Desferoxamine preconditioning protects against cerebral ischemia in rats by inducing expressions of hypoxia inducible factor 1α and erythropoietin

Objective To investigate whether desferoxamine （DFO） preconditioning can induce tolerance against cerebral ischemia and its effect on the expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 α （HIF- 1α） and erythropoietin （EPO） in vivo and in vitro. Methods Rat model of cerebral ischemia was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion with or without DFO administration. Infarct size was examined by TTC staining, and the neurological severity score was evaluated according to published method. Cortical neurons were cultured under ischemia stress which was mimicked by oxygen-glucose deprivation （OGD）, and the neuron damage was assessed by MTT assay. Immunofluorescent staining was employed to detect the expressions of HIF-1 and EPO. Results The protective effect induced by DFO （decreasing the infarction volume and ameliorating the neurological function） appeared at 2 d after administration ofDFO （post-DFO）, lasted until 7 d and disappeared at 14 d （P 〈 0.05）; the most effective action was observed at 3 d post-DFO. DFO induced tolerance of cultured neurons against OGD： neuronal viability was increased 23%, 34%, 40%, 48% and 56% at 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, and 48 h, respectively, post-DFO （P 〈 0.05）. Immunofluorescent staining found that HIF-1 α and EPO were upregulated in the neurons of rat brain at 3 d and 7 d post-DFO; increase of HIF-1 α and EPO appeared in cultured cortex neurons at 36 h and 48 h post-DFO. Conclusion DFO induced tolerance against focal cerebral ischemia in rats, and exerted protective effect on OGD cultured cortical neurons. DFO significant induced the expression of HIF- 1 α and EPO both in vivo and in vitro. DFO preconditioning can protect against cerebral ischemia, which may be associated with the synthesis of HIF- 1 α and EPO.

Hypoxia upregulates hypoxia inducible factor(HIF)-3α expression in lung epithelial cells: characterization and comparison with HIF-1α

The role of the hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF)subunits 1α and 2α in response to hypoxia is well established in lungepithelial cells,whereas little is known about HIF-3α with respect to transcriptional and translational regulation by hy-poxia.HIF-3α and HIF-1α are two similar but distinct basic helix-loop-helix-PAS proteins,which have been postulatedto activate hypoxia responsive genes in response to hypoxia.Here,we used quantitative real time RT-PCR and immu-noblotting to determine the activation of HIF-3α vs.HIF-1α by hypoxia.HIF-3α was strongly induced by hypoxia(1%O_2)both at the level of protein and mRNA due to an increase in protein stability and transcriptional activation,whereasHIF-1α protein and mRNA levels enhanced transiently and then decreased because of a reduction in its mRNA stabilityin A549 cells,as measured on mRNA and protein levels.Interestingly,HIF-3α and HIF-1α exhibited strikingly similarresponses to a variety of activating or inhibitory pharmacological agents.These results demonstrate that HIF-3α is ex-pressed abundantly in lung epithelial cells,and that the transcriptional induction of HIF-3α plays an important role in theresponse to hypoxia in vitro.Our findings suggest that HIF-3α,as a member of the HIF system,is complementary ratherthan redundant to HIF-1α induction in protection against hypoxic damage in alveolar epithelial cells.

Expression of caspase-3 and hypoxia inducible factor 1αin hepatocellular carcinoma complicated by hemorrhage and necrosis

