Role of calcineurin in airway remodeling in guinea pig model of asthma

AIM:To investigate the role of calcineurin (CaN) in airway remodeling in guinea pig model of asthma.METHODS:Male guinea pigs were randomly divided into three groups: control, asthma group and CsA group. The following parameters were measured: 1. The protein content, cell count and differential count of BALF; 2. The amount of [³H]-TdR incorporation into central airway smooth muscle; 3. The mean thickness of airway wall and airway smooth muscle of small airwaysl; 4.CaN activity of trachea and lung tissue.RESULTS:1. The protein content, cell count and eosinophil of BALF in CsA group were 46%, 51% and 60% lower than those in asthma group, respectively (P＜0.01); 2. [³H]-TdR incorporation in CsA group was 22% lower than that in asthma group (P＜0.05);3. The mean thickness of airway wall and airway smooth muscle were 34% and 37% less in CsA group than those in asthma group, respectively (P＜0.01); 4. CaN activity of lung tissue and trachea were 52% and 44% lower in CsA group than those in asthma group, respectively (P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:CsA reduced airway remodeling in guinea pig model of asthma, indicating the role of CaN in the airway remodeling.     

Effect of protein kinase C on the expression of myocardial HSP70 mRNA during myocardic ischemic preconditioning in rabbits

AIM:To study the relationship between myocardial HSP70 and PKC during myocardial ischemic preconditioning(IPC). METHODS: PKC inhibitor, polymyxin B(PMB) and PKC activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA) were applied to the models of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion in vivo and in vitro in rabbits, respectively, and the ventricular functions, PLA₂ in the serum, and the expression of mycardial HSP70 mRNA were examined. RESULTS:IPC decreased PLA₂ activity, improved the left ventricular function and increased the expression of myocardial HSP70 mRNA. Howerer, all these effects of IPC could be blocked by PMB. Interestingly, PMA mimicked IPC with attenuating the injuries of cardial myocytes and increasing myocardial HSP70 mRNA expression. CONCLUSION:PKC is involved in the myocardial HSP70 expression in case of ischemic preconditioning.     

Establishment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rat models by passive cigarette smoking and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide

AIM:To establish rat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) models by passive cigarette smoking plus intratracheal instillation of lipopolysacchride(LPS) or passive cigarette smoking only, which would be similar to the pathogenesis of human COPD. METHODS:48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups.(1) Healthy control I group(n=12), rats were bred 4 weeks;healthy control II group(n=12), rats were bred for 3months. (2) Model group I (n=12), 200μg lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was instilled intratracheally once for every two weeks and the rats were exposured to 5% of cigarette smoke, 0.5 h/d for 4 weeks.(3) Model group II(n=12),rats were exposed to 5% of cigarette smoke, 0.5 h/d for 3 months. The pathologic changes of airways and lung tissues, pulmonary function and blood gas analysis were determined. The airway wall lymphocytes and alveolar macrophages were counted. The cross areas of epithelial layer, smooth muscle layer and lamina propria of bronchi were measured. The hydroxyproline of lung tissue homogenates was determined by biochemistry method.RESULTS:The pathologic changes of airways and lung tissue of two models were similar to but milder than those of COPD patients(biopsy data). The collagen deposition and the cross areas of epithelial layer and smooth muscle layer in airway walls of two model groups were significantly increased than those of control groups(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).FEV_0.3/FVC% of two model groups, PaO₂ and SaO₂ of model I group were significantly decreased, while R_i and R_e in model I group were significantly increased than that of control I group(P＜0.05). The PaCO₂ and the counts of lymphocytes and alveolar macrophages of both model groups were significantly increased than those of the control groups (P＜0.01). Lots of alveolar macrophages had phagocyted smoke granules. The amounts of hydroxyproline of two model groups were significantly increased than those of control group((P＜0.05) and were negatively related to the FEV_0.3/FVC%, respectively (P＜0.01,P＜0.01) and positively related to airway resistance of model I group(P＜0.01). CONCLUSIONS:COPD rat models were successfully established by passive cigarette smoking plus intratracheal instillation of LPS and cigarette smoking only. The pathologic changes were similar but milder than those of COPD patients. The airway obstruction of model I group was more severe than that of model II group, but they have no significant difference.     

Role of polymerase β in DNA metabolism and genomic instability

The major role of DNA polymerase β was thought to be limited in its involvement in short patch base excision repair by removing 5’-deoxyribose phosphate and base insertion. However, the recent researches indicate that polymerase β might take part in a wide spectrum of DNA metabolism reactions, including long patch base excision repair, DNA replication, recombination, meiosis and transleisional DNA synthesis. Because of its wide and important cellular function, an inappropriate intracellular polymerase β level might be associated with genomic instability. Down-regulation or mutation of polymerase β is mutagenic due to deficient in DNA repair, while overexpression of this error-prone β polymerase might perturb the normal function of other accurate polymerases and cause genomic instability as well.     

Expression of IL-6 mRNA in endometrium with endometriosis

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between interleukin-6 mRNA expression and endometriosis. METHODS: Using the rat model, IL-6 mRNA expression in the endometrium was examined by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The expression of IL-6 mRNA in control rats did not change at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after sham operation (P>0.05), but in model rats it gradually increased at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after endometriosis (P<0.01). The expression of IL-6 mRNA in uterine endometrium with endometriosis was lower than in endometriotic tissue, but higher than in endometrium from healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The IL-6 mRNA expression may contribute to the development of endometriosis . The increase in IL-6 mRNA expression may promote the implantation and growth of endometriotic tissue.     

