Effect of osteocalcin deficiency on the nanomechanics and chemistry of mouse bones

In healthy bone there is a balance between bone resorption and formation. When an imbalance occurs there is an overall loss of bone mass leading to an increased risk of fracture. The deterioration is typically accompanied by changes in the non-collagenous proteins in the bone. Osteocalcin (OC) is the most abundant noncollageneous bone matrix protein and it is believed to play a role in bone formation and resorption. Nanoindentation and Raman microspectroscopy have been used to correlate the mechanical and chemical properties of cortical bone from femora of OC ?/? (osteocalcin deficient) mice and their wild-type controls (OC +/+). There are significant intra-bone variations in mechanics and crystallinity especially in the mid-cortical section for OC ?/? mice compared to OC +/+ mice. Type-B carbonate substitution decreased significantly in the absence of osteocalcin and this appears to affect the hardness more than the elasticity. The results suggest that OC plays a role in the growth of apatite crystals in bone by increasing the degree of carbonate substitutions. The addition of these defects to the apatite’s crystal lattice has little effect on elasticity, but does appear to reduce the bone’s hardness.     

Osteopontin and wound healing in bone

Bone wound healing after surgical drilling/cutting initially involves a typical inflammatory response with a leukocyte-rich cell infiltrate whose professional phagocytes (neutrophils and macrophages) clear the wound site of various bacterial (if present), particulate, and insoluble components arising from the original wounding event. As part of this process, in a surgical model of bone repair in rats, osteopontin (OPN) secreted by macrophages - with its known mineral-binding properties arising from abundant calcium-binding phosphorylations and overall net negative charge - binds to the newly exposed mineralized surfaces of particulate bone debris and the osseous wound margins created by the drilling, as shown by high-resolution immunogold labeling and transmission electron microscopy. For bone debris powder, OPN serves as an opsonin for clearance by macrophage phagocytosis, as demonstrated in vitro by phagocytosis assays using cultured J774.A1 murine macrophages and OPN-coated microbeads. Macrophage-secreted OPN binding to the bone wound margins contributes to cement line (plane) formation with subsequent OPN additions to the cement line coming from osteoblast lineage cells arriving at this site to effect bone repair upon further osteoblast differentiation, and extracellular matrix deposition and mineralization. Such interfacial OPN is thought to contribute to the cell adhesion, cell signaling, and matrix mineralization events required to effectively integrate the new bone into the preexisting bone at the margins of the drill site.     

Bioassays based on molecular nanomechanics

Recent experiments have shown that when specific biomolecular interactions are confined to one surface of a microcantilever beam, changes in intermolecular nanomechanical forces provide sufficient differential torque to bend the cantilever beam. This has been used to detect single base pair mismatches during DNA hybridization, as well as prostate specific antigen (PSA) at concentrations and conditions that are clinically relevant for prostate cancer diagnosis. Since cantilever motion originates from free energy change induced by specific biomolecular binding, this technique is now offering a common platform for label-free quantitative analysis of protein-protein binding, DNA hybridization DNA-protein interactions, and in general receptor-ligand interactions. Current work is focused on developing "universal microarrays" of microcantilever beams for high-throughput multiplexed bioassays.     

BMSCs-exo对紫外线诱导成纤维细胞光老化的保护作用

目的探讨小鼠骨髓间充质干细胞来源的外泌体(bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes,BMSCs-exo)对紫外线辐射后的鼠真皮成纤维细胞(Fibroblasts,FBs)的保护作用。方法用流式细胞术鉴定小鼠骨髓间充质干细胞(BMSCs),提取并鉴定其上清液来源的外泌体(exosome)。用紫外线照射FBs建立细胞光老化模型,采用不同浓度的BMSCs-exo处理照射后的FBs。采用β-半乳糖苷酶染色法进行FBs衰老检测。通过Western blot检测处理后FBs的I型胶原蛋白,基质金属蛋白酶-1(matrix metalloproteinase-1,MMP-1)和弹性蛋白的蛋白质水平。结果β-半乳糖苷酶染色法显示BMSCs-exo浓度越高细胞衰老数目越少。Western blot检测显示BMSCs-exo浓度越高MMP-1表达越低,I型胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白表达越高。结论 BMSCsexo可以缓解紫外线诱导的鼠真皮成纤维细胞光老化进展。     

Cyclophilin D deficiency improves mitochondrial function and learning/memory in aging Alzheimer disease mouse model

Mitochondrial stress is one of the early features of Alzheimer disease (AD). Mitochondrial Aβ has been linked to mitochondrial toxicity. Our recent study demonstrated that cyclophilin D (CypD) mediated mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is an important mechanism for neuronal and synaptic stress induced by both Aβ and oxidative stress. In transgenic AD-type mice overexpressing mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Aβ (mAPP), CypD deficiency improves mitochondrial and synaptic function and learning/memory up to 12 months old. Here we provide evidence of the protective effects of CypD deficiency in aged AD mice (22-24 months). Cyp D deficient mAPP mice demonstrate less calcium-induced mitochondrial swelling, increased mitochondrial calcium uptake capacity, preserved mitochondrial respiratory function and improved spatial learning/memory even in old age (known to be the age for late stage AD pathology and synaptic dysfunction). These data demonstrate that abrogation of CypD results in persistent life-long protection against Aβ toxicity in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model, thereby suggesting that blockade of CypD may be of benefit for Alzheimer disease treatment.     