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a malignant tumor that occurs in the liver.Its onset is latent,and it shows high heterogeneity and can readily experience intrahepatic metastasis or systemic metastasis,which seriously affects patients’quality of life.Numerous studies have shown that hypoxia inducible factor1α(HIF-1α)plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of tumors,as it promotes the formation of intratumoral vessels and plays a key role in their metastasis and invasion.Some studies have reported that caspase-3,which is induced by various factors,is involved in the apoptosis of tumor cells.AIM To investigate the expression of caspase-3 and HIF-1αand their relationship to the prognosis of patients with primary HCC complicated by pathological changes of hemorrhage and necrosis.METHODS A total of 88 patients with HCC complicated by pathological changes of hemorrhage and necrosis who were treated at our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019 were selected.The expression of caspase-3 and HIF-1αin HCC and paracancerous tissues from these patients was assessed.RESULTS The positive expression rate of caspase-3 in HCC tissues was 27.27%,which was significantly lower than that in the paracancerous tissues(P<0.05),while the positive expression rate of HIF-1αwas 72.73%,which was significantly higher than that in the paracancerous tissues(P<0.05).The positive expression rates for caspase-3 in tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage III and lymph node metastasis tissues were 2.78%and 2.50%,respectively,which were significantly lower than those in TNM stage I-II and non-lymph node metastasis tissues(P<0.05).The positive expression rates of HIF-1αin TNM stage III,lymph node metastasis,and portal vein tumor thrombus tissues were 86.11%,87.50%,and 88.00%,respectively,and these values were significantly higher than those in TNM stage I-II,non-lymph node metastasis,and portal vein tumor thrombus tissues(P<0.05).The expression of caspase-3 and HIF-1αin HCC tissues were negatively correlated(rs=−0.426,P<0.05).The median overall survival time of HCC patients was 18.90 mo(95%CI:17.20–19.91).The results of the Cox proportional risk regression model analysis showed that TNM stage,portal vein tumor thrombus,lymph node metastasis,caspase-3 expression,and HIF-1αexpression were the factors influencing patient prognosis(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The expression of caspase-3 decreases and HIF-1αincreases in HCC tissues complicated by pathological changes of hemorrhage and necrosis,and these are related to clinicopathological features and prognosis.

Evaluation of hypoxia inducible factor targeting pharmacological drugs as antileishmanial agents

Objective:To evaluate whether hypoxia inducible factor(HIF-1α) targeting pharmacological drugs,echinomycin,resveratrol and CdCl_2 which inhibit HIF-1α stimulation,and mimosine,which enhances the stability of HIF-1α present antileishmanial properties.Methods:The leishmanicidal effect of drugs was evaluated in mouse macrophages and Balb/c mouse model for cutaneous leishmaniosis.Results:Resveratrol and CdCl_2 reduced the parasite load [IC50,(27.3±2.25) μM and(24.8±0.95) μM,respectively].The IC50 value of echinomycin was(22.7±7.36) nM and mimosine did not alter the parasite load in primary macrophages.The macrophage viability IC50 values for resveratrol,echinomycin and CdCl_2 and mimosine were >40 μM,>100 nM,> 200 μM and>2 000 μM,respectively.In vivo no differences between cutaneous lesions from control,resveratrol-and echinomycin-treated Balb/c mice were detected.Conclusions:Resveratrol,echinomycin and CdCl_2 reduce parasite survival in vitro.The HIF-1α targeting pharmacological drugs require further study to more fully determine their anti-Leishmania potential and their role in therapeutic strategies.

Sirtuin1 attenuates acute liver failure by reducing reactive oxygen species via hypoxia inducible factor 1α

BACKGROUND The occurrence and development of acute liver failure(ALF)is closely related to a series of inflammatory reactions,such as the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS).Hypoxia inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α)is a key factor that regulates oxygen homeostasis and redox,and the stability of HIF-1αis related to the ROS level regulated by Sirtuin(Sirt)family.The activation of Sirt1 will lead to a powerful antioxidant defense system and therapeutic effects in liver disease.However,little is known about the relationship between HIF-1αand Sirt1 in the process of ALF and the molecular mechanism.AIM To investigate whether HIF-1αmay be a target of Sirt1 deacetylation and what the effects on ALF are.METHODS Mice were administrated lipopolysaccharide(LPS)/D-gal and exposed to hypoxic conditions as animal model,and resveratrol was used as an activator of Sirt1.The cellular model was established with L02 cells stimulated by LPS.N-acetyl-Lcysteine was used to remove ROS,and the expression of Sirt1 was inhibited by nicotinamide.Western blotting was used to detect Sirt1 and HIF-1αactivity and related protein expression.The possible signaling pathways involved were analyzed by immunofluorescent staining,co-immunoprecipitation,dihydroethidium staining,and Western blotting.RESULTS Compared with mice stimulated with LPS alone,the expression of Sirt1 decreased,the level of HIF-1αacetylation increased in hypoxic mice,and the levels of carbonic anhydrase 9 and Bcl-2-adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3 increased significantly,which was regulated by HIF-1α,indicating an increase of HIF-1αactivity.Under hypoxia,the down-regulation of Sirt1 activated and acetylated HIF-1αin L02 cells.The inhibition of Sirt1 significantly aggravated this effect and the massive production of ROS.The regulation of ROS was partly through peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor alpha or AMP-activated protein kinase.Resveratrol,a Sirt1 activator,effectively relieved ALF aggravated by hypoxia,the production of ROS,and cell apoptosis.It also induced the deacetylation of HIF-1αand inhibited the activity of HIF-1α.CONCLUSION Sirt1 may have a protective effect on ALF by inducing HIF-1α deacetylation to reduce ROS.

