AIM:To investigate the role of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y27632, in mediating the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) components including fibronectin, matrix metallo-proteinase-2 (MMP-2) an...AIM:To investigate the role of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y27632, in mediating the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) components including fibronectin, matrix metallo-proteinase-2 (MMP-2) and type I collagen as induced by connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) or transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, ARPE-19. METHODS:The effect of Y27632 on the CTGF or TGF-β induced phenotype in ARPE-19 cells was measured with immunocytochemistry as the change in F-actin. ARPE-19 cells were treated with CTGF (1, 10, 100ng/mL)and TGF-β (10ng/mL) in serum free media, and analyzed for fibronectin, laminin, and MMP-2 and type I collagen by RT-qPCR and immunocytochemistry. Cells were also pretreated with an ROCK inhibitor, Y27632, to analyze the signaling contributing to ECM production. ·RESULTS:Treatment of ARPE-19 cells in culture with TGF-β or CTGF induced an ECM change from a cobblestone morphology to a more elongated swirl pattern indicating a mesenchymal phenotype. RT-qPCR analysis and different gene expression analysis demonstrated an upregulation in expression of genes associated with cytoskeletal structure and motility. CTGFor TGF-β significantly increased expression of fibronectin mRNA (P =0.006, P =0.003 respectively), laminin mRNA (P =0.006, P =0.005), MMP-2 mRNA (P =0.006, P =0.001), COL1A1 mRNA (P =0.001, P =0.001), COL1A2 mRNA (P = 0.001, P =0.001). Preincubation of ARPE-19 with Y27632 (10mmol/L) significantly prevented CTGF or TGF-β induced fibronectin (P=0.005, P=0.003 respectively), MMP-2 (P = 0.003, P =0.002), COL1A1 (P =0.006, P =0.003), and COL1A2 (P =0.006, P =0.004) gene expression, but not laminin (P =0.375, P =0.516). CONCLUSION:Our study demonstrated that both TGF-β and CTGF upregulate the expression of ECM components including fibronectin, laminin, MMP-2 and type I collagen by activating the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. During this process, ARPE-19 cells were shown to change from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype in vitro. Y27632, a ROCK inhibitor, inhibited the transcription of fibronectin, MMP-2 and type I collagen, but not laminin. The data from our work suggest a role for CTGF as a profibrotic mediator. Inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK pathway represents a potential target to prevent the fibrosis of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. This might lead to a novel therapeutic approach to preventing the onset of early proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR).展开更多
Axonal growth inhibitors are released during traumatic injuries to the adult mammalian central nervous system, including after spinal cord injury. These molecules accumulate at the injury site and form a highly inhibi...Axonal growth inhibitors are released during traumatic injuries to the adult mammalian central nervous system, including after spinal cord injury. These molecules accumulate at the injury site and form a highly inhibitory environment for axonal regeneration. Among these inhibitory molecules, myelinassociated inhibitors, including neurite outgrowth inhibitor A, oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein, myelin-associated glycoprotein, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and repulsive guidance molecule A are of particular importance. Due to their inhibitory nature, they represent exciting molecular targets to study axonal inhibition and regeneration after central injuries. These molecules are mainly produced by neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes within the scar and in its immediate vicinity. They exert their effects by binding to specific receptors, localized in the membranes of neurons. Receptors for these inhibitory cues include Nogo receptor 1, leucine-rich repeat, and Ig domain containing 1 and p75 neurotrophin receptor/tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 19(that form a receptor complex that binds all myelin-associated inhibitors), and also paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and repulsive guidance molecule A bind to Nogo receptor 1, Nogo receptor 3, receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase σ and leucocyte common antigen related phosphatase, and neogenin, respectively. Once activated, these receptors initiate downstream signaling pathways, the most common amongst them being the Rho A/ROCK signaling pathway. These signaling cascades result in actin depolymerization, neurite outgrowth inhibition, and failure to regenerate after spinal cord injury. Currently, there are no approved pharmacological treatments to overcome spinal cord injuries other than physical rehabilitation and management of the array of symptoms brought on by spinal cord injuries. However, several novel therapies aiming to modulate these inhibitory proteins and/or their receptors are under investigation in ongoing clinical trials. Investigation has also been demonstrating that combinatorial therapies of growth inhibitors with other therapies, such as growth factors or stem-cell therapies, produce stronger results and their potential application in the clinics opens new venues in spinal cord injury treatment.展开更多
