Postsynaptic distribution of IRSp53 in spiny excitatory and inhibitory neurons

The 53 kDa insulin receptor substrate protein (IRSp53) is highly enriched in the brain. Despite evidence that links mutations of IRSp53 with autism and other neuropsychiatric problems, the functional significance of this protein remains unclear. We used light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry to demonstrate that IRSp53 is expressed throughout the adult rat brain. Labeling concentrated selectively in dendritic spines, where it was associated with the postsynaptic density (PSD). Surprisingly, its organization within the PSD of spiny excitatory neurons of neocortex and hippocampus differed from that within spiny inhibitory neurons of neostriatum and cerebellar cortex. The present data support previous suggestions that IRSp53 is involved in postsynaptic signaling, while hinting that its signaling role may differ in different types of neurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:2164–2178, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

应用于心血管疾病的大鼠肉瘤蛋白同源蛋白激酶抑制剂的研究进展

最近的基础和临床研究已经将大鼠肉瘤蛋白同源蛋白激酶(Ras homologue kinase,Rho激酶)确认为一个与多种心血管疾病密切相关的重要靶点。越来越多的证据表明,Rho/Rho激酶信号途径在多种细胞活动中都发挥重要的作用,比如血管平滑肌细胞的收缩、肌动蛋白细胞骨架组织、细胞黏附和迁移、胞质分裂和基因表达等,这些细胞活动都与心血管疾病的发病机制有关。随着更多Rho激酶抑制剂的出现,Rho激酶抑制剂正逐渐成为治疗心血管疾病的研究热点。本文对Rho激酶抑制剂的最新研究进展进行了综述,同时简要介绍Rho激酶的相关内容。     

运动预适应与力竭运动大鼠心肌损伤：Rho/ROCK信号通路的作用

背景:目前,关于运动预适应的心肌保护机制尚未完全阐明,据报道Rho/ROCK信号通路在心血管疾病中起到关键作用,运动预适应是否通过Rho/ROCK信号通路对心肌起到保护作用有待研究。目的:基于Rho/ROCK信号通路探讨运动预适应在力竭运动大鼠心肌损伤中的作用。方法:将60只5周龄的SPF级SD雄性大鼠随机分为3组:安静对照组、单纯力竭运动组、运动预适应+力竭运动组,各组建模结束后1 h,取血清进行全生化分析检测心肌酶谷草转氨酶、磷酸肌酸激酶、乳酸脱氢酶水平,取心肌组织标本进行苏木精-碱性复红-苦味酸染色观察心肌组织病理变化,分析缺血缺氧程度,TUNEL法观察心肌细胞凋亡情况,ELISA法检测心肌组织肿瘤坏死因子α和白细胞介素10水平,Western blot检测心肌组织RhoA、ROCK1、ROCK2、Bax和Bcl-2蛋白的表达。结果与结论:①单纯力竭运动组谷草转氨酶、磷酸肌酸激酶、乳酸脱氢酶水平显著高于安静对照组(P<0.05);而运动预适应+力竭运动组谷草转氨酶、磷酸肌酸激酶、乳酸脱氢酶水平显著低于单纯力竭运动组(P<0.05);②单纯力竭运动组心肌细胞界限不清楚,呈现出较多斑块状或片状艳红色样区域,与安静对照组相比,有明显的缺血缺氧改变;运动预适应+力竭运动组部分心肌细胞界限不清楚,出现部分斑块状艳红色染色,较单纯力竭运动组缺血缺氧程度明显减轻;③单纯力竭运动组较安静对照组凋亡指数值明显升高,运动预适应+力竭运动组与单纯力竭运动组相比凋亡指数值明显下降(P<0.05);④单纯力竭运动组的肿瘤坏死因子α和白细胞介素10水平显著高于安静对照组(P<0.05),运动预适应+力竭运动组肿瘤坏死因子α和白细胞介素10水平显著低于单纯力竭运动组(P<0.05);⑤单纯力竭运动组的Bcl-2/Bax显著低于安静对照组(P<0.05),运动预适应+力竭运动组Bcl-2/Bax显著高于单纯力竭运动组(P<0.05);⑥与安静对照组相比,单纯力竭运动组RhoA、ROCK1、ROCK2蛋白水平明显升高,而运动预适应+力竭运动组RhoA、ROCK1、ROCK2蛋白水平显著低于单纯力竭运动组(P<0.05);⑦结果表明,运动预适应对心肌损伤具有保护作用,可改善大鼠的心脏功能,其作用机制可能与Rho/ROCK通路有关。     

Should statins be part of the treatment of heart failure?

Beyond their lipid lowering properties HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) have numerous effects in the cardiovascular system. Commonly referred as "pleiotropic properties", these properties could justify the use of statins in the treatment of congestive heart failure. Excluding the beneficial effects of statins related to the prevention of coronary ischemic events, this review focuses on the emerging mechanisms which may explain the therapeutic potential of satins in heart failure, particularly their action on endothelial function, myocardial and renal energetic metabolism, inflammation, thrombosis, oxidative stress, ventricular remodeling and hypertrophy, and renal function.     

The RhoA- and CDC42-specific exchange factor Dbs promotes expansion of immature thymocytes and deletion of double-positive and single-positive thymocytes

Specific members of the Rho family of GTPases exert unique influences on thymocyte proliferation, differentiation and deletion. Dbs is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor which is expressed throughout thymocyte development and is able to activate the Rho family GTPases CDC42, RhoA and RhoG. Transgenic mice expressing an activated form of Dbs had increased numbers of double-negative thymocytes. The Dbs transgene promoted expansion of double-negative thymocytes in the absence of pre-TCR, but had no effect on pre-TCR-dependent differentiation of double-negative thymocytes into double-positive thymocytes. Transgenic double-positive thymocytes were proliferative in vivo, but were also susceptible to apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. The transgenic single-positive thymocytes had attenuated proliferative responses following TCR ligation, and were depleted rather than expanded during culture in the presence of anti-CD3. When expressing a positively selectable TCR, transgenic double-positive thymocytes were increased in number and activated, but the output of single-positive thymocytes was reduced. Transgenic double-positive thymocytes were acutely sensitive to deletion by TCR ligation in vivo. These results indicate that activation of Dbs has the potential to promote proliferation throughout thymocyte development, but also sensitizes double-positive and single-positive thymocytes to deletion.     

The expression of Rho proteins decreases with human brain tumor progression: Potential tumor markers

Astrocytic tumors are the most common human brain tumors. Establishment of tumor grade is a key determinant both in the choice of a therapeutic approach and in the prognosis. The diagnosis of astrocytic tumors is currently determined following histopathological analysis. The identification of molecular markers would offer a complementary tool for characterizing tumors with respect to their clinical behavior. In this study we determined the expression levels of 3 small GTP binding proteins (RhoA, RhoB and Rac1), of their inhibitor RhoGDI and of caveolin-1 in 24 human astrocytic tumors of grades I to IV. Our results demonstrated that the expression of RhoA and RhoB decreased significantly in all brain tumors studied and was inversely related with tumor of grade II to IV malignancy. The amount of caveolin-1 immunodetected was not significantly different from normal brain samples while the Rac1 expression level was diminished in astrocytic tumors of grades III and IV. Our finding that RhoA and RhoB expression levels are correlated to tumor malignancy suggests that they may serve as novel and efficient diagnostic markers for astrocytic brain tumors of histological grade II to IV and complement currently applied histopathological analysis.