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid: the signal transduction

Cytochrome P450 monoxygenase converts arachionic acid to four epoxyeicosatrienoic acid regiosomes: 5, 6-EET (epoxyeicosatrienoic acid); 8, 9-EET; 11, 12-EET and 14, 15-EET. Recent studies show that EETs are involved in signal transduction. EETs open Ca²⁺-sensit ive K⁺ channel and inhibit Na⁺ channel, Ca²⁺-sensitive Cl^- channel and so on. What is more, EETs have been demonstrated to activate PP60^c-src and initiate a tyrosine kinase cascade that mediates mitogenic effects.     

Influences of chronic hypoxia on the gene expression of Kv1.3,Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 induced by acute hypoxia in PASMC of rats

AIM and METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from 6th rat subcultured pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMC) exposed to continual chronic hypoxia or normoxia and the effects of chronic hypoxia on the changes of Kv1.3,Kv2.1,Kv3.1 mRNA in cultured PASMC induced by acute hypoxia were studied by semiquantitative RT-PCR in vitro. RESULTS:①Kv1.3,Kv2.1,Kv3.1 genes were found to be expressed in PASMC of rats exposed either to hypoxia or normxia.②The expression of Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 in 6th subcultured of PASMC in normaxia group could be upregulated by exposure to acute hypoxia,the levels of Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 mRNA were significantly increased from 0.646±0.092, 0.782±0.104 to 1.059±0.134, 0.985±0.116,respectively (P<0.01,n=5). ③PASMC cultured continuously in chronic hypoxia for 6 subcultures and then exposed to normoxia for 12 h,thereafter the expression of Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 were downregulated by acute hypoxia for 6 hours.The level of Kv2.1 mRNA was significantly decreased from 1.008±0.117 to 0.649±0.097 (P<0.01,n=5). CONCLUSION:Kv2.1,Kv3.1 genes might be oxygen sensitive genes.Chronic hypoxia might change the response of these Kv genes of PASMC to acute hypoxia and down-regulate its expression,which might probably decrease the role of Kv in HPV.     

Effects of riboflavin and ascorbic acid on apoptosis and proliferative inhibition of mouse thymocytes induced by deoxynivalenol in vivo

AIM: To explore the effects of riboflavin and ascorbic acid on the apoptosis induced by deoxynivalenol(DON) in mouse thymocytes. METHODS: The effects of riboflavin and ascorbic acid on the apoptosis and proliferation inhibition of thymocytes induced by DON in KM mice were studied with animal experiment, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometric DNA content analysis. RESULTS: Apoptosis rate of thymocytes in DON (4 mg/kg) treated group was13.73%±15.3% The percentages of apoptosis in riboflavin (1.25 mg/kg-10mg/kg) and ascorbic acid (25 mg/kg-100mg/kg) pretreated thymocytes groups were significantly lower than that in DON group (P <0.05). The result of DNA agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the characteristic ladder pattern of apoptosis was found in DON-treated thymocytes, but not in control and riboflavin pretreatment and ascorbic acid pretreatment groups The significant differences in proliferation index were not found among DON-treated thymocytes and riboflavin and ascorbic acid-pretreated thymocytes CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with riboflavin and ascorbic acid inhibit apoptosis of mouse thymocytes induced by DON in certain extent and have no effect on proliferation inhibition by DON.     

Activation of renal tubular epithelial cells by monocytes/macrophages and the relative mechanisms

AIM: To observe the direct effects of peripheral blood monocytes/macrophages (MO/MAC) on renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC),and further probe into the possible mechanisms. METHODS: Conditioned medium(M-CM) of human peripheral blood MO/MAC was collected and added to HK-2,a human renal proximal tubular cell line.After incubation with M-CM for 24 hours,HK-2 cells were detected for DNA synthesis by [³H]-TdR incorporation,osteopontin (OPN) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression by Western blot,and fibronectin(FN) secretion by ELISA.Furthermore,anti-TGFβ₁ neutralizing antibody and interlukin-10(IL-10) were used separately to antagonize the effects of M-CM on HK-2 cells. RESULTS: ①DNA synthesis,α-SMA expression and FN secretion were all increased in HK-2 cells when incubated with M-CM.②When adding with anti-TGFβ₁ neutralizing antibody (5 mg/L) in the M-CM,the degree of upregulation of α-SMA and FN in HK-2 cells was much lower than that stimulated by M-CM alone.③M-CM added with IL-10 (20 μg/L) had a weaker ability to induce the increasing in α-SMA expression and FN excretion in HK-2 cells, compared with M-CM itself alone.M-CM from MO/MAC preincubated with IL-10 caused a lower upregulation of α-SMA expression in HK-2 cells than M-CM from non-preincubated MO/MAC. CONCLUSION: MO/MAC can directly induce proliferation,transdifferentiation and extracellular matrix secretion in RTEC.TGFβ₁ and proinflammatory cytokines secreted by MO/MAC might be involved in the aboveeffects.     

Study on the electrophysiological characteristics of ion channels of stem cell derived cardiomyocytes of mouse

AIM: To study the electrophysiological characteristics of ion channels of stem cell derived cardiomyocytes(SCDC) of mouse. METHODS: Embryonic stem cells of D₃ line(ES-D₃) were cultured on the MEF feeder layer with BRL conditioned medium, and fetal mouse heart cells(FMHC)were cultured in vitro. Then ES-D₃ cells were induced to differentiate into many kinds of cells. SCDC were harvested on day 12 after differentiation initiating and identified by electro-microscope and immunocytochemistry. SCDC and FMHC were prepared for the patch-clamp research. Sodium and calcium currents together were elicited and compared between SCDC and FMHC. RESULTS: The current characteristics of sodium and calcium channels of SCDC were very similar to FMHC. CONCLUSION: The functional expression of ion channels occurred during ES-D₃ cells differentiation and the electrophysiological characteristics of sodium and calcium channels of SCDC are very similar to FMHC.