulates TR alpha production, suggests a potential mechanism whereby insulin can augment thyroid hormone transcriptional action.

Prostaglandin E2 and prostacyclin inhibit the production and secretion of endothelin from cultured endothelial cells

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is the most potent endogenous vasoconstrictor yet identified. This peptide plays an important role in the regulation of arterial tone, in part through its interaction with endogenous vasodilator compounds. To understand the interactions of endothelin with the vasoactive prostaglandins (PGs), we determined the effects of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostacyclin (PGI2), and thromboxane A2 on ET-1 synthesis and secretion from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells and on ET-1 action in aortic smooth muscle cells. Both PGE2 and PGI2 (vasodilator prostaglandins) caused an approximately 40% inhibition of basal ET-1 secretion and a 50% inhibition of serum-stimulated ET-1 secretion in a dose-related and time course fashion. In contrast, the vasoconstrictor prostaglandin, thromboxane A2, had no effect on ET-1 secretion. PGE2 and PGI2 similarly inhibited the basal production of new ET-1 protein (translation) by 40-50% and inhibited the basal steady-state mRNA expression of ET-1 in bovine aortic endothelial cells by 60-70%. Both prostaglandins also caused an approximately 55% inhibition of ET-1 transcription, as shown by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter studies. PGE2 and PGI2 strongly stimulated cGMP generation; both the PG stimulation of cGMP and the inhibition of ET-1 secretion and translation were reversed by LY83583, a general inhibitor of cGMP generation. The PG-induced inhibition of ET-1 secretion and translation was also reversed by KT5823, an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase, but not by (Rp)-adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate, an inhibitor of protein kinase A activation. PGE2 and PGI2 also inhibited both basal and ET-1-stimulated DNA synthesis in aortic smooth muscle cells by approximately 45% through a cGMP-dependent mechanism. Therefore, two endogenous PGs, known to be important vasodilators in vivo, significantly inhibit the transcription, translation, secretion, and action of ET-1. We propose that the vasodilator action of the PGs results, in part, from their ability to inhibit the production of this potent vasoconstrictor.

Astrocyte growth is regulated by neuropeptides through Tis 8 and basic fibroblast growth factor

The important intracellular mechanisms of astrocyte growth are not well defined. Using an inhibitor of astrocyte proliferation, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and the glial mitogen endothelin (ET-3), we sought a common pathway for growth regulation in these neural cells. In cultured fetal rat diencephalic astrocytes, ANP selectively and rapidly inhibited the Tis 8 immediate early gene and protein. After 4 h, ANP selectively inhibited the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene and protein. ET-3 significantly stimulated both Tis 8 and bFGF mRNAs and protein, but also stimulated several other immediate early and growth factor/receptor genes. An antisense oligonucleotide to Tis 8 strongly prevented ET-stimulated thymidine incorporation, while the inhibitory action of ANP was enhanced. The Tis 8 antisense oligonucleotide also significantly reversed ET-stimulated bFGF transcription and enhanced the bFGF inhibition caused by ANP. In addition, an antisense oligonucleotide to bFGF significantly reversed the ET-stimulated thymidine incorporation and enhanced the ANP inhibition of DNA synthesis. The sequential modulation of Tis 8, followed by bFGF, provides a novel mechanism for both positive and negative regulation of astrocyte growth by endogenous neuropeptides.

High density lipoproteins stimulate the production and secretion of endothelin-1 from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells

The concentration of HDL in the blood inversely correlates with the incidence of cardiovascular disease, probably related to the ability of these lipoproteins to efflux cholesterol from vascular cells. it is also possible that HDL affect the production or action of vasoactive peptides implicated in the development of vascular diseases. Therefore, we determined the effects of human HDL on the production and secretion of endothelin-1 (ET-1) from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. HDL produced a highly significant stimulation of endothelin secretion (maximum 240% of control), even at very low levels of lipoproteins (1 microgram/ml). HDL also stimulated the translation of ET-1 by twofold in the bovine aortic endothelial cells. In contrast, HDL had no significant effect on steady state mRNA levels, transcript degradation, or transcription. Stimulation of ET-1 secretion by HDL was dependent on protein kinase C activation. Purified apo A-I, the major apoprotein of HDL, increased ET-1 secretion and translation approximately 85% as potently as HDL. Our results indicate that low concentrations of human HDL strongly stimulate the production of ET-1, a powerful vasoconstrictor and mitogen for the vascular smooth muscle cell. We propose that HDL may participate in the regulation of vasomotor tone through this potentially important effect in the vasculature.