Hypoxia inducible factor 1α promotes interleukin-1 receptor antagonist expression during hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury

BACKGROUND Ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI) is a major risk associated with liver surgery and transplantation,and its pathological mechanism is complex.Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist(IL-1ra) can protect the liver from IRI.However,the regulatory mechanism of IL-1ra expression is still unclear.AIM To identify the mechanism that could protect the liver in the early stage of IRI.METHODS To screen the key genes in hepatic IRI,we performed RNA sequencing and gene enrichment analysis on liver tissue from mice with hepatic IRI.Subsequently,we verified the expression and effect of IL-1ra in hepatic IRI.We also used promoter mutagenesis and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay to search for the transcriptional regulatory sites of hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF)-1α.Finally,to explore the protective mechanism of ischemic preconditioning(IP),we examined the expression of HIF-1α and IL-1ra after IP.RESULTS We identified IL-1ra as a key regulator in hepatic IRI.The expression of IL-1ra was significantly upregulated after hepatic IRI both in vivo and in vitro.Furthermore,we found that HIF-1αregulated Il-1ra transcription in response to hypoxia.Increased HIF-1α accumulation promoted IL-1ra expression,whereas inhibition of HIF-1α exhibited the opposite effect.We also confirmed a predominant role for hypoxia response element in the regulation of Il1ra transcription by HIF-1αactivation.Of note,we demonstrated that IP protects against hepatic IRI by inducing IL-1ra expression,which is mediated through HIF-1α.CONCLUSION We demonstrated that ischemia or hypoxia leads to increased expression of IL-1ra through HIF-1α.Importantly,IP protects the liver from IRI via the HIF-1α–IL-1ra pathway.

DI-3-n-butylphthalide exerts neuroprotective effects by modulating hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha ubiquitination to attenuate oxidative stress-induced apoptosis

DI-3-n-butylphthalide is used to treat mild and moderate acute ischemic stroke.However,the precise underlying mechanism requires further investigation.In this study,we investigated the molecular mechanism of DI-3-n-butylphthalide action by various means.We used hydrogen peroxide to induce injury to PC12cells and RAW264.7 cells to mimic neuronal oxidative stress injury in stroke in vitro and examined the effects of DI-3-n-butylphthalide.We found that DI-3-nbutylphthalide pretreatment markedly inhibited the reduction in viability and reactive oxygen species production in PC12 cells caused by hydrogen peroxide and inhibited cell apoptosis.Furthermore,DI-3-n-butylphthalide pretreatment inhibited the expression of the pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Bnip3.DI-3-nbutylphthalide also promoted ubiquitination and degradation of hypoxia inducible factor 1α,the key transcription factor that regulates Bax and Bnip3 genes.These findings suggest that DI-3-n-butylphthalide exhibits a neuroprotective effect on stroke by promoting hypoxia inducible factor-1α ubiquitination and degradation and inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Effect of endothelial PAS domain protein 1 and hypoxia inducible factor 1~ on vascular endothelial growth factor expression in human pancreatic carcinoma

