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Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) proliferation caused by hypoxia is an important pathological process of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Prevention of PASMCs proliferation can effectively reduce PH mortality. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the proliferation process. Recent evidence has demonstrated that functional peptides encoded by lncRNAs play important roles in cell pathophysiological process. Our previous study has demonstrated that lnc-Rps4l with high coding ability mediates the PASMCs proliferation under hypoxic conditions. We hypothesize in this study that a lnc-Rps4l-encoded peptide is involved in hypoxic-induced PASMCs proliferation. The presence of peptide 40S ribosomal protein S4 X isoform-like (RPS4XL) encoded by lnc-Rps4l in PASMCs under hypoxic conditions was confirmed by bioinformatics, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Inhibition of proliferation by the peptide RPS4XL was demonstrated in hypoxic PASMCs by MTT, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, and immunofluorescence assays. By using the bioinformatics, coimmunoprecipitation (coIP), and mass spectrometry, RPS6 was identified to interact with RPS4XL. Furthermore, lnc-Rps4l-encoded peptide RPS4XL inhibited the RPS6 process via binding to RPS6 and inhibiting RPS6 phosphorylation at p-RPS6 (Ser240+Ser244) phosphorylation site. These results systematically elucidate the role and regulatory network of Rps4l-encoded peptide RPS4XL in PASMCs proliferation. These discoveries provide potential targets for early diagnosis and a leading compound for treatment of hypoxic PH.

In this work, high-speed micellar electrokinetic chromatography with LIF detection was applied to study the antagonism between three intestinal bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). The fluorescent derivatization for the bacteria was performed by labeling the bacteria with FITC. In a high-speed CE device, the three bacteria could be completely separated within 4 min under the separation mode MEKC. The BGE was 1 × TBE containing 30 mM SDS and 1.5 × 10-5 g/mL polyethylene oxide. The limits of detection for E. coli, B. licheniformis and B. subtilis were 2.80 × 106 CFU/mL, 1.60 × 106 CFU/mL and 1.90 × 106 CFU/mL respectively. Lastly, the method was applied to investigate the antagonism between the three bacteria. The bacteria were mixed and cultured for 7 days. The samples were separated and determined every day to study the interaction between bacteria. The resulted showed that B. licheniformis and B. subtilis could not inhibit each other, but they could effectively inhibit the reproduce of E. coli. The method developed in this work was quick, sensitive and convenient, and it had great potential in the application of antagonism study for bacteria. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in physiological and pathological processes of cells. To develop a fast, simple and sensitive method to determine miRNAs is significant for miRNA studies. In this work, determination of microRNA-122 (miR-122) was achieved by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. A vial-LIF interface was first applied for sample analysis. A two-step amplification of the fluorescence signal for miR-122 was designed and realized by applying duplex-specific nuclease in the cleaving of two sensing probes. Under optimized conditions, the analysis of a miR-122 sample could be completed in less than 50 min. Only 10 μL sample was required for each test and the detection limit for the method was 0.60 pM equal to 1.2 amol of miR-122 in 10 μL solution. Lastly, the developed method was successfully applied to determine miR-122 in chicken and duck liver. The developed method was fast, selective, sensitive and sample-saving for the determination of miRNAs.

The higher norepinephrine (NE) concentration induced by sympathetic nerve hyperactivation participated in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) over-proliferation and led to pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR), which played an important role in pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). However, the underlying mechanism by which NE induced PASMCs proliferation had not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we found that prazosin, the inhibitor of α

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious and fatal disease characterized by pulmonary vasoconstriction and pulmonary vascular remodeling. The excessive autophagy of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is one of the important factors of pulmonary vascular remodeling. A number of studies have shown that circular RNA (circRNA) can participate in the onset of PH. Our previous studies have shown that circRNA calmodulin 4 (circ-calm4) is involved in the progression of hypoxic PH. However, the role of circ-calm4 on regulation of hypoxic PH autophagy has not been reported. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that hypoxia-mediated upregulated circ-calm4 expression has a key regulatory effect on autophagy in hypoxia-induced PASMCs and hypoxic PH mouse models. Knockdown of circ-calm4 both in vivo and in vitro can inhibit the autophagy in PASMCs induced by hypoxia. We also performed bioinformatics predictions and conducted experiments to verify that circ-calm4 bound to the purine-rich binding protein (Purb) to promote its expression in the nucleus, thereby initiating the transcription of autophagy-related protein Beclin1. Interestingly, we found that Beclin1 transcription initiated by Purb was accompanied by a modification of Beclin1 super-enhancer to improve transcription activity and efficiency. Overall, our results confirm that the circ-calm4/Purb/Beclin1 signal axis is involved in the occurrence of hypoxia-induced PASMCs autophagy, and the novel regulatory mechanisms and signals transduction pathways in PASMC autophagy induced by hypoxia.