Insulin stimulates endothelin binding and action on cultured vascular smooth muscle cells

Hyperinsulinemia has been implicated as a separate risk factor for the development of accelerated cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism is unknown. Recently, we and several other groups have shown that insulin stimulates the production and secretion of the vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) from vascular endothelial cells, and hyperinsulinemia results in increased plasma ET levels in vivo. However, the interactive effects of diabetes, insulin, and glucose on ET target tissues, like those on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), are not well defined. In these studies, we examined the effects of the diabetic factors on ET receptors and [3H]thymidine incorporation into cultured cells prepared from control, streptozocin-diabetic, insulin-treated diabetic, and hyperinsulinemic rats. Scatchard analysis of saturation binding studies revealed a 2-fold increase in ET receptor number in normal VSMC treated in vitro with insulin, whereas glucose had no significant effect. Neither treatment affected receptor affinity. Similarly, aortic smooth muscle cells, brain capillary pericytes, and kidney afferent arteriolar smooth muscle cells from rats made hyperinsulinemic in vivo each showed approximately a 2-fold increase in receptor number. This increase in receptor density probably resulted from the stimulation of receptor protein production, because insulin caused a maximal 2.3 +/- 0.3 (+/- SEM) fold increase in the ETA receptor mRNA expressed in cultured VSMC by 4 h. Both insulin and ET significantly increased thymidine incorporation in aortic VSMC, but ET-1 was much more potent in this regard. However, the combined effects of insulin plus ET-1 resulted in a 10-fold increase in this index of cell proliferation, significantly different from the effects of either peptide alone. We postulate that hyperinsulinemia in vivo may potentiate ET release and receptor-mediated action, thereby contributing to vascular disease in the setting of diabetes.

Insulin stimulates production and secretion of endothelin from bovine endothelial cells

Endothelin, a vasoconstrictor peptide secreted from endothelial cells, has been thought to play a role in various forms of vascular disease. Diabetes mellitus is well known for its association with accelerated atherosclerosis and microvascular damage. Although the basis for the vessel insult is multifactorial, hyperinsulinemia is thought to contribute by an unknown mechanism. In this study, we sought to determine whether insulin stimulates the production and secretion of ET-1 as a possible basis for the association of hyperinsulinemia and vascular disease. We demonstrated that insulin significantly stimulates the gene expression and secretion of ET-1 from cultured BAEC, and that insulin increases ET-1 mRNA expressed in BBCEC. Insulin caused a maximal twofold inducement above control ET-1 mRNA expression in a dose-related fashion in BAEC. The increased mRNA resulted from increased transcription, as determined by nuclear run-off studies. Increased ET-1 mRNA was seen after 4 h of incubation with insulin: the peak occurred at 6-8 h and persisted for 24 h. Insulin caused as much as a fourfold stimulation of ET-1 secretion from BAEC in a dose-related fashion, including a twofold increase at a physiological concentration (10(-9) M): The increase began at 1 h of incubation and continued for the entire 24-h incubation period. The insulin-induced increases in both ET-1 mRNA and ET-1 protein secretion were significantly attenuated by genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. This stimulation probably occurred through the insulin receptor, because IGF-1 had no effect on ET-1 gene expression or secretion from these cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Arginine vasopressin stimulates atrial natriuretic peptide gene expression and secretion from rat diencephalic neurons

The central nervous system modulates cardiovascular function and fluid and electrolyte balance in part through the actions of vasoactive peptides/neurotransmitters. The presence of several vasoactive peptides and their receptors in the hypothalamus suggests a possible interaction at this site. One level at which vasoactive peptides such as arginine vasopressin (AVP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) might interact is through the mutual regulation of production and secretion in the hypothalamus. To determine whether AVP modulates ANP gene expression and secretion, we cultured fetal rat diencephalic neurons in the presence of AVP. AVP induced a significant increase in ANP secretion in dose-related fashion (mean +/- SEM basal ANP, 87 +/- 4 pg/ml; maximal mean AVP-stimulated ANP, 146 +/- 6 pg/ml; P less than 0.05, by analysis of variance). Neither oxytocin nor the vasoactive neuropeptide angiotensin-II had any effect on ANP secretion. The stimulatory effect of AVP was significantly blocked by coincubation with a V1 receptor antagonist, but was unaffected by a V2 receptor antagonist. The immunoreactive ANP secreted in response to AVP was the major brain isoform, ANP-(103-126). Coincubation with a calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine, had no effect on AVP-induced ANP secretion, while ryanodine, an inhibitor of intracellular calcium mobilization, significantly reduced the stimulatory effect of AVP. AVP induced a dose-related, nearly 3-fold maximal increase in ANP mRNA expression at 4 h. Coincubation of the neurons with a V1 receptor antagonist also significantly attenuated the increased ANP gene expression induced by AVP. These results indicate that AVP acts directly through V1 receptors on cultured fetal rat diencephalic neurons to augment ANP gene expression and secretion of the peptide. The effects are probably related to AVP-stimulated mobilization of intracellular calcium and not the result of calcium influx into the cell. These studies provide the first evidence that AVP modulates ANP production from cultured neurons. In the central nervous system, these two vasoactive neuropeptides might interact in part through the regulation of ANP production by AVP.