Background Transcription factors hypoxia inducible factor 1α （HIF 1α） and endothelial PAS domain protein 1 （EPAS1） promote the transcription of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）. VEGF enhances angiogenesis and vascular permeability of tumours, which promotes tumour growth and facilitates entry of cancer cells into blood circulation and metastasizing. This study examined whether HIF 1α and EPAS1 stimulated angiogenesis through activation of VEGF in human pancreatic carcinoma. Methods Specimens from pancreatic carcinoma and healthy parts of same pancreas were taken from 60 patients. Real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction estimated expression of HIF 1α, EPAS1, and VEGF mRNAs. Western blotting and immunohistochemical, streptavidin peroxidase method assessed expression of HIF 1α, EPAS1, and VEGF proteins. Microvessel density （MVD） was assessed. Results Highly significant increases in expression of EPAS1, VEGF, and MVD were found in pancreatic carcinoma tissue but not in normal pancreatic tissue： VEGF at mRNA and protein levels （t=17.32, P=-0.0001; t=98.41, P=0.0001）; EPAS1 protein level （t=22.51, P=0.0001）. Expression of HIF la was similar in pancreatic carcinoma and normal pancreatic tissues at both mRNA and protein levels. Significant correlations were observed between EPAS1 and VEGF （r=0.736, P=0.0041）, between VEGF and MVD （r=0.858, P=0.0001）, and between EPAS1 and MVD （r=0.641, P=0.0003）. No significant correlations were observed between HIF la and VEGF, or between HIF 1α and MVD. MVD and expression of EPAS1 and VEGF were significantly related with TNM staging, so was EPASI and VEGF with size of tumour. Conclusions EPAS1 and VEGF, but not HIFla, are overexpressed in pancreatic carcinoma. The expression of EPAS1 is correlated with that of VEGF and MVD. EPAS1 may be involved in the angiogenesis of pancreatic carcinoma by upregulating the expression of VEGE Targeting EPAS1 may be a new method of antiangiogenic tumour therapy for pancreatic carcinoma.

Role of chronic hypoxia and hypoxia inducible factor in kidney disease

Cells are endowed with a defensive mechanism against hypoxia, namely hypoxia-inducible factor （HIF） andhypoxia-responsive element （HRE）. Under hypoxic conditions, activation of HIF leads to expression of a variety of adaptive genes with HRE in a coordinated manner. The amount of HIF is regulated principally by the rate of degradation through post-translational modification by prolyl hydroxylases. Experimental studies utilizing HIF stimulating agents have been effective in a variety of kidney disease models, demonstrating that the HIF-HRE pathway is a promising target of future therapeutic approaches.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia increases β cell mass and activates the mammalian target of rapamycin/hypoxia inducible factor 1/vascular endothelial growth factor A pathway in mice pancreatic islet

Background Growing evidence from population and clinic based studies showed that obstructive sleep apnea （OSA） and its characterizing chronic intermittent hypoxia （IH） were independently associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.However,the pathogenesis by which OSA induces glucose metabolic disorders is not clear.We determined changes in pancreatic β cell mass and the mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）/hypoxia inducible factor 1 （HIF-1）/ vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGF-A） pathway following IH exposure.Methods A controlled gas delivery system regulated the flow of nitrogen and oxygen into a customized cage housing mice during the experiment.Twenty-four male wild C57BL/6J mice were either exposed to IH （n=12） or intermittent air as a control （n=12） for 56 days.Mice were anaesthetized and sacrificed after exposure,pancreas samples were dissected for immunofluorescent staining.Insulin and DAPI staining labelled islet β cells.Insulin positive area and β cell number per islet were measured.P-S6,HIF-1α and VEGF-A staining were performed to detect the activation of mTOR/HIF-1NEGF-A pathway.Results After eight weeks of IH exposure,insulin positive area increased by an average of 18.5% （P 〈0.05）.The β cell number per islet increased （92 vs.55,respectively for IH and the control groups,P 〈0.05） with no change in the size of individual β cells.Islet expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A were higher in IH group than control group,and percentage of p-S6 positive β cell also increased after IH exposure （16.8% vs.4.6% respectively for IH and the control groups,P 〈0.05）.Conclusion The number of pancreatic β cells increased as did the activity of the mTOR/HIF-1NEGF-A pathway after exposure to IH.