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation is the pathological basis of pulmonary vascular remodeling in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Recent studies suggest that circular RNA (circRNA) can regulate various biological processes, including cell proliferation. Therefore, it is possible that circRNA may have important roles in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. In the present study, we aimed to identify functional circRNAs and clarify their roles and mechanisms in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation in pulmonary hypertension. RNA sequencing identified 67 circRNAs that were differentially expressed in hypoxic lung tissues of mice. Screening by bioinformatics and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed significant elevation of a circRNA derived from alternative splicing of the calmodulin 4 gene (designated circ- calm4 ). Notably, this circRNA absorbed miR-337-3p . We further identified Myo10 (myosin 10) as a target protein of miR-337-3p . miR-337-3p bound to the 3′-untranslated region of Myo10 mRNA, thereby attenuating the translation of Myo10. Using loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches, we found that circ- calm4 regulated cell proliferation by regulating the cell cycle. Additionally, we verified the functions of miR-337-3p and Myo10 in hypoxic pulmonary artery smooth muscle. Our results suggested that the circ- calm4 / miR-337-3p /Myo10 signal transduction axis modulated the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells at the molecular level, thus establishing potential targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

Necrosis with inflammation plays a crucial role in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIPK3) regulates a newly discovered programmed form of necrosis called necroptosis. However, the underlying mechanism of necroptosis in ARDS remains unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the possible involvement of RIPK3 in ARDS-associated necroptosis. RIPK3 protein levels were found to be significantly elevated in the plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of ARDS patients. Next, we utilised a mouse model of severe ARDS induced with high-dose lipopolysaccharide and found that lung injury was mainly due to RIPK3-mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL)-mediated necroptosis and endothelial dysfunction. The activation of RIPK3-MLKL by tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNFR1-associated death domain protein (TRADD) required catalytically active RIPK1 and the inhibition of Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD)/caspase-8 catalytic activity. We further showed that the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90)/p23, as a novel RIPK3- and MLKL-interacting complex, played an important role in RIP-MLKL-mediated necroptosis, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in the pulmonary vasculature, which resulted in ARDS. Collectively, the results of our study indicate that necroptosis is an important mechanism of cell death in ARDS and the inhibition of necroptosis may be a therapeutic intervention for ARDS. KEY MESSAGES: Lung injury in high-dose LPS-induced severe ARDS is mainly due to RIP3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis and endothelial dysfunction. Chaperone HSP90/p23 is a novel RIP3- and MLKL-interacting complex in HPAECs. HSP90/p23 is a novel RIP3- and MLKL-interacting complex in RIP-MLKL-mediated necroptosis, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.

Accumulating evidence suggests that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a role in the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Clinically-approved epidermal growth factor inhibitors such as gefitinib, erlotinib, and lapatinib have been explored for PAH. However, None of them were able to attenuate PAH. So, we explored the role of dacomitinib, a new pan-EGFR inhibitor, in PAH. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to study hypoxia- or monocrotaline-induced right ventricular remodeling as well as systolic function and hemodynamics using echocardiography and a pressure-volume admittance catheter. Morphometric analyses of lung vasculature and pressure-volume vessels were performed. Immunohistochemical staining, flow cytometry, and viability, as well as scratch-wound, and Boyden chamber migration assays were used to identify the roles of dacomitinib in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). The results revealed that dacomitinib has a significant inhibitory effect on the thickening of the media, adventitial collagen increased. Dacomitinib also has a significant role in attenuating pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy. Additionally, dacomitinib inhibits hypoxia-induced proliferation, migration, autophagy and cell cycle progression through PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling in PASMCs. Our study indicates that dacomitinib inhibited hypoxia-induced cell cycle progression, proliferation, migration, and autophagy of PASMCs, thereby attenuating pulmonary vascular remodeling and development of PAH via the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. Overall, dacomitinib may serve as new potential therapeutic for the treatment of PAH.

