Search

The following review considers current concepts concerning the characteristics of DRP1-related mitochondrial division in brain cells during hypoxic-ischemic pathology. The functional role of DRP1 in neurons and astroglia in cerebral ischemia conditions was analyzed. We discuss the potential for regulating DRP1 activity through the selective inhibitor of mitochondrial fission, mdivi-1. The article also presents data on DRP1 involvement in astro- and microglia-mediated intercellular mitochondrial transport. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for mitochondrial fission during hypoxic-ischemic exposure will allow us to consider DRP1 as an effective therapeutic target for treating conditions with a hypoxic component.

Relevance . Macrophages are the leading regulatory cell-lineage taking part in reparative processes in mammals, and the liver is no exception. The ratio of monocyte migration, proliferation and death of macrophages during liver regeneration requires further studies. The aim was to quantify the intensity of monocyte migration, cell proliferation and apoptosis of resident liver macrophages after its 70 % resection in a mouse model. Materials and Methods. We performed 70 % liver resection in sexually mature male BalbC mice. Cells of liver monocyte-macrophage system were obtained by magnetic sorting by marker F4/80. The immunophenotype of the isolated cells was further studied by cytofluorimetry, the level of proliferation and cell death, the content of cyclins and P53 was determined by western blot. Results and Discussion . It was found that after partial hepatectomy there is a marked migration of monocytes/macrophages positive for Ly6C and CD11b markers to the liver, the migration process starts already in the first day after the operation. On the same terms there is a rise in proliferative activity of macrophages, established by Ki67 marker, the peak of proliferation - 3 days after partial hepatectomy. A significant increase in the number of dying macrophages was found early after liver resection. Conclusion . The obtained data indicate that liver regeneration in mammals on the model in mice is accompanied by proliferation migration and cell death of macrophages. Taking into account the immunophenotype of macrophages, we can conclude that Ly6C+ blood monocytes migrate to the liver, and resident macrophages participate in proliferation. The obtained data confirm the universality of the course of reparative processes in mammals.

Abstract Background In many clinical cases of extensive liver resection (e.g. due to malignancy), the residual portion is too small to maintain the body homeostasis. The resulting acute liver failure is associated with the compensatory growth inhibition, which is a typical manifestation of the ‘small for size’ liver syndrome. The study investigates possible causes of the delayed onset of hepatocyte proliferation after subtotal hepatectomy (80% liver resection) in rats. Results The data indicate that the growth inhibition correlates with delayed upregulation of the Tnf gene expression and low content of the corresponding Tnfα protein within the residual hepatic tissue. Considering the involvement of Tnf/Tnfα, the observed growth inhibition may be related to particular properties of liver macrophages – the resident Kupffer cells with CD68+CX1CR3−CD11b− phenotype. Conclusions The delayed onset of hepatocyte proliferation correlates with low levels of Tnfα in the residual hepatic tissue. The observed growth inhibition possibly reflects specific composition of macrophage population of the liver. It is entirely composed of embryonically-derived Kupffer cells, which express the ‘proregeneratory’ M2 macrophage-specific marker CD206 in the course of regeneration.

Functional and anatomical connection between the liver and the spleen is most clearly manifested in various pathological conditions of the liver (cirrhosis, hepatitis). The mechanisms of the interaction between the two organs are still poorly understood, as there have been practically no studies on the influence exerted by the spleen on the normal liver. Mature male Sprague-Dawley rats of 250-260 g body weight, 3 months old, were splenectomized. The highest numbers of Ki67+ hepatocytes in the liver of splenectomized rats were observed at 24 h after the surgery, simultaneously with the highest index of Ki67-positive hepatocytes. After surgical removal of the spleen, expression of certain genes in the liver tissues increased. A number of genes were upregulated in the liver at a single time point of 24 h, including Ccne1, Egf, Tnfa, Il6, Hgf, Met, Tgfb1r2 and Nos2. The expression of Ccnd1, Tgfb1, Tgfb1r1 and Il10 in the liver was upregulated over the course of 3 days after splenectomy. Monitoring of the liver macrophage populations in splenectomized animals revealed a statistically significant increase in the proportion of CD68-positive cells in the liver (as compared with sham-operated controls) detectable at 24 h and 48 h after the surgery. The difference in the liver content of CD68-positive cells between splenectomized and sham-operated animals evened out by day 3 after the surgery. No alterations in the liver content of CD163-positive cells were observed in the experiments. A decrease in the proportion of CD206-positive liver macrophages was observed at 48 h after splenectomy. The splenectomy-induced hepatocyte proliferation is described by us for the first time. Mechanistically, the effect is apparently induced by the removal of spleen as a major source of Tgfb1 (hepatocyte growth inhibitor) and subsequently supported by activation of proliferation factor-encoding genes in the liver.