Regularity of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha expression in acute myocardial ischaemia in rats

Acute myocardial ischaemia is a common acute .disease and a common cause of sudden death.However, it is difficult to diagnose in patients who died within 6 hours after the onset of myocardial ischaemia. The occurrence of sudden cardiac death often has pathological basis of primary heart diseases, which may lead to a series of changes in metabolism and gene expression.1 Recent research found that hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha （HIF-1α） is a sensitive marker of hypoxia; its gene expression is upregulated within several minutes after acute myocardial ischaemia, followed by the upregulation of its protein and its expression will remain high if the inducement continues. Its expression in nonhypoxic cardiac muscle is very low. This characteristic may be used to differentiate hypoxic factors from nonhypoxic factors, and help to judge the cause of death. This study explored the expression of HIF-1α in hypoxic cardiac muscle by establishing an acute myocardial ischaemia model in mice, and observed its dynamic changes to provide reference for analysing causes of death within 48 hours after death.

Role of hypoxia inducible factor 1α in cobalt nanoparticle induced cytotoxicity of human THP-1 macrophages

Cobalt is one of the main components of metal hip prostheses and cobalt nanoparticles(CoNPs)produced from wear cause inflammation,bone lyses and cytotoxicity at high concentrations.Cobalt ions mimic hypoxia in the presence of normal oxygen levels,and activate hypoxic signalling by stabilising hypoxia inducible transcription factor 1α(HIF1α).This study aimed to assess in vitro the functional role of HIF1αin CoNP induced cellular cytotoxicity.HIF1α,lysosomal pH,tumour necrosis factorαand interleukin 1βexpression were analysed in THP-1 macrophages treated with CoNP(0,10 and 100μg/mL).HIF1αknock out assays were performed using small interfering RNA to assess the role of HIF1αin CoNP-induced cytotoxicity.Increasing CoNP concentration increased lysosomal activity and acidity in THP-1 macrophages.Higher doses of CoNP significantly reduced cell viability,stimulated caspase 3 activity and apoptosis.Reducing HIF1αactivity increased the pro-inflammatory activity of tumour necrosis factorαand interleukin 1β,but had no significant impact on cellular cytotoxicity.This suggests that whilst CoNP promotes cytotoxicity and cellular inflammation,the apoptotic mechanism is not dependent on HIF1α.

Targeted anti-cancer therapy: Co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) via cRGD-modified lipid nanoparticles for enhanced anti-angiogenic efficacy

Anti-tumor angiogenesis therapy, targeting the suppression of blood vessel growth in tumors, presents a potent approach in the battle against cancer. Traditional therapies have primarily concentrated on single-target techniques, with a specific emphasis on targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor, but have not reached ideal therapeutic efficacy. In response to this issue, our study introduced a novel nanoparticle system known as CS-siRNA/PEITC&L-cRGD NPs. These chitosan-based nanoparticles have been recognized for their excellent biocompatibility and ability to deliver genes. To enhance their targeted delivery capability, they were combined with a cyclic RGD peptide (cRGD). Targeted co-delivery of gene and chemotherapeutic agents was achieved through the use of a negatively charged lipid shell and cRGD, which possesses high affinity for integrin αvβ3 overexpressed in tumor cells and neovasculature. In this multifaceted approach, co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) was employed to target both tumor vascular endothelial cells and tumor cells simultaneously. The co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and PEITC could achieve precise silencing of VEGF, inhibit the accumulation of HIF-1α under hypoxic conditions, and induce apoptosis in tumor cells. In summary, we have successfully developed a nanoparticle delivery platform that utilizes a dual mechanism of action of anti-tumor angiogenesis and pro-tumor apoptosis, which provides a robust and potent strategy for the delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells derivedexosomes on VEGF-A in hypoxic-induced mice retinal astrocytes and mice model of retinopathy of prematurity

