Clustering the adhesion molecules VLA-4 (CD49d/CD29) in Jurkat T cells or VCAM-1 (CD106) in endothelial (ECV 304) cells activates the phosphoinositide pathway and triggers Ca2+ mobilization

Ligation of very late antigen (VLA)-4 (α₄β₁ integrin) with a cross-linked anti-α₄ subunit monoclonal antibody (mAb) triggered a biphasic Ca²⁺ response in Jurkat cell populations and in peripheral human lymphocytes. Cross-linking vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 (the counter-receptor of VLA-4) in ECV 304 endothelial cells generated a biphasic Ca²⁺ response. Tumor necrosis factor-α-primed human umbilical cord vascular endothelial cells also responded to the cross-linked mAb with a biphasic Ca²⁺ profile. Ligated VLA-4 (Jurkat cells) or VCAM-1 (ECV 304) stimulated the production of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. ECV 304 cells induced a biphasic Ca²⁺ response in Fura2-loaded Jurkat cells, whereas a transient response was observed when Jurkat cells were added to Fura2-loaded ECV 304 cells. The Ca²⁺ responses in these experiments involved VLA-4/VCAM-1 interactions since they were significantly reduced (～ 80%) by prior treatment of the target cells with the relevant noncross-linked mAb. Close contact between the cells triggered mutual Ca²⁺ signaling as shown by spectrofluorimetric and confocal microscopy time-dependent recordings. Fibronectin and its CS-1 fragment (V25) triggered a sustained Ca²⁺ response in Jurkat cells (confocal microscopy). Our results suggest that the VLA-4 and VCAM-1 adhesion molecules can transduce a signal that involves activation of the phosphoinositide pathway and the mobilization of Ca²⁺.     

Shh信号通路变化对小鼠胚胎腭突间充质细胞自噬的影响

目的：探讨地塞米松（dexamethasone,DEX）及平滑激动剂（smoothened agonist,SAG）干预下小鼠胚胎腭突间充质细胞Shh信号通路改变后,小鼠胚胎腭突间充质细胞自噬状态的变化。方法：体外培养胚胎14.5 d的C57BL/6J小鼠胚胎腭突间充质细胞,根据干预方式分为4组：对照组、地塞米松组（DEX组）、地塞米松+SAG组（DEX+SAG组）、单独SAG干预组（SAG组）。通过透射电镜观察各组细胞自噬体或自噬溶酶体的数量,Western blot检测各组Shh、Ptch1、Smo、Gli3A/R、Cyclin D1及自噬标志物LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ和P62、Beclin-1的表达情况。结果：电镜结果显示,对照组和DEX组中自噬体/自噬溶酶体的数量无明显差异,而SAG干预后可观察到大量自噬体/自噬溶酶体。Western blot结果显示,与对照组相比,P62、Ptch1、Smo、Gli3A/R、CyclinD1在DEX组中明显降低（P<0.05）,LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ、Beclin1表达无明显变化（P>0.05）;DEX+SAG组及SAG组中Ptch1、Smo、Gli3...     

牙龈卟啉单胞菌感染对载脂蛋白e基因敲除小鼠动脉粥样硬化的影响

目的: 探讨牙龈卟啉单胞菌(Porphyromonas gingivalis,P. gingivalis)引起的炎症和氧化应激反应对动脉粥样硬化的影响及作用机制。方法: 采用8周龄载脂蛋白e基因敲除(ApoE knockout,ApoE-/-)小鼠建立动脉粥样硬化动物模型,将小鼠随机分为两组:(1)磷酸盐缓冲液(phosphate buffered saline,PBS)健康对照组:8只ApoE-/-小鼠,普通饮食+PBS鼠尾静脉注射;(2)P. gingivalis感染组:8只ApoE-/-小鼠,普通饮食+P. gingivalis鼠尾静脉注射。1周3次,隔天1次,共10次。4周后处死,取心脏组织进行油红O染色,血清进行酶联免疫吸附测定(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA),主动脉进行实时荧光定量PCR以及Western blot检测。结果: P. gingivalis 感染组较PBS健康对照组可以显著加重ApoE-/-小鼠动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成,增加血清中炎症介质,如白细胞介素(interleukin,IL)-1β、IL-6和肿瘤坏死因子-α(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)以及氧化应激介质8-羟脱氧鸟苷(8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine,8-OHDG)表达,增加主动脉组织中IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、NADPH 氧化酶(NADPH oxidase,NOX)-2和NOX-4基因的mRNA水平。P. gingivalis感染后在主动脉组织中观察到核转录因子-κB(nuclear factor-kappa B,NF-κB)表达有增高趋势。结论: P.gingivalis感染会加速ApoE-/-小鼠动脉粥样硬化进程,诱导氧化应激和炎症反应;NF-κB信号通路可能是P. gingivalis加速动脉粥样硬化形成的重要作用机制。     