Background:Microribose nucleic acids(miRNAs)are implicated in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.MicroRNA-345-5p(miR-345-5p)is a recently identified anti-oncogene in some human cancers,but its functional role and ...Background:Microribose nucleic acids(miRNAs)are implicated in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.MicroRNA-345-5p(miR-345-5p)is a recently identified anti-oncogene in some human cancers,but its functional role and possible molecular mechanism in lung adenocarcinoma remain unknown.This study aimed to identify the biological function and underlying mechanism of miR-345-5p in lung adenocarcinoma cells.Methods:In this study,lung adenocarcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between April 2016 and February 2017.The expression of miR-345-5p and ras homolog family member A(RhoA)in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines(A549,H1650,PC-9,and H441)was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis.Functional assays including colony formation,flow cytometry analysis,wound healing,and transwell assays were performed to assess the proliferation,apoptosis,migration,and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells.In addition,RNA pulldown and luciferase reporter assays were conducted to evaluate the relationship between miR-345-5p and RhoA.Difference between the two groups was analyzed with Student’st test,while that among multiple groups was analyzed with one-way analysis of variance.Results:MiR-345-5p expression displayed lower level in lung adenocarcinoma tissues(0.241±0.095vs.1.000±0.233,t=19.247,P<0.001)and cell lines(F=56.992,P<0.001)than control tissues and cells.Functional experiments demonstrated that upregulation of miR-345-5p inhibited the malignant phenotypes of lung adenocarcinoma cells via suppressing cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and facilitating cell apoptosis.Additionally,RhoA was verified to be the downstream target of miR-345-5p.Expression of RhoA was downregulated by overexpression of miR-345-5p in PC-9(0.321±0.047vs.1.000±0.127,t=8.536,P<0.001)and H1650(0.398±0.054vs.1.000±0.156,t=4.429,P=0.011)cells.Rescue assays revealed that overexpression of RhoA rescued the suppressive effects of miR-345-5p upregulation on proliferation,migration,and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells.Further,miR-345-5p was found to regulate the Rho/Rho-associated protein kinase(ROCK)signaling pathway by downregulation of RhoA in lung adenocarcinoma cells.Conclusions:MiR-345-5p plays a tumor suppressor role in lung adenocarcinoma cells by downregulating RhoA to inactivate the Rho/ROCK pathway.展开更多
The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases and neural injury disorders is increasing worldwide. Research is now focusing on improving current neurogenesis techniques including neural stem cell therapy and other bioc...The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases and neural injury disorders is increasing worldwide. Research is now focusing on improving current neurogenesis techniques including neural stem cell therapy and other biochemical drug-based approaches to ameliorate these disorders. Unfortunately, we are still facing many obstacles that are rendering current neurotherapies ineffective in clinical trials for reasons that are yet to be discovered. That is why we should start by fully understanding the complex mechanisms of neurogenesis and the factors that affect it, or else, all our suggested therapies would fail since they would not be targeting the essence of the neurological disorder but rather the symptoms. One possible paradigm shift is to switch from neuroprotectant therapies towards neurodegeneration/neurorestorative approaches. In addition, other and our laboratories are increasingly focusing on combining the use of pharmacological agents（such as Rho-associated kinase（ROCK） inhibitors or other growth factors（such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor（BDNF）） and stem cell treatment to enhance the survivability and/or differentiation capacity of transplanted stem cells in neurotrauma or other neurodegeneration animal models. Ongoing stem cell research is surely on the verge of a breakthrough of multiple effective therapeutic options for neurodegenerative disorders. Once, we fully comprehend the process of neurogenesis and its components, we will fully be capable of manipulating and utilizing it. In this work, we discuss the current knowledge of neuroregenerative therapies and their associated challenges.展开更多