AIM:To observe the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUCMSCs)secretions on the relevant factors in mouse retinal astrocytes,and to investigate the effect of hUCMSCs on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A(VEGF-A)and to observe the therapeutic effect on the mouse model of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).METHODS:Cultured hUCMSCs and extracted exosomes from them and then retinal astrocytes were divided into control group and hypoxia group.MTT assay,flow cytometry,reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and Western blot were used to detect related indicators.Possible mechanisms by which hUCMSCs exosomes affect VEGF-A expression in hypoxia-induced mouse retinal astrocytes were explored.At last,the efficacy of exosomes of UCMSCs in a mouse ROP model was explored.Graphpad6 was used to comprehensively process data information.RESULTS:The secretion was successfully extracted from the culture supernatant of hUCMSCs by gradient ultracentrifugation.Reactive oxygen species(ROS)and hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)of mice retinal astrocytes under different hypoxia time and the expression level of VEGF-A protein and VEGF-A mRNA increased,and the ROP cell model was established after 6h of hypoxia.The secretions of medium and high concentrations of hUCMSCs can reduce ROS and HIF-1α,the expression levels of VEGF-A protein and VEGF-A mRNA are statistically significant and concentration dependent.Compared with the ROP cell model group,the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signal pathway related factors in the hUCMSCs exocrine group is significantly decreased.The intravitreal injection of the secretions of medium and high concentrations of hUCMSCs can reduce VEGF-A and HIF-1αin ROP model tissues.HE staining shows that the number of retinal neovascularization in ROP mice decreases with the increase of the dose of hUCMSCs secretion.CONCLUSION:In a hypoxia induced mouse retinal astrocyte model,hUCMSCs exosomes are found to effectively reduce the expression of HIF-1αand VEGF-A,which are positively correlated with the concentration of hUCMSCs exosomes.HUCMSCs exosomes can effectively reduce the number of retinal neovascularization and the expression of HIF-1αand VEGF-A proteins in ROP mice,and are positively correlated with drug dosage.Besides,they can reduce the related factors on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Effects of biological clock gene BMAL1 and hypoxia-inducible factor HIF-1αon proliferation,migration and radiotherapy sensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells HONE1

Objective To understand the effects of clock gene BMAL1 and HIF-1α(Hypoxia inducible factor-1α)on proliferation,migration and sensitivity to radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells HONE1.At the same time,whether the biological clock gene BMAL1 can affect the expression of HIF-1αprotein was investigated.It will lay the foundation for further study on the correlation between clock gene BMAL1 and HIF pathway.Methods BMAL1 gene overexpression and interference lentivirus and HIF-1αgene interference lentivirus were constructed respectively,and were transfected into nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells HONE1.Western blot was used to verify the establishment of overexpressed and knockdown BMAL1 cell lines and HIF-1αgene knockdown cell line,and to investigate the expression of HIF-1αprotein in overexpressed and knockdown BMAL1 cell lines.CCK-8 cell proliferation test and scratch test were used to analyze the proliferation and migration ability of cells.Cell apoptosis after radiotherapy was analyzed by flow cytometry.The effects of BMAL1 and HIF-1αon the sensitivity of HONE1 radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells after X-ray irradiation at different doses(0Gy,2Gy,4Gy,6Gy)were detected by clone formation assay.Results The overexpression of BMAL1 gene and lentivirus interference were constructed to effectively up regulate and down regulate the expression of BMAL1 protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells HONE1.Meanwhile,HIF-1αgene interference lentivirus was constructed to effectively down-regulate the expression of HIF-1αprotein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line HONE1,and successfully screen out stable nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines.Western blot results showed that overexpression of BMAL1 gene could inhibit the expression of HIF-1αprotein in HONE1 of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells,while knockdown of BMAL1 gene promoted the expression of HIF-1αprotein in HONE1 of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells(P<0.05).CCK-8 cell proliferation and scratch test showed that overexpression of BMAL1 gene or knockdown of HIF-1αgene could inhibit the proliferation and migration of HONE1 cells(P<0.05).Flow cytometry results showed that after 8Gy irradiation for 72 h,the apoptosis rate of BMALl gene overexpression group was higher than that of the overexpression control group,similarly,the apoptosis rate of HIF-1αgene knockdown group was higher than that of the knockdown control group(P<0.05).After X-ray irradiation at different doses(0Gy,2Gy,4Gy,6Gy),clon-formation experiment showed that the clon-formation rate and cell survival fraction of BMALl overexpression group or HIF-1αknockdown group were lower than those of negative control group(P<0.05).Sigmaplot analysis showed that the D0,Dq and SF2 of the BMAL1 overexpression group or HIF-1αknockdown group were lower than those of the negative control group,and the radiosensitization ratios were 1.381 and 1.063,respectively.Conclusion Overexpression of BMAL1 gene can inhibit the proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line HONE1,increase apoptosis after radiotherapy and improve radiosensitivity.Knock down HIF-1αGene can inhibit the proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line HONE1,increase apoptosis after radiotherapy and improve radiosensitivity.In nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells HONE1,overexpression of BMAL1 gene can inhibit the expression of HIF-1αprotein while knockdown of BMAL1 gene can promote the expression of HIF-1αprotein.