Effect of magnesium deficiency on erythrocyte aging in rats

Rats placed on a magnesium-deficient diet show decreased erythrocyte magnesium concentration, shortened erythrocyte survival, and erythrocyte membrane ultrastructure defects and become progressively anemic. Whether these pathologic processes are due to abnormal erythropoiesis or occur in the peripheral circulation is unknown. In the present study, magnesium and hemoglobin concentrations, reticulocyte count, erythrocyte pyrophosphatase, and pyruvate kinase activities were determined at weekly intervals for 6 weeks in whole blood and age-dependent erythrocyte fractions isolated from inbred Fisher rats fed a diet deficient in magnesium or the same diet with added magnesium. Freeze-fracture electron microscopic examinations were performed on age-dependent erythrocyte fractions to evaluate the membrane defect. The youngest red cells from magnesium-deficient rats were similar to those of control animals with respect to erythrocyte magnesium concentrations, pyrophosphatase activities, and membrane morphology. The older erythrocyte fractions from magnesium-deficient rats showed significant decreases in magnesium concentrations, pyrophosphatase activity, and the presence of membrane abnormalities. Thus, new erythrocytes produced in magnesium-deficient rats appear to be normal but rapidly develop biochemical and morphologic abnormalities with aging in a magnesium-deficient plasma environment.     

Effect of androgen deficiency on mouse ventricular repolarization

We previously demonstrated that female mouse ventricles have longer action potential durations (APDs) than males. This delayed repolarization results from a lower current density of the ultrarapid delayed rectifier K⁺ current ( I _K,ur) and a lower expression level of its underlying K⁺ channel (Kv1.5). To evaluate whether this sex difference could be attributable to the action of male sex hormones, we studied the effect of androgen deficiency on ventricular repolarization. We compared cardiac electrophysiological properties in castrated (orchiectomized; ORC) and control (CTL) male mice. Q-Tc intervals as well as APDs measured at 20 %, 50 % and 90 % of repolarization were all significantly longer in ORC than in CTL. The current density of I _K,ur was significantly lower in ORC than in CTL (at +50 mV, ORC: 29 ± 4 pA pF⁻¹, n = 25; CTL: 48 ± 5 pA pF⁻¹, n = 17; P = 0.006). In contrast, all the other K⁺ currents present in mouse ventricular myocytes were comparable between ORC and CTL. Moreover, results of Western blot analysis showed a lower expression level of Kv1.5 protein in ORC but no difference between the two groups for the other K⁺ channels studied. This study demonstrates that androgen deficiency leads to a reduction in the density of I _K,ur and Kv1.5 in mouse ventricle, and consequently, to prolongation of APD and Q-Tc interval. In conclusion, these findings strongly suggest that male sex hormones contribute to the sex difference that we previously reported in cardiac repolarization in adult mouse heart.     

Effect of aging on species-typical behaviors in senescence-accelerated mouse

The species-typical behaviors have been extensively studied, especially in the rodents. But little is known about whether the aging impacts on these species-typical behaviors. In the present study, the species-typical behaviors, including burrowing, hoarding and nesting, were assessed in the accelerated senescence-prone mouse 8 (SAMP8, P8) and the control strain senescence-resistant mouse 1 (SAMR1, R1). Total 147 SAM mice including 74 P8 mice and 73 R1 mice were grouped according to the age, 3, 7 and 11 months, respectively. In the hoarding test, an age-related increase was observed in the both P8 and R1 mice, whereas in the burrowing task, the age-related increment only took place in the P8 mice. The nesting ability in the P8 mice at different ages was inferior to that in the age-matched R1 mice, and the 3-month P8 mice showed the poorest nesting ability. The principal component analysis revealed that the burrowing, hoarding and nesting tests detected the different aspects of species-typical behaviors respectively for all mice combined. Our findings indicated that all tasks of hoarding, burrowing and nesting could detect the aging effect in the P8 mice, whereas, only the hoarding test could detect the aging effect in the R1 mice. These different species-typical behaviors were dissociable.     

Osteopontin functionalization of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in a PDLLA matrix promotes bone formation

We studied the osteoconductive tissue response of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles functionalized with osteopontin (OPN) in a matrix of poly-D,L-lactic-acid (PDLLA). In a canine endosseus 0.75-mm gap implant model, we tested the osteointegrative impact of the OPN functionalized composite as an implant coating, and a non-functionalized composite was used as reference control. During the four weeks of observation, the OPN functionalized composite coating significantly increased the formation of new bone in the porosities of the implant, but no differences were observed in the gap. The study provides evidence of its potential use either alone or in combination with other osteoconductive compounds.     