As a common plasma protein, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is widely applied as the tumor biomarker for the diagnosis of many cancers. To develop a low cost, high sensitive and high-throughput method for the determination of AFP is significant for the disease diagnosis. In this work, an immunoassay with sandwich-type structures was performed on a paper-based chip for the analysis of AFP. AFP could be captured by the primary antibodies which were immobilized on the paper by chitosan. On the secondary antibodies, the modified initiator DNAs could trigger the hybridization chain reaction to amplify the fluorescence signals for AFP. A laser-induced fluorescence detector coupled with an interface was applied to detect the targets on the paper-based chip. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit for AFP was 1.0 pg/mL. For every test, the sample solution consumption only was 10 μL. Finally, the method was applied to determine the AFP in serum of normal person and hepatopaths with hepatic malignant tumor, chronic hepatitis B and other suspected liver diseases. The AFP could be found from all of the samples and the results were similar to that obtained by chemiluminescence immunoassay. The recoveries for AFP ranged from 93.8% to 106%, which indicated the method was reliable. The method based on paper chip had great potential in the application of AFP determination.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with a loop structure; however, their functions remain largely unknown. Growing evidence suggests that circRNAs play a pivotal role in the progression of malignant diseases. However, the expression profiles and function of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. We investigated the expression of microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase 1 (MAST1) circRNA (circMAST1) in HCC and healthy tissues using bioinformatics, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to assess the interaction between circMAST1 and miR-1299. Proliferation assays, colony formation assays, flow cytometry, transwell assays, and western blotting were also performed. A mouse xenograft model was also used to determine the effect of circMAST1 on HCC growth in vivo. CircMAST1 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines; silencing via small interfering RNA inhibited migration, invasion, and proliferation of HCC cell lines in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, the expression of circMAST1 was positively correlated with catenin delta-1 (CTNND1) and negatively correlated with microRNA (miR)-1299 in HCC clinical samples. Importantly, circMAST1 sponged miR-1299 to stabilize the expression of CTNND1 and promoted tumorigenic features in HCC cell lines. We found that circMAST1 may serve as a novel biomarker for HCC. Moreover, circMAST1 elicits HCC progression by sponging miRNA-1299 and stabilizing CTNND1. Our data provide potential options for therapeutic targets in patients with HCC.

15-Lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX-2) and 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15(S)-HETE) have been considered as latent mediators of diverse biological processes including cancer. However, their functions in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) are unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether 15-LOX-2/15(S)-HETE is involved in the proliferation and migration of A549 cells and to identify the signaling pathways that participate in this process. We used immunohistochemistry to identify the expression levels of 15-LOX-2 in lung cancer tissue samples. The effects of 15(S)-HETE on the proliferation and migration of A549 cells under hypoxic conditions were assessed by cell viability assays, immunofluorescence, western blotting, scratch wound assays and transwell assays. We found that the expression of 15-LOX-2 was significantly up-regulated in LAC tissue samples compared with adjacent normal tissue samples. The content of 15(S)-HETE in A549 cells was increased under hypoxic conditions. Moreover, 15(S)-HETE could stimulate the expression of PCNA, cyclin A and cyclin D. In addition, siRNA of 15-LOX-2 inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 cells in vitro. Our data also provide novel evidence demonstrating that the STAT3 pathway participates in the 15(S)-HETE-induced proliferation and migration of A549 cells. This study may provide a greater understanding of LAC metastasis and shed new light on the mechanisms by which the 15(S)-HETE/STAT3 pathway is related to this disease.

Disordered proliferation and angiogenesis of pulmonary artery endothelial cells is an important stage in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Recent studies revealed that GDF11 (growth differentiation factor 11) induces endothelial cells proliferation and migration; however, whether GDF11 is directly involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension remains unknown. Here, we found that GDF11 was significantly upregulated and activated in 2 experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension models and cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Genetic ablation ofgdf11in endothelial cells rescued pulmonary arterial hypertension features, as demonstrated by right ventricle hypertrophy, right ventricular systolic pressure, hemodynamics, cardiac function, and vascular remodeling. Moreover, we found that hypoxia significantly increased cell cycle progression, proliferation, migration, adhesion, and tube formation, which were significantly inhibited by GDF11 small interfering RNA. These events could be reproduced using cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells and were dependent on Smad signaling. Moreover, hypoxia-induced GDF11 expression was regulated by the transcription factor zinc finger protein 740, which assisted RNA polymerase in recognizing and binding to the GDF11 promoter sequence located at a site (−753/−744; CCCCCCCCAC) upstream of the gene. This study identified a novel growth and differentiation factor signaling pathway involved in the zinc finger protein 740/GDF11/transforming growth factor-β receptor I/Smad signaling axis and involved in pulmonary artery endothelial cells proliferation and angiogenesis. These results provide critical insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for pulmonary arterial hypertension involving components of the GDF11 signaling system.

Dysfunction and injury of endothelial cells play critical roles in pulmonary arterial hypertension, including aberrant proliferation, suppressed apoptosis, and excessive angiogenesis. The 12-lipoxygenase and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid pathway, which has been considered as a crucial mediator, elevates pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary arterial pressure. However, the mechanisms underlying the bioactivity of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in pulmonary vasculature, especially in endothelial cells, are still elusive. Thus we aim to determine the key role of 12-lipoxygenase/12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in angiogenesis and survival of pulmonary artery endothelial cells and ascertain the signaling pathways participating in the pathological process. Here we establish that hypoxia increases the formation of endogenous 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid through stimulation of 12-lipoxygenase. Furthermore, we put forward new information that 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid promotes endothelial cell migration and tube formation, whereas it inhibits the serum deprivation-induced apoptotic responses under hypoxia. Particularly, the regulatory effects of 12-lipoxygenase/12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid on pulmonary artery endothelial cells, at least in part, depend on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling activation. Taken together, these results may have significant implications for understanding of pulmonary hypertension and offer a potential therapeutic concept focusing on the 12-lipoxygenase/12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid signaling system.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial event during non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) invasion and metastasis. However, the mechanisms involved in NSCLC EMT have not been fully clarified. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and human biliverdin reductase (hBVR) are reported to contribute to EMT in several diseases. Here, we show that compared with transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF), HGF is an important cell factor for EMT in NSCLC cell lines A549 and H460. Met protein, HGF receptors, and hBVR were found to be highly expressed and positively correlated with EMT in NSCLC tissue sections. In addition, HGF and hBVR induced a decrease in epithelial protein marker expression and an increase in mesenchymal protein marker expression as well as increased cellular migration and invasion, indicating that both HGF and hBVR mediate EMT in A549 and H460 cell lines. Furthermore, HGF-induced EMT and migration and invasion in both cell lines was inhibited by si-hBVR. Taken together, our data show that HGF induces EMT in NSCLC through the hBVR pathway.