Emerging evidence of the physiological role of hypoxia in mammary development and lactation

Hypoxia is a physiological or pathological condition of a deficiency of oxygen supply in the body as a whole or within a tissue. During hypoxia, tissues undergo a series of physiological responses to defend themselves against a low oxygen supply, including increased angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, and glucose uptake. The effects of hypoxia are mainly mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 （HIF-1）, which is a heterodimeric transcription factor consisting of o and 13 subunits. HIF-1β is constantly expressed, whereas HIF-1α is degraded under normal oxygen conditions. Hypoxia stabilizes HIF-1α and the HIF complex, and HIF then translocates into the nucleus to initiate the expression of target genes. Hypoxia has been extensively studied for its role in promoting tumor progression, and emerging evidence also indicates that hypoxia may play important roles in physiological processes, including mammary development and lactation. The mammary gland exhibits an increasing metabolic rate from pregnancy to lactation to support mammary growth, lactogenesis, and lactation. This process requires increasing amounts of oxygen consumption and results in localized chronic hypoxia as confirmed by the binding of the hypoxia marker pimonidazole HCI in mouse mammary gland. We hypothesized that this hypoxic condition promotes mammary development and lactation, a hypothesis that is supported by the following several lines of evidence： i） Mice with an HIF-1α deletion selective for the mammary gland have impaired mammary differentiation and lipid secretion, resulting in lactation failure and striking changes in milk compositions; ii） We recently observed that hypoxia significantly induces HIF-1α- dependent glucose uptake and GLUT1 expression in mammary epithelial cells, which may be responsible for the dramatic increases in glucose uptake and GLUT1 expression in the mammary gland during the transition period from late pregnancy to early lactation; and iii） Hypoxia and HIF-1α increase the phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 5a （STAT5a）in mammary epithelial cells, whereas STATS phosphorylation plays important roles in the regulation of milk protein gene expression and mammary development. Based on these observations, hypoxia effects emerge as a new frontier for studying the regulation of mammary development and lactation.

Hypoxia adaptation in the cornea:Current animal models and underlying mechanisms

The cornea is an avascular,transparent tissue that is essential for visual function.Any disturbance to the corneal transparency will result in a severe vision loss.Due to the avascular nature,the cornea acquires most of the oxygen supply directly or indirectly from the atmosphere.Corneal tissue hypoxia has been noticed to influence the structure and function of the cornea for decades.The etiology of hypoxia of the cornea is distinct from the rest of the body,mainly due to the separation of cornea from the atmosphere,such as prolonged contact lens wearing or closed eyes.Corneal hypoxia can also be found in corneal inflammation and injury when a higher oxygen requirement exceeds the oxygen supply.Systemic hypoxic state during lung diseases or high altitude also leads to corneal hypoxia when a second oxygen consumption route from aqueous humor gets blocked.Hypoxia affects the cornea in multiple aspects,including disturbance of the epithelium barrier function,corneal edema due to endothelial dysfunction and metabolism changes in the stroma,and thinning of corneal stroma.Cornea has also evolved mechanisms to adapt to the hypoxic state initiated by the activation of hypoxia inducible factor(HIF).The aim of this review is to introduce the pathology of cornea under hypoxia and the mechanism of hypoxia adaptation,to discuss the current animal models used in this field,and future research directions.