Study of platelet-rich fibrin promoting endothelial cell differentiation and angiogenesis induced by transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells

Diabetic patients are characterized by long wound healing time, and adipose stem cells (ADSCs) can secrete growth factors to promote angiogenesis and improve diabetic wound healing. In this research, we attempted to interrogate the impact of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on ADSCs in diabetic wound healing. ADSCs were harvested from human adipose tissues and identified through flow cytometry. After pretreatment with cultured medium supplemented with different concentrations of PRF (2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%), proliferation and differentiation capacity of ADSCs were assessed by CCK-8 assay, qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence (IF), respectively. Tube formation assay measured angiogenesis. Western blot analysis analyzed expression of endothelial markers and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and serine/threonine kinase (Akt) pathways in PRF-induced ADSCs. The CCK-8 experiment indicated that PRF enhanced proliferation of ADSCs in dose-dependent manner, relative to normal control group. The expression of endothelial markers and the capacity of tube formation were significantly promoted by 7.5% PRF. The release of growth factors containing vascular endothelial grow factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) from PRF was increased with the extension of detection time. When the receptors of VEGF or/and IGF-1 were neutralized, ADSCs differentiation into endothelial cells were obviously inhibited. Additionally, PRF stimulated ERK and Akt pathways, and the inhibitors of ERK and Akt attenuated PRF-induced differentiation of ADSCs into endothelial cells. In conclusion, PRF promoted endothelial cell differentiation and angiogenesis induced by ADSCs in diabetic wound healing, which appears to give guidance for treating patients.     

Growth factor regulation of integrin-mediated cell motility

Summary Cell motility, a primary component of tumor cell invasion, is a continuum of sequential events in which the cell extends pseudopodia, forms nascent attachments, assembles and contracts the cytoskeleton, and finally, as it translocates forward, disengages distal adhesions. What triggers cells to move? Substratum contact mediated by integrin adhesion receptors is important, but other signals such as chemokinetic factors appear to be required for continued crawling. It is now apparent that integrins do not simply bind cells to matrix in a Velcrolike fashion, but also are potent signaling molecules. Initial engagement of integrins induces their condensation into focal contacts, forming anchors to the extracellular matrix and discrete signal-transducing complexes on the cytoplasmic surface. A number of growth factors, through either autocrine or paracrine pathways, can activate the cellular machinery that mobilizes the cell. Thus, these two classes of receptors - the integrin receptors that bind specific extracellular adhesion molecules, and growth factor receptors that bind their respective ligands - can regulate cell locomotion. Not surprisingly, there is cross-talk between integrin and growth factor receptors that occurs through their common intracellular signaling pathways. In this way, each receptor type can either amplify or attenuate the other's signal and downstream response. An example of growth factor-induced motility is the epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF). When bound to its receptor, the c-met proto-oncogene product, HGF/SF induces a phenotypic conversion that appears to be an important aspect of tumor progression in malignant carcinomas. The motogenic response produced by HGF/SF in carcinoma cells occurs in discrete steps in which integrins and focal adhesion kinase (p125^FAK) are first recruited to focal contacts. This is rapidly followed by cell spreading, disruption of focal adhesions and cell-cell contacts, and, finally, cell crawling. The precise mechanism by which growth factors such as HGF/SF and its receptor induce this motogenic response and modulate integrin function has not been clearly defined but appears to involve several signaling pathways. Understanding the process by which growth factor and integrin receptors interact and regulate motility may suggest novel targets for therapeutic intervention.     

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation by the pre-T cell receptor in developing thymocytes in vivo

The first checkpoint in T cell development occurs between the CD4(-)CD8(-) and CD4(+)CD8(+) stages and is associated with formation of the pre-T cell receptor (TCR). The signaling mechanisms that drive this progression remain largely unknown. Here, we show that extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs)-1/2 are activated upon engagement of the pre-TCR. Using a novel experimental system, we demonstrate that expression of the pre-TCR by developing thymocytes induces ERK-1/2 activation within the thymus. In addition, the activation of this pre-TCR signaling cascade is mediated through Lck. These findings directly link pre-TCR complex formation with specific downstream signaling components in vivo.     