Accumulating data suggest that the brain undergoes various changes during aging. Among them are loss of both white and gray matter, neurons and synapses degeneration, as well as oxidative, inflammatory, and biochemical changes. The above-mentioned age-related features are closely related to autophagy and mitochondria. Therefore, we aimed to reveal the most peculiar morphological features of brain nervous tissue and to characterize the expression of autophagy and mitochondrial immunohistochemical biomarkers in neurons of different human brain zones during aging. Counting the number of neurons as well as Microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3B), Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), Lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2A (LAMP2A), Alpha subunit of ATP synthase (ATP5A), and Parkinson disease protein 7 (DJ1) immunohistochemical staining were performed on FFPE samples of human prefrontal cortex, corpus striatum, and hippocampus obtained from autopsy. Statistical analysis revealed a loss of neurons in the studied elderly group in comparison to the young group. When the expression of macroautophagy (LC3B), chaperon-mediated autophagy (HSP70, LAMP2A), and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex V (ATP5A) markers for the young and elderly groups were compared, the latter was found to have a significantly higher rate of optical density, whilst there was no significance in DJ1 expression. These findings, while preliminary, suggest that both autophagy and mitochondria are involved in neuronal maintenance during aging and could indicate their potential role in adaptive mechanisms that occur in aging.

Background: Macrophages play a key role in liver regeneration. The fates of resident macrophages after 70% resection are poorly investigated. In this work, using the MARCO macrophage marker (abbreviated from macrophage receptor with collagenous structure), we studied the dynamics of mouse liver resident macrophages after 70% resection., Methods: In BALB/c male mice, a model of liver regeneration after 70% resection was reproduced. The dynamics of markers CD68, TIM4, and MARCO were studied immunohistochemically and by using a Western blot., Results: The number of MARCO- and CD68-positive macrophages in the regenerating liver increased 1 day and 3 days after resection, respectively. At the same time, the content of the MARCO protein increased in the sorted macrophages of the regenerating liver on the third day., Conclusions: The data indicate that the number of MARCO-positive macrophages in the regenerating liver increases due to the activation of MARCO synthesis in the liver macrophages. The increased expression of MARCO by macrophages can be regarded as a sign of their activation. In the present study, stimulation with LPS led to an increase in the expression of the Marco gene in both Kupffer cells and macrophages of bone marrow origin.

At the normal physiological conditions, hepatocytes predominantly reside in G0 phase of cell cycle; they actively proceed to G1 phase upon damage to the organ. As it was shown in experiments with restoration of liver mass in rats after subtotal hepatectomy (resection of 80% of the organ mass may be considered as a model of the 'small for size' liver syndrome), the growth inhibition is due to prolonged arrest of hepatocyte proliferation, molecular mechanisms of which remain understudied. In a rat model of liver regeneration after surgical removal of 80% of its mass, we observe a delayed onset of hepatocyte proliferation: Ki67 + hepatocytes begin to appear as late as at 30 h after liver subtotal resection. Their appearance coincides with the beginning of transcription of genes for cyclins A2, B1, D 1 , and E 1 at 24-30 h after surgery. The corresponding increase in concentrations of cyclin D 1 and E proteins is further delayed till 48 h after liver resection. We have also observed a prolonged decrease in the expression of proto-oncogene c-met (the hepatocyte growth factor receptor-encoding gene Met), an increase in expression of the transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ 1 ) receptor-encoding gene Tgfbr2. At the same time, irreversible block of hepatocyte proliferation is prevented by expression of certain factors, notably of the TWEAK/Fn14 signaling pathway: concentrations of the corresponding proteins in remnant livers have peaked from 24 to 48 h after liver subtotal resection., (© 2019 International Federation for Cell Biology.)

In the central nervous system and in the liver, the macrophage populations are represented exclusively by descendants of the hematopoietic progenitor cells of the yolk sac. The reasons for such differential distribution of macrophages are not fully understood. We found that, as can be judged by corresponding changes in the expression of CD86 and CD163 markers, the transient macrophages of monocytic lineage are more sensitive to activating stimuli. The two macrophage populations have distinct patterns of gene expression, which is particularly noticeable for M1- and M2-associated genes. For instance, Kupffer cells more readily develop and longer maintain the elevated expression levels of Il4 , Il10 , and Il13 upon the activation; by contrast, the macrophages of monocytic lineage express Il1b , Il12a , and Tnfα upon the activation. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the in vitro activated Kupffer cells of the liver are committed to M2 phenotype, whereas the in vitro activated monocyte-derived macrophages show a typical M1 behavior. These observations are likely to reflect the situation in the in vivo microenvironments.