Atrial natriuretic peptide inhibits the production and secretion of endothelin from cultured endothelial cells. Mediation through the C receptor

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) are vasoactive peptides produced in cells of the cardiovascular system. We examined the effects of ANP on ET-1 transcription, production (translation), and secretion in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). ANP and C-ANP 4-23 (a specific ligand for the C or non-guanylate cyclase receptor) equipotently inhibited the synthesis of prepro-ET-1 and ET-1 proteins in BAEC by at least 50%. Both of these forms of ANP and another C receptor specific ligand, nanopiperazine ANP (11-15)-NH2, inhibited ET-1 secretion by as much as 55%. LY 83583, an inhibitor of ANP-induced cGMP generation, failed to reverse the ANP-induced inhibition of ET-1 secretion. This further indicated that the guanylate cyclase-linked B receptor is not involved. The decreased ET-1 secretion caused by C-ANP 4-23 was reversed by 8-bromo-cAMP or amiloride, which prevents ANP-induced inhibition of cAMP. We also found that ANP and C-ANP 4-23 augmented ET-1 mRNA levels in BAEC by prolonging the mRNA half-life. ANP or cycloheximide comparably inhibited ET-1 translation while increasing ET-1 mRNA levels, suggesting that the two events are related. These results indicate that ANP inhibits ET-1 protein production and secretion while stabilizing the ET-1 mRNA. The effects of ANP are mediated through the C receptor and are probably the result of ANP inhibiting the generation of cAMP. These findings suggest a potentially important new function for this receptor to mediate, in part, the interactions of ANP and ET in the vasculature.

Expression and function of a human thyroid hormone receptor-derived DNA-binding domain protein

DNA binding domain proteins (DBDP) were prepared using a pET construct containing an insert coding for amino acids 49-122 of human thyroid hormone receptor (hTR) alpha and 103-179 of hTR beta. These proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3)-plysS after induction by isopropyl-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The hTR alpha and hTR beta DBDP contain respectively 79 and 82 amino acids, including an amino terminal 4 amino acid extension derived from pET-3a or the synthesized initiation codon. Using a gel shift assay, both DBDPs were found to bind to a DNA oligonucleotide containing a thyroid hormone response element (TRE). The DBDPs competed with full length hTR alpha 1 for binding to the oligonucleotide. Apo-DBDPs (Zn2+ released by low pH) failed to bind to the palindromic TRE. DNA binding is restored however if apo-DBDP is preincubated in 500 microM Zn2+. When the DBDPs were expressed in COS-7 cells using a pCB6+ expression vector, they did not induce expression of a TRE-CAT fusion gene. hTR DBDPs thus can bind to DNA, presumably as monomers, since they do not contain the leucine zipper-like motif for dimerization. In COS-7 cells, they fail to cause transactivation of a TRE-CAT fusion gene. It is inferred that this may be because the DBDPs are not translocated to the nucleus or lack a transactivation domain.

Endothelin increases atrial natriuretic peptide production in cultured rat diencephalic neurons

The vasoactive peptides atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and endothelin have been localized to several areas of the extravascular brain where they are produced in neurons, often overlapping in distribution. Since endothelin has been found to increase ANP secretion from the heart, we examined a possible regulation by endothelin of the secretion and production of ANP in fetal diencephalic cultures of neurons from gestational day 16 rats. Endothelin produced a concentration-related increase in the secretion of ANP. The ability of endothelin to induce ANP secretion was dependent upon calcium, since added nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, significantly reversed the effects of this vasoconstrictor peptide. ANP 103-126 was the predominant form secreted, as determined by HPLC followed by RIA. The production of this peptide, assessed by specific mRNA expression, was increased more than 2-fold, in dose-related fashion. These studies provide the first evidence that endothelin regulates ANP gene expression in the brain. Additionally, our secretion studies from neurons are consistent with the known stimulatory effects of endothelin on ANP release from the heart. The regulation of ANP production and secretion by the vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin is one level at which ANP and endothelin might interact in the in vivo brain.