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Objective To explore the effects of mid-term (4 weeks) and long-term (8 weeks) simulated microgravity on calcification of the common carotid artery in the rat. Methods Hindlimb-unweighted (HU) rat model was used to simulate the effects of weightlessness on the cardiovascular system. Seventy-five male SD rats were randomized into the control group, 4-week HU group (HU4w), and 8-week HU group (HU8w). After the common carotid arteries were separated, the quantification of calcium content and the alizarin red staining were used to detect the calcium salt deposition in the common carotid arteries. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of common carotid arteries was measured. Western blot analysis and the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to measure the protein and mRNA levels of Runx2, Msx2, BMP2, osteocalcin, and SM22α. Results Compared with the control group, the calcium content and the calcium salt deposition were increased, meanwhile, the ALP activity was enhanced in the common carotid arteries of 4-week and 8-week HU rats. Besides, the protein and mRNA levels of Runx2, Msx2, BMP2, osteocalcin were increased, while those of SM22α were decreased in the common carotid arteries of 4-week and 8-week HU rats (P

Mitochondria are important sites for the production of ATP and the generation of ROS in cells. However, whether acute hypoxia increases ROS generation in cells or affects ATP production remains unclear, and therefore, monitoring the changes in ATP and ROS in living cells in real time is important. In this study, cardiomyocytes were transfected with RoGFP for ROS detection and MitGO-Ateam2 for ATP detection, whereby ROS and ATP production in cardiomyocytes were respectively monitored in real time. Furthermore, the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of cardiomyocytes was measured. Similar results were produced for adult and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Hypoxia (1% O2) reduced the basal OCR, ATP-linked OCR, and maximal OCR in cardiomyocytes compared with these OCR levels in the cardiomyocytes in the normoxic group (21% O2). However, ATP-linked OCR, normalized to maximal OCR, was increased during hypoxia, indicating that the electron leakage of complex III exacerbated the increase of ATP-linked oxygen consumption during hypoxia and vice versa. Combined with the result that cardiomyocytes expressing MitGO-Ateam2 showed a significant decrease in ATP production during hypoxia compared with that of normoxic group, acute hypoxia might depress the mitochondrial oxygen utilization efficiency of the cardiomyocytes. Moreover, cardiomyocytes expressing Cyto-RoGFP or IMS-RoGFP showed an increase in ROS generation in the cytosol and the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) during hypoxia. All of these results indicate that acute hypoxia generated more ROS in complex III and increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption, leading to less ATP production. In conclusion, acute hypoxia depresses the mitochondrial oxygen utilization efficiency by decreasing ATP production and increasing oxygen consumption as a result of the enhanced ROS generation at mitochondrial complex III.

Functional and structural adaptation of common carotid artery could be one of the important causes of postflight orthostatic intolerance after microgravity exposure, the mechanisms of which remain unclear. Recent evidence indicates that long-term spaceflight increases carotid artery stiffness, which might present a high risk to astronaut health and postflight working ability. Studies have suggested that vascular calcification is a common pathological change in cardiovascular diseases that is mainly manifested as an increase in vascular stiffness. Therefore, this study investigated whether simulated microgravity induces calcification of common carotid artery and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Four-week-old hindlimb-unweighted (HU) rats were used to simulate the deconditioning effects of microgravity on cardiovascular system. We found that simulated microgravity induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) osteogenic differentiation and medial calcification, increased receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL) and RANK expression, and enhanced NF-κB activation in rat common carotid artery. In vitro activation of the RANK pathway with exogenous RANKL, a RANK ligand, increased RANK and osteoprotegerin (OPG) expression in HU rats. Moreover, the expression of osteogenic markers and activation of NF-κB in HU rats were further enhanced by exogenous RANKL but suppressed by the RANK inhibitor osteoprotegerin fusion protein (OPG-Fc). These results indicated that the OPG/RANKL/RANK system modulates VSMC osteogenic differentiation and medial calcification of common carotid artery in simulated microgravity rats by regulating the NF-kB pathway.

The mechanism of transition from chronic pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure is still unclear. Angiotensin II (Ang II) may be an important factor that mediates the transition in the end-stage of cardiac hypertrophy. In the present study, Goldblatt two-kidney one-clip (2K1C) rat model was used to simulate Ang II-induced hypertension. The elevated Ang II not only induced the concentric hypertrophy of left ventricle and cardiac fibrosis, but also increased the expression and glycosylation of CD147 in 2K1C rats. The left ventricular structure and function detected by echocardiogram showed a sign of the transition from cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure in 16 weeks of 2K1C rats. Ang II can activate N-acetylglucosamine transferase V (GnT-V), a key enzyme for CD147 glycosylation. Retinoic acid, an agonist of GnT-V, further increased glycosylated CD147, and activated matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in the hypertrophied left ventricle of 2K1C rat. Meanwhile, collagen cross-linking in the hypertrophied left ventricle significantly reduced in 2K1C rats. On the contrary, tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-glycan biosynthesis, inhibited glycosylation of CD147 and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and then maintained a stable of collagen cross-linking in the 2K1C rat hearts. The above results suggested that Ang II increased glycosylated CD147 which activated MMP-2 and MMP-9. Collagens were degraded by the activated MMPs and then reduced collagen cross-linking. Finally, the hypertrophied left ventricle was progressively dilated in chronic pressure overload due to losing the limitation of collagen cross-linking. Therefore, the compensated hypertrophy of left ventricle gradually transited to congestive heart failure.