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation is the pathological basis of pulmonary vascular remodeling in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Recent studies suggest that circular RNA (circRNA) can regulate various biological processes, including cell proliferation. Therefore, it is possible that circRNA may have important roles in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. In the present study, we aimed to identify functional circRNAs and clarify their roles and mechanisms in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation in pulmonary hypertension. RNA sequencing identified 67 circRNAs that were differentially expressed in hypoxic lung tissues of mice. Screening by bioinformatics and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed significant elevation of a circRNA derived from alternative splicing of the

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are considered as the potential biomarkers for many cancers. To determine miRNAs in cancer cells is significant for realizing these diseases. In this work, a microfluidic paper-based laser-induced fluorescence sensor based on duplex-specific nuclease (DSN) amplification was developed and applied to selectively and sensitively determine miRNAs in cancer cells. An interface for laser-induced fluorescence detection was firstly applied to perform the sample detection on the paper-based chip. Under the optimal conditions, DSN (3 μL 0.10 U) and Taqman probes (2 μL 2.5 × 10−7 M) were preserved on the circles (Diameter 4 mm) of the folded paper chip. When miRNA solution was added, the mixed solution could trigger fluorescence signal amplification by cyclically digesting hybrids of miRNAs and Taqman probes by DSN. The whole determination, including sample heating process, could be accomplished within 40 min. The detection limits for miRNA-21 and miRNA-31 were 0.20 and 0.50 fM respectively, corresponding to only 1.0 and 1.5 zmol consumption of miRNAs. The testing of mismatched miRNAs showed that the method had good specificity. Finally, the method was applied to determine miRNA-21 and miRNA-31 in lysates of cancer cells of A549 and HeLa, and hepatocyte LO2. MiRNA-21 and miRNA-31 could be successfully found from the two cancer cells. The concentrations for miRNA-21 and miRNA-31 were 1.74 × 10−13 M and 6.29 × 10−14 M in HeLa cell lysate (3.75 × 104 cells/mL), 3.07 × 10−15 M and 3.28 × 10−15 M in A549 cell lysate (8.33 × 106 cells/mL) respectively. The recoveries ranged from 87.30% to 111.83%, indicating the results were reliable. The developed method was effective, selective and sensitive in the determination of miRNAs in cancer cells.

Piwi‐interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are thought to be germline‐specific and to be involved in maintaining genome stability during development. Recently, piRNA expression has been identified in somatic cells in diverse organisms. However, the roles of piRNAs in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation and the molecular mechanism underlying the hypoxia‐regulated pathological process of pulmonary hypertension are not well understood. Using hypoxic animal models, cell and molecular biology, we obtained the first evidence that the expression of piRNA‐63076 was up‐regulated in hypoxia and was positively correlated with cell proliferation. Subsequently, we showed that acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase (Acadm), which is negatively regulated by piRNA‐63076 and interacts with Piwi proteins, was involved in hypoxic PASMC proliferation. Finally, Acadm inhibition under hypoxia was partly attributed to DNA methylation of the Acadm promoter region mediated by piRNA‐63076. Overall, these findings represent invaluable resources for better understanding the role of epigenetics in pulmonary hypertension associated with piRNAs.

Summary As meat quality is basically dependent on muscle fibre characteristics, it is important to know how muscle fibres are regulated and transformed. This study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal dietary supplementation on muscle fibre types using 3% saturated fatty acid (palmitic acid, PA) or 3% unsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid, LA) from 80 days of gestation to the weaning of offspring (25 days post-natal). The results indicated that higher mRNA levels of MyHCI type genes were found in the soleus muscles of piglets that suckled from LA-supplemented sows than from PA-supplemented sows. In addition, LA treatment increased the gene expression of the type I muscle fibre marker troponin I (p

