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Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment and play critical roles in tumorigenesis. CAFs consists of multiple subpopulations, which have diverse functions. The detailed mechanism, including the role of NF-κB, a critical transcription factor for inflammation and cell survival, in CAFs has not been adequately explored. In this study, we examined the roles of IKKβ, a key kinase for NF-κB activation, in activated CAFs by using mice (KO mice) with deletion of IKKβ in activated fibroblasts (aFbs). We found that melanoma cells implanted in KO mice showed significantly more growth than those implanted in control mice. To exclude the effects of deletion of IKKβ in cells other than aFbs, we implanted a mixture of melanoma cells and IKKβ-deleted aFbs in wild-type mice and observed that the mixture showed greater growth than a mixture of melanoma cells and normal aFbs. In exploring the mechanisms, we found that conditioned medium from IKKβ-deleted aFbs promotes the proliferation of melanoma cells, and the expression of growth arrest-specific 6 (GAS6) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which are major tumor-promoting factors, was upregulated in IKKβ-deleted aFbs. These results indicated the tumor-suppressing function of IKKβ in activated CAFs.

NF-κB is a major transcription factor regulating cell survival, organ development and inflammation, but its role in cardiac development has been inadequately explored. To examine this function, we generated mice in which IKKβ, an essential kinase for NF-κB activation, was constitutively activated in embryonic cardiomyocytes. For this purpose, we used smooth muscle-22α (SM22α)-Cre mice, which are frequently used for gene recombination in embryonic cardiomyocytes. Embryonic hearts of SM22αCre-CA (constitutively active) IKKβ

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 84thAnnual Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS) was held in a web-based format for the first time in its history as "The Week for JCS 2020" from Monday, July 27 to Sunday, August 2, 2020. All sessions, including general abstracts, were streamed live or on-demand. The main theme of the meeting was "Change Practice!" and the aim was to organize the latest findings in the field of cardiovascular medicine and discuss how to change practice. The total number of registered attendees was over 16,800, far exceeding our expectations, and many of the sessions were viewed by far more people than at conventional face-to-face scientific meetings. At this conference, the power of online information dissemination was fully demonstrated, and the evolution of online academic meetings will be a direction that cannot be reversed in the future. The meeting was completed with great success, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to all affiliates for their enormous amount of work, cooperation, and support.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 84

Inflammation resulting from virus infection is the cause of myocarditis; however, the precise mechanism by which inflammation induces cardiac dysfunction is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the contribution of insulin signalling to inflammatory cardiac dysfunction induced by the activation of signalling by NF-κB, a major transcriptional factor regulating inflammation. We generated mice constitutively overexpressing kinase-active IKK-β, an essential kinase for NF-κB activation, in cardiomyocytes (KA mice). KA mice demonstrated poor survival and significant cardiac dysfunction with remarkable dilation. Histologically, KA hearts revealed increased cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis and the enhanced recruitment of immune cells. By molecular analysis, we observed the increased phosphorylation of IRS-1, indicating the suppression of insulin signalling in KA hearts. To evaluate the contribution of insulin signalling to cardiac dysfunction in KA hearts, we generated mice with cardiac-specific suppression of phosphatase and tensin homologue 10 (PTEN), a negative regulator of insulin signalling, in the KA mouse background (KA-PTEN). The suppression of PTEN successfully improved insulin signalling in KA-PTEN hearts, and interestingly, KA-PTEN mice showed significantly improved cardiac function and survival. These results indicated that impaired insulin signalling underlies the mechanism involved in inflammation-induced cardiac dysfunction, which suggests that it may be a target for the treatment of myocarditis.