The degree and duration of chemical hypoxia induced by sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4) have not been reported. It is not yet clear how much reduction in the O2 concentration (physical hypoxia) can lead to hypoxia in cultured cardiomyocytes. In this study, oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure changes in the O2 concentration in media containing different concentrations of Na2S2O4. Then, hypoxic effects of 0.8, 1.0, and 2.0 mM Na2S2O4 or 1%, 3%, and 5% O2 in cultured cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats were observed and compared. The results showed that the O2 concentration failed to remain constant by Na2S2O4 treatment during the 180-minute observation period. Only the 2.0 mM Na2S2O4 group significantly increased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and hypoxic responses. Notably, 3% O2 only significantly increased the expression of HIF-1α in cardiomyocytes, while 1% O2 not only increased the expression of HIF-1α but also increased the apoptotic rate in cardiomyocytes. These results suggest that Na2S2O4 is not suitable for establishing a hypoxic model in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes cultured at or below 1% O2 induced significant hypoxic effects, which can be used as a starting O2 concentration for establishing a hypoxic cell model.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. HAb18G/CD147, a member of the immunoglobulin family, plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. HAb18G/CD147 promotes EMT of hepatocytes through TGF-β signaling and is transcriptionally regulated by Slug. We investigated the role of HAb18G/CD147 in TGF-β-induced EMT in HCC invasion. Two human HCC cell lines, SMMC-7721 and HepG2, were used to determine the role of HAb18G/CD147 in EMT. Upregulation of HAb18G/CD147 induced by the high doses of TGF-β1 in SMMC-7721 (5 ng/mL) and HepG2 cells (10 ng/mL) (P

Over the last few decades, diabetic cardiomyopathy has been identified as a significant contributor in cardiac morbidity. However, the mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy have not been clarified.In the present study, a diabetic rat model was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The myocardial CD147 expression and extent of glycosylation, as well as thematrixmetalloproteinases(MMPs) expression and activity, were observed in the diabetic and synchronous rats.The results showed that CD147 located on sarcolemma of cardiomyocytes. The myocardial CD147 expression and glycosylation were significantly increased in the diabetic rats as compared with the control. Expression of MMP-2 protein, MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity were also increased in left ventricular myocardium in the diabetic rats. Tamoxifen only inhibited the enhanced expression of myocardial CD147 in the diabetic rats, but not in synchronous control rats. Tamoxifen inhibited glycosylation of myocardial CD147 in both diabetic and control rats. The inhibition of tamoxifen on CD147 glycosylation was stronger than on the expression in the myocardium. The extent of myocardial CD147glycosylation was positively related toMMP-2 and MMP-9 activity. Tamoxifen induced an inhibition of myocardial MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in the control and diabetic rats.These results indicate that myocardial CD147 expression, especially the extent of glycosylation, regulates MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity, then accelerates cardiac pathological remodeling inducing diabetic cardiomyopathy. Tamoxifen inhibits myocardial CD147 glycosylation and further depress the activity of MMPs. Therefore, tamoxifen may protect the diabetic rats against diabetic myocardium.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. HAb18G/CD147, a member of the immunoglobulin family, plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. HAb18G/CD147 promotes EMT of hepatocytes through TGF-β signaling and is transcriptionally regulated by Slug. We investigated the role of HAb18G/CD147 in TGF-β-induced EMT in HCC invasion. Two human HCC cell lines, SMMC-7721 and HepG2, were used to determine the role of HAb18G/CD147 in EMT. Upregulation of HAb18G/CD147 induced by the high doses of TGF-β1 in SMMC-7721 (5 ng/mL) and HepG2 cells (10 ng/mL) (P 0.05). CD147 upregulation was coupled with upregulation of Snail1 and Slug. CD147 knockout significantly decreased the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin, and colony formation ability of SMMC-7721 cells. TGF-β1 enhanced the migration capacity of SMMC-7721 cells, which was markedly attenuated by CD147 knockdown. Thus, HAb18G/CD147 is involved in TGF-β-induced EMT and HCC invasion.