Epigenetic Tumor Response to Hypoxia: An Epimutation Pattern and a Method of Multi Targeted Epigenetic Therapy (MTET)

In most cases, cancer develops as a result of non-inheritable somatic mutations (epimutations), acquired by the individual adult cell, during the evolution of the cell, and propagated into an expanding clone of progeny of the cells by natural selection [1]. The role of microenvironment in selection for such acquired mutations, or epimutations, is a focus of scientific research in carcinogenesis [2]. Here we describe a defective DNA response to hypoxia due to epigenetic aberrancies, in cancer cellular biology [3]. We also summarize a literature review on hypoxia mediated epigenetic responses, and its role in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Further, we review a novel method of treating hypoxic solid tumors with a combination of epigenetic modifiers with both in vitro and in vivo results in human, translating to an improved prognosis and clinical outcome. We propose that this approach both independently and synergistically (with the current standard of care) can provide an improved outcome.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha upregulates the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase gene in pulmonary arteries of hypoxic rat

Objective To investigate the expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF 1α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) genes in rats’ pulmonary arteries in different phases of hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension development Methods Models of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension rat were duplicated by intermittent hypoxia Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was measured by right heart catheterization HIF 1α and iNOS messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) were detected by in situ hybridization HIF 1α and iNOS protein were measured by immunohistochemical analysis Results Expression of HIF 1α protein was upregulated in pulmonary arterial tunica intimae of all hypoxic rats In pulmonary arterial tunica media, the level of HIF 1α protein was markedly upregulated at days 3 and 7 of hypoxia ( P 【0 01), then tended to restore at 14 days and 21 days HIF 1α mRNA levels in pulmonary arteries of rats began to increase significantly at day 14 of hypoxia ( P 【0 01) Expression of iNOS mRNA and protein in pulmonary arteries of rats were upregulated by hypoxia for 3 days ( P 【0 01), then reached its peak and maitained the same level while the extension of hypoxia Linear correlation analysis showed that iNOS protein was associated with both mean pulmonary arterial pressure ( r =0 74, P 【0 01) and hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling ( r =0 78, P 【0 01), whereas the inverse was associated with HIF 1α protein ( r =-0 52, P 【0 01) Conclusions HIF 1α and iNOS are both involved in the pathogenesis of hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension in rat HIF 1α protein may upregulate the expression of iNOS gene by transcriptional activation; in addition, iNOS protein may inhibit the expression of HIF 1α protein

Mechanisms of regulation of PFKFB expression in pancreatic and gastric cancer cells

Enzymes 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 and -4 (PFKFB-3 and PFKFB-4) play a significant role in the regulation of glycolysis in cancer cells as well as its proliferation and survival. The expression of these mRNAs is increased in malignant tumors and strongly induced in different cancer cell lines by hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) through active HIF binding sites in promoter region of PFKFB-4 and PFKFB-3 genes. Moreover, the expression and hypoxia responsibility of PFKFB-4 and PFKFB-3 was also shown for pancreatic (Panc1, PSN-1, and MIA PaCa-2) as well as gastric (MKN45 and NUGC3) cancer cells. At the same time, their basal expression level and hypoxia responsiveness vary in the different cells studied: the highest level of PFKFB-4 protein expression was found in NUGC3 gastric cancer cell line and lowest in Panc1 cells, with a stronger response to hypoxia in the pancreatic cancer cell line. Overexpression of different PFKFB in pancreatic and gastric cancer cells under hypoxic condition is correlated with enhanced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Glut1 mRNA as well as with increased level of HIF-1&#x003b1; protein. Increased expression of different PFKFB genes was also demonstrated in gastric, lung, breast, and colon cancers as compared to corresponding non-malignant tissue counterparts from the same patients, being more robust in the breast and lung tumors. Moreover, induction of PFKFB-4 mRNA expression in the breast and lung cancers is stronger than PFKFB-3 mRNA. The levels of both PFKFB-4 and PFKFB-3 proteins in non-malignant gastric and colon tissues were more pronounced than in the non-malignant breast and lung tissues. It is interesting to note that Panc1 and PSN-1 cells transfected with dominant/negative PFKFB-3 (dnPFKFB-3) showed a lower level of endogenous PFKFB-3, PFKFB-4, and VEGF mRNA expressions as well as a decreased proliferation rate of these cells. Moreover, a similar effect had dnPFKFB-4. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that PFKFB-4 and PFKFB-3 isoenzymes are induced under hypoxia in pancreatic and other cancer cell lines, are overexpressed in gastric, colon, lung, and breast malignant tumors and undergo changes in their metabolism that contribute to the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Thus, targeting these PFKFB may therefore present new therapeutic opportunities.