文摘AIM:To investigate the role of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y27632, in mediating the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) components including fibronectin, matrix metallo-proteinase-2 (MMP-2) and type I collagen as induced by connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) or transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, ARPE-19. METHODS:The effect of Y27632 on the CTGF or TGF-β induced phenotype in ARPE-19 cells was measured with immunocytochemistry as the change in F-actin. ARPE-19 cells were treated with CTGF (1, 10, 100ng/mL)and TGF-β (10ng/mL) in serum free media, and analyzed for fibronectin, laminin, and MMP-2 and type I collagen by RT-qPCR and immunocytochemistry. Cells were also pretreated with an ROCK inhibitor, Y27632, to analyze the signaling contributing to ECM production. ·RESULTS:Treatment of ARPE-19 cells in culture with TGF-β or CTGF induced an ECM change from a cobblestone morphology to a more elongated swirl pattern indicating a mesenchymal phenotype. RT-qPCR analysis and different gene expression analysis demonstrated an upregulation in expression of genes associated with cytoskeletal structure and motility. CTGFor TGF-β significantly increased expression of fibronectin mRNA (P =0.006, P =0.003 respectively), laminin mRNA (P =0.006, P =0.005), MMP-2 mRNA (P =0.006, P =0.001), COL1A1 mRNA (P =0.001, P =0.001), COL1A2 mRNA (P = 0.001, P =0.001). Preincubation of ARPE-19 with Y27632 (10mmol/L) significantly prevented CTGF or TGF-β induced fibronectin (P=0.005, P=0.003 respectively), MMP-2 (P = 0.003, P =0.002), COL1A1 (P =0.006, P =0.003), and COL1A2 (P =0.006, P =0.004) gene expression, but not laminin (P =0.375, P =0.516). CONCLUSION:Our study demonstrated that both TGF-β and CTGF upregulate the expression of ECM components including fibronectin, laminin, MMP-2 and type I collagen by activating the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. During this process, ARPE-19 cells were shown to change from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype in vitro. Y27632, a ROCK inhibitor, inhibited the transcription of fibronectin, MMP-2 and type I collagen, but not laminin. The data from our work suggest a role for CTGF as a profibrotic mediator. Inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK pathway represents a potential target to prevent the fibrosis of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. This might lead to a novel therapeutic approach to preventing the onset of early proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR).
基金a Ph D fellowship by FCT-Fundacao para a Ciência Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/135868/2018)(to SSC)。
文摘Axonal growth inhibitors are released during traumatic injuries to the adult mammalian central nervous system, including after spinal cord injury. These molecules accumulate at the injury site and form a highly inhibitory environment for axonal regeneration. Among these inhibitory molecules, myelinassociated inhibitors, including neurite outgrowth inhibitor A, oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein, myelin-associated glycoprotein, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and repulsive guidance molecule A are of particular importance. Due to their inhibitory nature, they represent exciting molecular targets to study axonal inhibition and regeneration after central injuries. These molecules are mainly produced by neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes within the scar and in its immediate vicinity. They exert their effects by binding to specific receptors, localized in the membranes of neurons. Receptors for these inhibitory cues include Nogo receptor 1, leucine-rich repeat, and Ig domain containing 1 and p75 neurotrophin receptor/tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 19(that form a receptor complex that binds all myelin-associated inhibitors), and also paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and repulsive guidance molecule A bind to Nogo receptor 1, Nogo receptor 3, receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase σ and leucocyte common antigen related phosphatase, and neogenin, respectively. Once activated, these receptors initiate downstream signaling pathways, the most common amongst them being the Rho A/ROCK signaling pathway. These signaling cascades result in actin depolymerization, neurite outgrowth inhibition, and failure to regenerate after spinal cord injury. Currently, there are no approved pharmacological treatments to overcome spinal cord injuries other than physical rehabilitation and management of the array of symptoms brought on by spinal cord injuries. However, several novel therapies aiming to modulate these inhibitory proteins and/or their receptors are under investigation in ongoing clinical trials. Investigation has also been demonstrating that combinatorial therapies of growth inhibitors with other therapies, such as growth factors or stem-cell therapies, produce stronger results and their potential application in the clinics opens new venues in spinal cord injury treatment.