Estrogen deficiency accelerates aging of the optic nerve

The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive review on hormone-based pathophysiology of aging of the optic nerve and glaucoma, including a literature review and expert opinions. Glaucoma, a group of intraocular pressure-related optic neuropathies, is characterized by the slow progressive neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, resulting in irreversible visual sensitivity loss and blindness. Increasing evidence suggests that glaucoma represents the accelerated aging of the optic nerve and is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. This review highlights the high burden of glaucoma in older women and the importance of understanding the hormone-related pathophysiology of optic nerve aging and glaucoma in women. Strong epidemiological, clinical, and experimental evidence supports the proposed hypothesis that early loss of estrogen leads to premature aging and increased susceptibility of the optic nerve to glaucomatous damage. Future investigations into the hormone-related mechanisms of aging and glaucoma will support the development of novel sex-specific preventive and therapeutic strategies in glaucoma.     

骨桥蛋白与肿瘤转移

骨桥蛋白是一种分泌型、黏附性的糖基化磷蛋白,与其主要受体整合素和CD44相互作用,参与多器官、多组织的生理病理过程,具有多种功能,如介导细胞移行、抑制钙化、调节免疫细胞功能、控制肿瘤细胞表型以及抑制凋亡等。近年来的研究揭示,骨桥蛋白在肿瘤细胞的黏附、移行、浸润、血管新生以及肿瘤的微环境中起关键作用。本文对骨桥蛋白在肿瘤中的信号转导、基因表达与调控以及肿瘤转移过程中的作用予以综述。     

锌缺乏对神经病理性疼痛模型小鼠行为学的影响

目的研究饮食锌缺乏对神经病理性疼痛模型小鼠痛域的影响。方法制备饮食锌缺乏小鼠,采用小鼠坐骨神经分支选择损伤模型,金属自显影和原子吸收光谱检测小鼠脊髓后角锌稳态,检测小鼠痛域。结果 AMG结果证实,与假手术组相比,模型组小鼠和锌缺乏组小鼠脊髓后角游离锌离子减少,与模型组小鼠相比,锌缺乏小鼠脊髓后角游离锌离子减少。原子吸收光谱结果表明,锌缺乏组小鼠总锌含量较假手术组减少。痛域检测结果表明,锌缺乏小鼠痛域下降。结论锌离子可能参与小鼠脊髓后角痛觉专递。     

Effect of retinoid deficiency on keratin expression in mouse bladder

Twelve to sixteen weeks following treatment of CF-1 mice with a vitamin A-deficient diet, characteristic signs of retinoid deficiency including body wasting, poor hair coat, altered gait, decreased mobility, and xerophthalmia were observed. Histological examination of tissue sections from these mice revealed dramatic changes in the urinary tract epithelium. The normal transitional epithelium was replaced by a stratified squamous epithelium that resembled hyperproliferative epidermis. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, a number of new proteins were found to be synthesized in vitamin A-deficient bladder when compared to tissue from control bladders. Using antikeratin antibodies in immunoblot experiments, we found that at least some of the newly synthesized proteins were keratins. These proteins, which comprise the intermediate filaments of the cytoskeleton, are known to be specific markers of epithelial differentiation. Of particular interest was the appearance of a Mr 67,000 basic and Mr 61,000 acidic keratin pair, characteristic of terminally differentiating murine epidermal cells. Unexpectedly, several other keratins, previously associated only with hyperproliferative epidermis, were also expressed in the tissue. These results demonstrate that vitamin A deficiency in the mouse leads to the appearance of a squamous metaplasia in the urinary tract epithelium that is characterized by the expression of distinct epidermal keratins.     

半乳糖急性致衰老动物模型剂量的探讨

目的:探讨D-半乳糖皮下注射法致小鼠衰老模型的最佳剂量,复制实验用小鼠衰老模型。方法:选用3月龄健康昆明小鼠30只,分为D-半乳糖75 mg·kg-1组、100 mg·kg-1组、125 mg·kg-1组。设3月龄和12月龄对照组。实验组每天给予D-半乳糖皮下注射1次,对照组皮下注射等量生理盐水,6周后分别观测脑、心肌、肝中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、丙二醛(MDA)和脂褐素含量,血清和红细胞中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和丙二醛(MDA)含量。结果:各实验组和12月龄对照组的脑中SOD、MDA和脂褐素含量均较3月龄显著增高,但以100 mg·kg-1组和125 mg·kg-1组为显著。结论:D-半乳糖100 mg·kg-1和125 mg·kg-1皮下注射6周可以较好地复制出小鼠衰老模型。