Aim: To investigate the influence of the umbilical cord-derived multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) on recovery of the liver after the subtotal resection, that is, removal of 80% of the organ mass, a renowned model of the small-for-size liver remnant syndrome., Methods: The MSCs were obtained from the intervascular tissue of umbilical cords, dissected from rat fetuses, by the explant culture technique. The vital labeling of MSCs with РКН26 was carried out on the 3rd passage. The subtotal resection was performed on male Sprague-Dawley rats. The experimental group animals received a transplant 10 6 MSCs infused into the spleen. Hepatocyte proliferation was assessed by counting of either mitotic figures or Ki67-positive cells in microscopic images. MSC differentiation was assessed with antibodies to hepatocyte-specific marker cytokeratin 18 (CK18), cholangiocyte-specific protein CK19, smooth muscle cell-specific protein α-SMA, the endothelial cell marker CD31, or the active fibroblast marker FAPα. Total macrophages of the liver were selectively stained in cryosections incubated with anti-CD68 antibodies (1:100, Abcam), while the M2a and M2c macrophage populations were selectively stained with anti-CD206 antibodies. Expression of interleukin and growth factor genes was evaluated with PCR-RT., Results: Intrasplenic allogeneic transplantation of the umbilical cord-derived multipotent stromal cells stimulates reparative processes within the residual liver tissue after subtotal resection (removal of 80% of the organ mass), as indicated by increased rates of hepatocyte proliferation and accelerated organ mass recovery. These effects may result from paracrine influence of the transplanted cells on the resident macrophage population of the liver. The transplantation favors polarization of macrophages to M2 phenotype (the M2-polarized macrophages specifically express CD206; they are known to suppress inflammation and support tissue repair). No differentiation of the transplanted cells into any of the liver cell types have been observed in the study., Conclusion: We found no direct evidence for the paracrine effect of MSCs on liver regeneration after the subtotal liver resection in rats. However, the paracrine mechanism of the therapeutic activity of transplanted MSC is indirectly indicated by a decrease in the total number of CD68 + macrophages and an increase in the proportion of M2 pro-repair macrophages in the regenerating liver as compared to animals in which the transplantation was only mimicked., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors do not have any commercial or other association that might pose a conflict of interest.

Allogeneic multipotent stromal cells were previously thought to be poorly recognized by host immune system; the prolonged survival in host environments was explained by their immune privileged status. As long as the concept is currently reconsidered, the routes of elimination of allogeneic multipotent stromal cells by host immunity must be taken into account. This is necessary for correct comprehension of their therapeutic action. The study was focused upon survival of umbilical cord-derived allogeneic multipotent stromal cells in different rat models of tissue regeneration induced by partial hepatectomy or by critical limb ischemia. The observations were carried out by means of vital labeling of the cells with PKH26 prior to injection, in combination with differential immunostaining of host macrophages with anti-CD68 antibody. According to the results, allogeneic multipotent stromal cells are specifically eliminated by host immune system; the efficacy can reach 100%. Massive clearance of transplanted cells by host macrophages is accompanied by appropriation of the label by the latter, and this is a pronounced case of misleading presentation of exogenous label by host cells. The study emphasizes the role of macrophages in host response and also the need of additional criteria for correct data interpretation.

Cell therapy is increasingly recognized as a beneficial practice in various cardiac conditions, but its fundamentals remain largely unclear. The fates of transplanted multipotent stromal cells in postinfarction cardiac microenvironments are particularly understudied. To address this issue, labeled multipotent stromal cells were infused into rat myocardium at day 30 after myocardial infarction, against the background of postinfarction cardiosclerosis. Therapeutic effects of the transplantation were assessed by an exercise tolerance test. Histological examination at 14 or 30 days after the transplantation was conducted by means of immunostaining and quantitative image analysis. An improvement in the functional status of the cardiovascular system was observed after both the autologous and the allogeneic transplantations. Location of the label-positive cells within the heart was restricted to the affected part of myocardium. The transplanted cells could give rise to fibroblasts or myofibroblasts but not to cardiac myocytes or blood vessel cells. Both types of transplantation positively influenced scarring processes, and no expansion of fibrosis to border myocardium was observed. Left ventricular wall thickening associated with reduced dilatation index was promoted by transplantation of the autologous cells. According to the results, multipotent stromal cell transplantation prevents adverse remodeling and stimulates left ventricular reverse remodeling.