Inhibition of VEGF-A expression in hypoxia-exposed fetal retinal microvascular endothelial cells by exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell(hucMSC)-derived exosomes(hucMSC-Exos)in inhibiting hypoxia-induced cell hyper proliferation and overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A)in immature human fetal retinal microvascular endothelial cells(hfRMECs).Methods:Exosomes were isolated from hucMSCs using cryogenic ultracentrifugation and characterized through various techniques,including transmission electron microscopy,nanoparticle tracking analysis,bicinchoninic acid assays,and western blotting.The hfRMECs were identified using von Willebrand factor(vWF)co-staining and divided into four groups:a control group cultured under normoxic condition,a hypoxic model group,a hypoxic group treated with low-concentration hucMSC-Exos(75μg/mL)and a hypoxic group treated with high-concentration hucMSC-Exos(100μg/mL).Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay and EdU(5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine)assay respectively.Expression levels of VEGF-A were evaluated using RT-PCR,western blotting and immunofluorescence.Results:Hypoxia significantly increased hfRMECs’viability and proliferation by upregulating VEGF-A levels.The administration of hucMSC-Exos effectively reversed this response,with the high-concentration group exhibiting greater efficacy compared to the lowconcentration group.Conclusion:In conclusion,hucMSC-Exos can dose-dependently inhibit hypoxia-induced hyperproliferation and VEGF-A overexpression in immature fetal retinal microvascular endothelial cells.

Males armed with big weapons win fights at limited cost in ant-mimickingjumping spiders

A core assumption of sexual selection theory is that sexually selected weapons,specialized morphological structures used directly in male con-tests,can improve an individual's reproductive success but only if the bearer can overcome associated costs,the negative effects on the bear-er's fitness components.However,recent studies have shown that producing and wielding exaggerated weapons may not necessarily be costly.Rather,some traits can be selected for supporting,or compensating for,the expense of producing and wielding such exaggerated weapons.n the ant-mimicking jumping spider Myrmarachne gisti,exaggerated chelicerae are borne only by adult males and not females,showing sexual dimorphism and steep positive allometry with body size.Here,we determine the potential benefits of bearing exaggerated chelicerae during male contests and explore the potential for costs in terms of prey-capture efficiency and compensation between chelicera size and neighboring trait size.While males with longer chelicerae won most of their male-male contests,we found no significant differences in prey-capture effi-ciency between males and females regardless of whether prey was winged or flightless.Males'elongated chelicerae thus do not impede their efficiency at capturing prey.Furthermore,we found that the sizes of all neighboring traits are positively correlated with chelicera size,suggesting that these traits may be under correlational selection.Taken together,our findings suggest that M.gisti males armed with the exaggerated chelicerae that function as weapons win more fights at limited cost for performance in prey capture and compensate for neighboring structures.