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive and potentially serious lung disease, defined by an abnormal elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure. PH occurs for many reasons, and hypoxia is considered as an important stimulus for the disease. Proliferation and migration of pulmonary artery smooth muscular cells (PASMCs) in the small peripheral pulmonary arteries are common characteristic features in hypoxia-induced PH (HPH). However, the mechanisms involved in the hypoxia-induced cell proliferation and migration are not clear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of lncRNA Gas5 in the hypoxia-stimulated proliferation and migration of human PASMCs (hPASMCs). We found that the expression of Gas5 was down-regulated in a rat model with hypoxia and in cultured hypoxic hPASMCs, and silence of Gas5 significantly promoted hPASMCs proliferation and migration in both normal and hypoxia condition. Subsequent studies revealed that miR-23b-3p interacted with Gas5 by directly targeting the miRNA-binding site in the Gas5 sequence, and qRT-PCR results showed miR-23b-3p and Gas5 could affect each other's expression, respectively. Further study demonstrated that Gas5 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-23b-3p to modulate the KCNK3 expression, and these interactions led to promotion of hPASMCs proliferation and migration. This study identified that Gas5/miR-23b-3p/KCNK3 axis may be a mechanism that hypoxia-induced PASMCs proliferation and migration, providing a strategy for clinical treatment of HPH in the future.

Many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as powerful regulators of lung adenocarcinoma (LAD). However, the role of HOXA-AS3, a novel lncRNA, in LAD is largely unknown. In this study, we showed that HOXA-AS3 was significantly upregulated in LAD tissues and A549 cells. After knockdown of HOXA-AS3, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were inhibited. Xenografts derived from A549 cells transfected with shRNA/HOXA-AS3 had significantly lower tumor weights and smaller tumor volumes. We also demonstrated that HOXA-AS3 increased HOXA6 mRNA stability by forming an RNA duplex. In addition, HOXA6 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Using a RNA pull-down assay, we found that HOXA-AS3 bonded with NF110, which regulated the cell localization of HOXA-AS3. Moreover, histone acetylation was involved in upregulation of HOXA-AS3. These results demonstrate that HOXA-AS3 was activated in LAD and supported cancer cell progression. Therefore, inhibition of HOXA-AS3 could be an effective targeted therapy for patients with LAD.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a lethal disease characterized by pulmonary vascular obstruction due in part to excessive pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) migration and proliferation. The mitochondrial fission protein dynamin-related protein-1 (DRP1) has important influence on pulmonary vascular remodeling. However, whether DRP1 participates in the development and progression of pulmonary vascular angiogenesis has not been reported previously. To test the hypothesis that DRP1 promotes the angiogenesis via promoting the proliferation, stimulating migration, and inhibiting the apoptosis of PAECs in mitochondrial Ca(2+)-dependent manner, we performed following studies. Using hemodynamic analysis and morphometric assay, we found that DRP1 mediated the elevation of right ventricular systemic pressure (RVSP), right heart hypertrophy, and increase of pulmonary microvessels induced by hypoxia. DRP1 inhibition reversed tube network formation in vitro stimulated by hypoxia. The mitochondrial Ca(2+) inhibited by hypoxia was recovered by DRP1 silencing. Moreover, pulmonary vascular angiogenesis promoted by DRP1 was reversed by the specific mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter inhibitor Ru360. In addition, DRP1 promoted the proliferation and migration of PAECs in mitochondrial Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Besides, DRP1 decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced the DNA fragmentation, and inhibited the caspase-3 activation, which were all aggravated by Ru360. Therefore, these results indicate that the mitochondrial fission machinery promotes migration, facilitates proliferation, and prevents from apoptosis via mitochondrial Ca(2+)-dependent pathway in endothelial cells leading to pulmonary angiogenesis.

Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO)/15-hydroxyeicosatetr-aenoic acid (15-HETE) is involved in hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Phenotypical alterations of vascular smooth muscle cells are considered to be an important stage in the development of PAH, whereas the underlying mechanisms and signaling systems are still unclear. Here, we determined the contribution of 15-LO/15-HETE signaling in the hypoxia-induced phenotype changes of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). To accomplish this, cellular and molecular changes in pulmonary vascular remodeling were detected in PAH patients and rats exposed to hypoxia. We found that the hypoxia-induced alterations in PASMCs phenotypes were reversed by the inhibition of 15-LO/15-HETE or inhibition of BMP4/BMPRI. Hypoxia-induced 15-LO1/2 expression in rat PASMCs was significantly abolished by small interfering RNA targeted at BMP4. Meanwhile, BMP4/BMPRI-15-LO/15-HETE had a positive feedback mechanism. Furthermore, ERK and p38MAPK act as the downstream of the 15-LO/15-HETE-BMP4/BMPRI signaling. Our results suggest that chronic hypoxia promotes phenotypical alterations of PASMCs due to the interaction between 15-LO/15-HETE and BMP4/BMPRI. Our study reveals a novel mechanism of hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and suggested new therapeutic strategies for the targeting of 15-LO/15-HETE and BMP4/BMPRI in PAH treatment.

Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (CXCL12) and its receptor CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) are known to modulate hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) and vascular remodeling by mobilization and recruitment of progenitor cells to the pulmonary vasculature. However, little is known about CXCL12/CXCR4 regulating proliferation and cell cycle progression of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). To determine whether CXCL12/CXCR4 regulates PASMC proliferation and the cell cycle, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and cell cycle analysis were preformed in this study. Our results showed that CXCR4 was induced by hypoxia in pulmonary arteries and PASMCs of rats. Hypoxia-increased cell viability, DNA synthesis and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression were blocked by administration of CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100, silencing CXCR4 or CXCL12. Furthermore, inhibition of CXCL12/CXCR4 suppressed cell cycle progression, decreased the number of cells in S+G2/M phase and attenuated the expression of proteins that regulate the cell cycle progression at these phases. In addition, PI3K/Akt signaling mediated CXCL12/CXCR4 regulating proliferation and cell cycle progression in PASMCs. Thus, these results indicate that blockade of CXCL12/CXCR4 inhibited PASMC proliferation and cell cycle progression in hypoxia-induced PH via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of uniform multi-drug therapy (UMDT) in patients with multibacillary (MB) leprosy. Methods Newly detected MB leprosy patients were treated with six months of UMDT as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated by clinical status and skin smear tests. Results At the start, 114 patients were recruited, examined, and treated. These patients were re-examined and followed annually for up to six years. A total of 75 (65.8%) patients completed six years of follow-up. Dropouts were attributable to death, severe drug reactions, and other reasons. The mean ± standard deviation bacteriological index (BI) of all patients decreased from 3.01 ± 1.50 before treatment to 0.02 ± 1.84 at the end of year 6, reflecting a mean annual decrease of 0.50. The rate of smear negativity in all patients was 98.7% at the end of year 6 of follow-up. A total of 53 leprosy reactions were observed. One patient relapsed 13 months after the cessation of treatment. Conclusions A 6-month administration of UMDT is effective in MB leprosy patients. The changes in BI values and the frequency of leprosy reactions were similar to those cited in reports in the literature of patients treated with 1- or 2-year regimens of MDT. However, further research should be conducted to confirm the present results.

We have established that 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid is an important factor in regulation of pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR) associated with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH), which is further metabolized by 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) to form 15-ketoeicosatetraenoic acid (15-KETE). However, the role of 15-PGDH and 15-KETE on PH has not been identified. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether 15-PGDH/15-KETE pathway regulates hypoxia-induced PVR in PH and to characterize the underlying mechanisms. To accomplish this, Immunohistochemistry, Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography, Western blot, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and cell cycle analysis were preformed. Our results showed that the levels of 15-PGDH expression and endogenous 15-KETE were drastically elevated in the lungs of humans with PH and hypoxic PH rats. Hypoxia stimulated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation, which seemed to be due to the increased 15-PGDH/15-KETE. 15-PGDH/15-KETE pathway was also capable of stimulating the cell cycle progression and promoting the cell cycle-related protein expression. Furthermore, 15-KETE-promoted cell cycle progression and proliferation in PASMCs depended on protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2). ERK1/2 signaling was likely required for 15-PGDH/15-KETE-induced PAR-2 expression under hypoxia. Our study indicates that 15-PGDH/15-KETE stimulates the cell cycle progression and proliferation of PASMCs involving ERK1/2-mediated PAR-2 expression, and contributes to hypoxia-induced PVR.

In the current study, we investigated the breed difference of Sirt1 gene expression in liver and pancreas between Jinhua pigs (a local fatty breed of China) and Landrace (a leaner breed). In addition, the gene expression of lipid metabolism enzymes adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) has also been examined. Results showed that the serum triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TCHO) concentration of Jinhua pigs were greater than Landrace while the serum glycerol in Jinhua pigs was lower at the age of 180 d. The serum leptin concentration was also greater in Jinhua pigs. Compared with Landrace, the mRNA level and protein abundance of Sirt1 were lower both in liver and pancreas in Jinhua pigs. Consistent with Sirt1 expression, in liver and pancreas, the mRNA expression of lipolitic enzymes ATGL and HSL was always lower in Jinhua pigs than Landrace respectively. Furthermore, similar results were found in 60 d pigs. The mRNA levels of Sirt1, ATGL and HSL were decreased in 60 d Jinhua pigs comparatively. These results indicated that porcine Sirt1, as well as ATGL and HSL gene expressions are different between fatty and leaner pigs. This will provide useful information for better known of Sirt1 function in fat deposition.