Background Vascular calcification was previously considered as an advanced phase of atherosclerosis; however, recent studies have indicated that such calcification can appear in different situations. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of mechanistic insight to explain the difference. For example, the roles of nuclear factor‐κB, a major regulator of inflammation, in vascular calcification are poorly explored, although its roles in atherosclerosis were well documented. Herein, we investigated the roles of nuclear factor‐κB signaling in vascular calcification. Methods and Results We produced mice with deletion of IKK β, an essential kinase for nuclear factor‐κB activation, in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs; KO mice) and subjected them to the CaCl 2 ‐induced aorta injury model. Unexpectedly, KO mice showed more calcification of the aorta than their wild‐type littermates, despite the former's suppressed nuclear factor‐κB activity. Cultured VSMC s from the aorta of KO mice also showed significant calcification in vitro. In the molecular analysis, we found that Runt‐related transcription factor 2, a transcriptional factor accelerating bone formation, was upregulated in cultured VSMC s from KO mice, and its regulator β‐catenin was more activated with suppressed ubiquitination in KO VSMC s. Furthermore, we examined VSMC s from mice in which kinase‐active or kinase‐dead IKK β was overexpressed in VSMC s. We found that kinase‐independent function of IKK β is involved in suppression of calcification via inactivation of β‐catenin, which leads to suppression of Runt‐related transcription factor 2 and osteoblast marker genes. Conclusions IKK β negatively regulates VSMC calcification through β‐catenin–Runt‐related transcription factor 2 signaling, which revealed a novel function of IKK β on vascular calcification.

Myostatin is a highly conserved, potent negative regulator of skeletal muscle hypertrophy in many species, from rodents to humans, although its mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. Transcript profiling of hearts from a genetic model of cardiac hypertrophy revealed dramatic upregulation of myostatin, not previously recognized to play a role in the heart. Here we show that myostatin abrogates the cardiomyocyte growth response to phenylephrine in vitro through inhibition of p38 and the serine-threonine kinase Akt, a critical determinant of cell size in many species from drosophila to mammals. Evaluation of male myostatin-null mice revealed that their cardiomyocytes and hearts overall were slightly smaller at baseline than littermate controls but exhibited more exuberant growth in response to chronic phenylephrine infusion. The increased cardiac growth in myostatin-null mice corresponded with increased p38 phosphorylation and Akt activation in vivo after phenylephrine treatment. Together, these data demonstrate that myostatin is dynamically regulated in the heart and acts more broadly than previously appreciated to regulate growth of multiple types of striated muscle.

NF-κB is a major transcriptional factor regulating many cellular functions including inflammation; therefore, its appropriate control is of high importance. The detailed mechanism of its activation has been well characterized, but that of negative regulation is poorly understood. In this study, we showed AMAP1, an Arf-GTPase activating protein, as a negative feedback regulator for NF-κB by binding with IKKβ, an essential kinase in NF-κB signaling. Proteomics analysis identified AMAP1 as a binding protein with IKKβ. Overexpression of AMAP1 suppressed NF-κB activity by interfering the binding of IKKβ and NEMO, and deletion of AMAP1 augmented NF-κB activity. The activation of NF-κB induced translocation of AMAP1 to cytoplasm from cell membrane and nucleus, which resulted in augmented interaction of AMAP1 and IKKβ. These results demonstrated a novel role of AMAP1 as a negative feedback regulator of NF-κB, and presented it as a possible target for anti-inflammatory treatments.

We have developed multimedia type chemistry CAL software by Netscape Navigator browser.We have converted CAL software, made by ExpandBook form, into HTML form, whose theme is for physical chemistry experiments. Multimedia type chemistry CAL material with video movie really helps students to visualize chemistry operations in practical experiments. Anyone can make a teaching document by HTML language easily if one memorizes a procedure. When we tried the intranet use of CAL software in a remote place (separate room) and video movies of CAL, it produced smooth movement and was useful for the learning student.