文摘Background:Microribose nucleic acids(miRNAs)are implicated in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.MicroRNA-345-5p(miR-345-5p)is a recently identified anti-oncogene in some human cancers,but its functional role and possible molecular mechanism in lung adenocarcinoma remain unknown.This study aimed to identify the biological function and underlying mechanism of miR-345-5p in lung adenocarcinoma cells.Methods:In this study,lung adenocarcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between April 2016 and February 2017.The expression of miR-345-5p and ras homolog family member A(RhoA)in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines(A549,H1650,PC-9,and H441)was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis.Functional assays including colony formation,flow cytometry analysis,wound healing,and transwell assays were performed to assess the proliferation,apoptosis,migration,and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells.In addition,RNA pulldown and luciferase reporter assays were conducted to evaluate the relationship between miR-345-5p and RhoA.Difference between the two groups was analyzed with Student’st test,while that among multiple groups was analyzed with one-way analysis of variance.Results:MiR-345-5p expression displayed lower level in lung adenocarcinoma tissues(0.241±0.095vs.1.000±0.233,t=19.247,P<0.001)and cell lines(F=56.992,P<0.001)than control tissues and cells.Functional experiments demonstrated that upregulation of miR-345-5p inhibited the malignant phenotypes of lung adenocarcinoma cells via suppressing cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and facilitating cell apoptosis.Additionally,RhoA was verified to be the downstream target of miR-345-5p.Expression of RhoA was downregulated by overexpression of miR-345-5p in PC-9(0.321±0.047vs.1.000±0.127,t=8.536,P<0.001)and H1650(0.398±0.054vs.1.000±0.156,t=4.429,P=0.011)cells.Rescue assays revealed that overexpression of RhoA rescued the suppressive effects of miR-345-5p upregulation on proliferation,migration,and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells.Further,miR-345-5p was found to regulate the Rho/Rho-associated protein kinase(ROCK)signaling pathway by downregulation of RhoA in lung adenocarcinoma cells.Conclusions:MiR-345-5p plays a tumor suppressor role in lung adenocarcinoma cells by downregulating RhoA to inactivate the Rho/ROCK pathway.
文摘The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases and neural injury disorders is increasing worldwide. Research is now focusing on improving current neurogenesis techniques including neural stem cell therapy and other biochemical drug-based approaches to ameliorate these disorders. Unfortunately, we are still facing many obstacles that are rendering current neurotherapies ineffective in clinical trials for reasons that are yet to be discovered. That is why we should start by fully understanding the complex mechanisms of neurogenesis and the factors that affect it, or else, all our suggested therapies would fail since they would not be targeting the essence of the neurological disorder but rather the symptoms. One possible paradigm shift is to switch from neuroprotectant therapies towards neurodegeneration/neurorestorative approaches. In addition, other and our laboratories are increasingly focusing on combining the use of pharmacological agents（such as Rho-associated kinase（ROCK） inhibitors or other growth factors（such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor（BDNF）） and stem cell treatment to enhance the survivability and/or differentiation capacity of transplanted stem cells in neurotrauma or other neurodegeneration animal models. Ongoing stem cell research is surely on the verge of a breakthrough of multiple effective therapeutic options for neurodegenerative disorders. Once, we fully comprehend the process of neurogenesis and its components, we will fully be capable of manipulating and utilizing it. In this work, we discuss the current knowledge of neuroregenerative therapies and their associated challenges.