Background Autophagy is a major intracellular degradation and recycling process that maintains cellular homeostasis, which is involved in structural and functional abnormalities of pulmonary vasculature in hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH). Cyclophilin A (CyPA) is a secreted, oxidative stress-induced factor. Its role in inducing autophagy and augmenting endothelial cell dysfunction has never been explored. Methods Lungs from rats exposed to chronic hypoxia were examined for autophagy with electron microscopy, western blotting, and fluorescence microscopy. Results Activated autophagy was seen in the endothelium of the pulmonary artery from experimental rat models of HPAH and cultured bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial cells under hypoxia. Inhibiting autophagy attenuated the pathological progression of HPAH and repressed endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis. We also showed that CyPA was upregulated and acetylated under hypoxia and led to the abnormal occurrence of autophagy through its interaction with autophagy protein 5 and autophagy protein 7. Moreover, acetylated CyPA was essential for the excessive proliferation, migration, and tube formation networks of pulmonary arterial endothelial cells. Conclusion Our results indicate the crucial role of acetylated CyPA in the abnormal occurrence of autophagy and subsequent pulmonary vascular angiogenesis.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) play a role in the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).Since chronic hypoxia is responsible for intimal hyperplasia and disordered angiogenesis of pulmonary arteries, which are histological hallmarks of PAH, we explored the role of the PDGF-BB/KLF4/VEGF signaling axis in the angiogenesis of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were used to study hypoxia-induced or monocrotaline (MCT)-induced right ventricular (RV) remodeling as well as systolic function and hemodynamics using echocardiography and a pressure-volume admittance catheter. Morphometric analyses of lung vasculature and RV vessels were performed. Results: The results revealed that both the PDGF receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib and the multi-targeted VEGF and PDGF receptor inhibit or sunitinib malate reversed hypoxia-induced increases in right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), right ventricular function and thickening of the medial walls. Mechanistically VEGF/VEGFR and PDGF/PDGFR formed a biological complex. We also showed that PDGF-BBincreasedKLF4 promoter activity transcriptionally activating VEGF expression, which regulates PAEC proliferation; migration; and the cell-cycle transition from G0/G1phase to S phase and G2/M-phase and eventually leads to PAEC angiogenesis Conclusion: Our study indicates that hypoxia-induced angiogenesis of PAECs is associated with increased levels of PDGF-BB/KLF4/VEGF, which contribute to pulmonary vascular remodeling. Overall, our study contributes to a better understanding of PAH pathogenesis.

We previously reported that 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) and its metabolite 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) were up-regulated in pulmonary arterial cells from both pulmonary artery hypertension patients and hypoxic rats and that these factors mediated the progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH) by affecting the proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary arterial (PA) cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of the remodeling induced by 15-HETE have remained unclear. As reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 15-LO are both induced by hypoxia, it is possible that ROS are involved in the events of hypoxia-induced 15-LO expression that lead to PH. We employed immunohistochemistry, tube formation assays, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assays, and cell cycle analyses to explore the role of ROS in the process of 15-HETE-mediated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH). We found that exogenous 15-HETE facilitated the generation of ROS and that this effect was mainly localized to mitochondria. In particular, the mitochondrial electron transport chain and nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (Nox4) were responsible for the significant 15-HETE-stimulated increase in ROS production. Moreover, ROS induced by 15-HETE stimulated endothelial cell (EC) migration and promoted pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation under hypoxia via the p38 MAPK pathway. These results indicated that 15-HETE-regulated ROS mediated hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR) via the p38 MAPK pathway.

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) has been recognized as a major reason for the pulmonary artery remodeling (PAR) in pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). However, the molecular mechanisms and regulatory pathways involved in the EndoMT remain undefined. In the present study, we have confirmed that EndoMT was occurred in pulmonary arteries of rats induced by hypoxia and monocrotaline and in hypoxic pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). Moreover, hypoxia increased the expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and decreased the expression of neprilysin (NEP), which contributed to the hypoxia-induced EndoMT of PAECs. Furthermore, a reciprocal regulation of PDGF-B and TGF-β1 induced by decreasing NEP promoted the EndoMT of PAECs under hypoxia, which was a novel molecular mechanism to reveal the EndoMT participating in PAR. More importantly, imatinib, a PDGF receptor antagonist, relieved PAR and EndoMT in PAH rats. Thus, our results identify a novel mechanism to reveal the formation of EndoMT in PAH, and imply that imatinib may serve as a new therapeutic approach for treatment of the third cardiovascular disease.