Vascular endothelium provides a selective barrier between the blood and tissues, participates in wound healing and angiogenesis, and regulates tissue recruitment of inflammatory cells. Nuclear factor (NF)-κB transcription factors are pivotal regulators of survival and inflammation, and have been suggested as potential therapeutic targets in cancer and inflammatory diseases. Here we show that mice lacking IKKβ, the primary kinase mediating NF-κB activation, are smaller than littermates and born at less than the expected Mendelian frequency in association with hypotrophic and hypovascular placentae. IKKβ-deleted endothelium manifests increased vascular permeability and reduced migration. Surprisingly, we find that these defects result from loss of kinase-independent effects of IKKβ on activation of the serine-threonine kinase, Akt. Together, these data demonstrate essential roles for IKKβ in regulating endothelial permeability and migration, as well as an unanticipated connection between IKKβ and Akt signalling., IKK kinases activate nuclear factor-κB, and the activated form of this transcription factor is found in endothelial cells in diseased tissue. In this study, mice lacking IKKβ in the endothelium are generated, and it is shown that defects in endothelial cell function are both IKK kinase activity dependent and independent.

The serine-threonine kinase, IKKβ, is required in most settings for activation of NF-κB transcription factors, which regulate a wide range of essential processes from cell survival to inflammation. In the heart, while IKKβ and NF-κB are activated in many diseases conditions, whether this activation is adaptive or deleterious remains unclear. To determine the role of IKKβ in the heart, we generated cardiac-specific knockout mice utilizing cardiomyocyte (CM)-specific expression of either Cre or an activatable Cre-fusion protein, producing constitutive (c) or tamoxifen-inducible (i) cardiac-specific IKKβ knockouts (CSIKO), respectively. cCSIKO were born at the expected Mendelian frequency and developed normally. IKKβ expression was dramatically reduced in both cCSIKO and (after tamoxifen) iCSIKO hearts. As expected, CM NF-κB activation after in vivo LPS treatment was markedly impaired in both cCSIKO and iCSIKO mice. Interestingly, both lines had cardiac dysfunction. No evidence of increased apoptosis was observed by TUNEL staining in cCSIKO. Studies in isolated CM from cCSIKO demonstrated reduced decreased peak shortening (2.3% vs. 3.7%) and calcium transient amplitude (0.30 vs 0.46, p

The serine-threonine kinase, IKK-β, is required for classical activation of the NF-κB family of transcription factors which are central regulators of inflammation and cell survival that are activated in a variety of vascular diseases. [Methods and Results]: To examine the role of IKK-β and NF-κB in endothelial cells (EC), we generated mice with EC-specific deletion of IKK-β (IKK-β ΔEC ) on an ApoE −/− background using Tie2-Cre transgenic and IKK-β flox/flox mice. IKK-β ΔEC were born at less than the expected Mendelian frequency (7/48 vs 24/48 expected, pin vivo microscopy of ear capillaries after intravenous injection of Evans blue dye was substantially increased (pΔEC phenotypes were similar to Akt1 −/− mice, prompting us to examine Akt1 in the IKK-β ΔEC mice. Interestingly, phospho-Akt was markedly reduced in vascular endothelium from IKK-β ΔEC mice. In vitro studies of primary cultured EC demonstrated that deletion of IKK-β inhibited phosphorylation of Akt and increased permeability, while overexpression of either wild-type (WT) or kinase-deficient (KD) IKK-β enhanced Akt phosphorylation. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated IGF-I-enhanced physical interaction of IKK-β with Akt. Moreover, IKK-β deletion inhibited Akt trafficking to lipid rafts rich in caveolae, an essential step in its activation. Expression of either WT or KD IKK-β in IKK-β-deleted EC in vitro restored normal Akt trafficking and reduced endothelial permeability. These results are in contrast to those reported with deletion of IKK-β in hepatocytes which have relatively few caveolae. [Conclusion] These data demonstrate that IKK-β modulates Akt subcellular trafficking and activation in EC through a kinase-independent mechanism. Understanding interactions between these signaling pathways may provide important insights in conditions marked by disregulated inflammation and/or cell survival including atherosclerosis and ischemic-injury.