Multiple effects of 1-[β-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propoxy]-4-methoxyphenethyl]-1H-imidazole hydrochloride (SKF 96365) on Ca2+ signaling in MDCK cells: depletion of thapsigargin-sensitive Ca2+ store followed by capacitative Ca2+ entry, activation of a direct Ca2+ entry, and inhibition of thapsigargin-induced capacitative Ca2+ entry

The effect of 1-[β-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)pro- poxy]-4-methoxyphenethyl]-1H-imidazole hydrochloride (SKF 96365) on Ca²⁺ signaling in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells was examined. SKF 96365 at 25–100 μM evoked a robust [Ca²⁺]_i transient in a dose-dependent manner, measured by fura-2 fluorimetry. A concentration of 10 μM SKF 96365 did not have an effect. The transient consisted of a slow rise, a gradual decay, and a sustained plateau in physiological Ca²⁺ medium. Removal of extracellular Ca²⁺ reduced the Ca²⁺ signals evoked by 50–100 μM SKF 96365 by nearly half in the area under the curve, suggesting that SKF 96365 induced intracellular Ca²⁺ release and also extracellular Ca²⁺ influx. A concentration of 100 μM SKF 96365 caused significant Mn²⁺ quench of fura-2 fluorescence, which was partly inhibited by La³⁺ (1 mM) or Gd³⁺ (0.1 mM), indicating that the SKF 96365-induced Ca²⁺ influx had two components: one is sensitive to La³⁺ (1 mM) or Gd³⁺ (0.1 mM), the other is not. The internal Ca²⁺ source for the SKF 96365-induced [Ca²⁺]_i transient was the endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ store because, pretreatment with thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid, two inhibitors of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ pump nearly abolished the SKF 96365-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increase in Ca²⁺-free medium. In contrast, pretreatment with 100 μM SKF 96365 only partly depleted the thapsigargin-sensitive Ca²⁺ store. Addition of 10 mM Ca²⁺ induced a significant [Ca²⁺]_i increase after prior incubation with 100 μM SKF 96365 in Ca²⁺-free medium, demonstrating that SKF 96365 induced capacitative Ca²⁺ entry. This capacitative Ca²⁺ entry was about 40% of that induced by 1 μM thapsigargin. Additional to inducing its own capacitative Ca²⁺ entry, 100 μM SKF 96365 partly inhibited thapsigargin- or uridine trisphos-phate (UTP)-induced capacitative Ca²⁺ entry. We also investigated the mechanisms underlying the decay of the SKF 96365-induced [Ca²⁺]_i transient. Inhibition of the plasma membrane Ca²⁺ pump with La³⁺ or Gd³⁺, or lowering extracellular Na⁺ level to 0.35 mM, significantly increased the SKF 96365-induced [Ca²⁺]_i transient. In contrast, the mitochondrial uncoupler carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone had little effect. In Ca²⁺-free medium, the thapsigargin-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increase was greatly reduced by pretreatment with SKF 96365. Collectively, we have found that besides its well-known inhibitory action on capacitative Ca²⁺ entry in many cell types, in MDCK cells SKF 96365 exerted multiple and complex effects on Ca²⁺ signaling. It induced a considerable increase in [Ca²⁺]_i by releasing Ca²⁺ from the endoplasmic reticulum store followed by capacitative Ca²⁺ entry. It also caused a direct Ca²⁺ entry. The decay of the SKF 96365 response was significantly governed by efflux via the plasma membrane Ca²⁺ pump or Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchange. Sequestration by mitochondria or the endoplasmic reticulum played a minor role. We caution use of SKF 96365 as an inhibitor of capacitative Ca²⁺ entry. Received: 21 September 1998 / Accepted: 2 December 1998     

第3种内源性气体信号分子

越来越多的证据支持内源性的H2 S是第 3种气体信号分子。H2 S通过cAMP途径调节神经突触功能 ,H2 S是一种神经调节因子或神经递质 ;H2 S亦是一种重要的内源性血管舒张因子 ,它通过激活血管平滑肌KATP通道和使血管平滑肌膜电位去极化 ,或通过能降低外Ca2 + 内流而实现其血管调节功能     

Structure‐based design,synthesis, and pharmacologic evaluation tf peptide RGS4 inhibitors

Abstract: Regulators of G‐protein signaling (RGS) proteins form a multifunctional signaling family. A key role of RGS proteins is binding to the G‐protein Gα‐subunit and acting as GTPase‐activating proteins (GAPs), thereby rapidly terminating G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. Using the published RGS4–G_iα1 X‐ray structure we have designed and synthesized a series of cyclic peptides, modeled on the G_iα Switch I region, that inhibit RGS4 GAP activity. These compounds should prove useful for elucidating RGS‐mediated activity and serve as a starting point for the development of a novel class of therapeutic agent.     

金丝桃素光动力学疗法与其诱导细胞凋亡、抗凋亡信号转导系统

金丝桃素在光诱导下产生活性氧，利用其光动力学治疗(PDT)在肿瘤细胞中显示出细胞毒作用，能以浓度和光依赖的方式诱导肿瘤细胞产生凋亡与坏死；通过细胞凋亡、抗凋亡信号转导通路调节细胞死亡程序。临床上利用PDT的金丝桃素被认为是安全、有效的新型抗肿瘤药物。