In the downstream regions of stenotic vessels, cells are subjected to a vortex motion under low shear forces, and atherosclerotic plaques tend to be localized. It has been reported that such a change of shear force on endothelial cells has an atherogenic effect by inducing the expression of adhesion molecules. However, the effect of vortex-induced mechanical stress on leukocytes has not been investigated. In this study, to elucidate whether vortex flow can affect the cell adhesive property, we have examined the effect of vortex-mediated mechanical stress on integrin activation in THP-1 cells, a monocytic cell line, and its signaling mechanisms. When cells are subjected to vortex flow at 400-2,000 rpm, integrin-dependent cell adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 or fibronectin increased in a speed- and time-dependent manner. Next, to examine the role of Ca(2+) in this integrin activation, various pharmacological inhibitors involved in Ca(2+) signaling were tested to inhibit the cell adhesion. Pretreatment of cells with BAPTA-AM, thapsigargin +NiCl(2), or U-73122 (a phospholipase C inhibitor) inhibited cell adhesion induced by vortex-mediated mechanical stress. We also found that W7 (a calmodulin inhibitor) blocked the cell adhesion. However, pretreatment of cells with GdCl(3), NiCl(2), or ryanodine did not affect the cell adhesion. These data indicate that vortex-mediated mechanical stress induces integrin activation through calmodulin and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-mediated Ca(2+) releases from intracellular Ca(2+) stores in THP-1 cells.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) has a crucial role in atherogenesis and inflammation. However, MCP-1-mediated signalling pathways in monocytes have not been fully elucidated. In the present study we investigated the role of tyrosine kinases such as proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) in MCP-1-mediated signal transduction in the monocytic cell line THP-1. Pyk2 was tyrosine phosphorylated very quickly after stimulation with MCP-1. We found that Lyn, Shc and paxillin were also tyrosine phosphorylated by MCP-1. We examined the association of these molecules by immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analysis. The association of Pyk2 with Lyn was dependent on stimulation with MCP-1 and on tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2. Phosphorylation of p38 was also dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation of Pyk2. However, the association of Pyk2 with paxillin and Grb2 was not affected by stimulation with MCP-1. Phosphorylation of ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase) was not affected by overexpression of kinase-negative Pyk2. Our results indicate that Pyk2 forms a complex with paxillin, Grb2 and Lyn in THP-1 cells. However, Pyk2 is not always involved in MCP-1-mediated signalling pathways.

Transmigration of monocytes to the subendothelial space is the initial step of atherosclerotic plaque formation and inflammation. Integrin activation and chemotaxis are two important functions involved in monocyte transmigration. To delineate the signaling cascades leading to integrin activation and chemotaxis by monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), we have investigated the roles of MAPK and Rho GTPases in THP-1 cells, a monocytic cell line. MCP-1 stimulated beta1 integrin-dependent, but not beta2 integrin-dependent cell adhesion in a time-dependent manner. MCP-1-mediated cell adhesion was inhibited by a MEK inhibitor but not by a p38-MAPK inhibitor. In contrast, MCP-1-mediated chemotaxis was inhibited by the p38-MAPK inhibitor but not by the MEK inhibitor. The inhibitor of Rho GTPase, C3 exoenzyme, and a Rho kinase inhibitor abrogated MCP-1-dependent chemotaxis but not integrin-dependent cell adhesion. Further, C3 exoenzyme and the Rho kinase inhibitor blocked MCP-1-dependent p38-MAPK activation. These data indicate that ERK is responsible for integrin activation, that p38-MAPK and Rho are responsible for chemotaxis mediated by MCP-1, and that Rho and the Rho kinase are upstream of p38-MAPK in MCP-1-mediated signaling. This study demonstrates that two distinct MAPKs regulate two dependent signaling cascades leading to integrin activation and chemotaxis induced by MCP-1 in THP-1 cells.