Background: We have previously shown that 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) plays a critical role in pulmonary hypertension (PH)-associated vascular remodeling. However, the signaling mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of 15-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LO-2)/15-HETE-mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway in hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: The arterial wall thickness was measured by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining in distal pulmonary arteries isolated from normal and PAH patient-derived lungs. The protein expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p-p38MAPK) were measured by Western blot in the lungs of PAH patients and hypoxia-induced rats. The apoptosis of cultured rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) was determined by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and Flow cytometry. The cell proliferation and cell cycle in PASMCs following hypoxia were analyzed by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and flow cytometry, respectively. Results: Our results showed that the levels of p-ERK and p-p38MAPK were both drastically elevated in lungs from human patients and hypoxic rats. The HE staining revealed that the medial wall thickness was higher in patients with PAH than normal humans. In cultured PASMCs, Hypoxia stimulated the cell proliferation, the cell cycle progression, and subsequently promoted cell differentiation and cell migration leading to the suppressed cell apoptosis. Furthermore, MAPKs- induced cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis in PASMCs is 15-LO-2/15HETE activation-dependent. Conclusion: Our study indicates that hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling is associated with increased levels of 15-LO-2 and 15-HETE. 15-LO-2/15-HETE stimulates the cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis in PASMCs through phosphorylation of ERK and p38MAPK, which subsequently contributing to hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a lethal disease characterized by pulmonary vascular obstruction due in part to excessive pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) migration and proliferation. The mitochondrial fission protein dynamin-related protein-1 (DRP1) has important influence on pulmonary vascular remodeling. However, whether DRP1 participates in the development and progression of pulmonary vascular angiogenesis has not been reported previously. To test the hypothesis that DRP1 promotes the angiogenesis via promoting the proliferation, stimulating migration, and inhibiting the apoptosis of PAECs in mitochondrial Ca(2+)-dependent manner, we performed following studies. Using hemodynamic analysis and morphometric assay, we found that DRP1 mediated the elevation of right ventricular systemic pressure (RVSP), right heart hypertrophy, and increase of pulmonary microvessels induced by hypoxia. DRP1 inhibition reversed tube network formation in vitro stimulated by hypoxia. The mitochondrial Ca(2+) inhibited by hypoxia was recovered by DRP1 silencing. Moreover, pulmonary vascular angiogenesis promoted by DRP1 was reversed by the specific mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter inhibitor Ru360. In addition, DRP1 promoted the proliferation and migration of PAECs in mitochondrial Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Besides, DRP1 decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced the DNA fragmentation, and inhibited the caspase-3 activation, which were all aggravated by Ru360. Therefore, these results indicate that the mitochondrial fission machinery promotes migration, facilitates proliferation, and prevents from apoptosis via mitochondrial Ca(2+)-dependent pathway in endothelial cells leading to pulmonary angiogenesis.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease characterized by thickening of pulmonary artery walls, elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular thrombotic lesions, and right heart failure. Recent studies suggest that 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO)/15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) play an important role in PAH, acting on arterial walls. Here, we show evidence for the action of the 15-LO/15-HETE signaling in the pulmonary vascular thrombotic lesions in the experimental PAH models. Platelet deposition was augmented in rats exposed to hypoxia and Sugen 5416, which were both prevented by nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a 15-LO inhibitor. Chronic hypoxic resulted in the platelet deposition specifically in pulmonary vasculature, which was reversed by 15-LO inhibitor. The 15-LO pathway mediated in the endothelial dysfunction induced by hypoxia in vivo. Meanwhile, 15-HETE positively regulated the generation of IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). The coagulation and platelet activation induced by hypoxia were reversed by 15-LO inhibitor NDGA or the MCP-1 inhibitor synthesis inhibitor bindarit in rats. The 15-LO/15-HETE signaling promoted the coagulation and platelet activation, which was suppressed by MCP-1 inhibition. These results therefore suggest that 15-LO/15-HETE signaling plays a role in platelet activation and pulmonary vascular thrombosis in PAH, involving MCP-1.

Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO)/15-hydroxyeicosatetr-aenoic acid (15-HETE) is involved in hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Phenotypical alterations of vascular smooth muscle cells are considered to be an important stage in the development of PAH, whereas the underlying mechanisms and signaling systems are still unclear. Here, we determined the contribution of 15-LO/15-HETE signaling in the hypoxia-induced phenotype changes of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). To accomplish this, cellular and molecular changes in pulmonary vascular remodeling were detected in PAH patients and rats exposed to hypoxia. We found that the hypoxia-induced alterations in PASMCs phenotypes were reversed by the inhibition of 15-LO/15-HETE or inhibition of BMP4/BMPRI. Hypoxia-induced 15-LO1/2 expression in rat PASMCs was significantly abolished by small interfering RNA targeted at BMP4. Meanwhile, BMP4/BMPRI-15-LO/15-HETE had a positive feedback mechanism. Furthermore, ERK and p38MAPK act as the downstream of the 15-LO/15-HETE-BMP4/BMPRI signaling. Our results suggest that chronic hypoxia promotes phenotypical alterations of PASMCs due to the interaction between 15-LO/15-HETE and BMP4/BMPRI. Our study reveals a novel mechanism of hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and suggested new therapeutic strategies for the targeting of 15-LO/15-HETE and BMP4/BMPRI in PAH treatment.

Hypoxia activates nuclear factor of activated T cells isoforms c3 (NFATc3), a Ca(2+)-dependent transcription factor in murine pulmonary arteries (PAs), and NFATc3 has been proved to be implicated in hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) proliferation, but it remains unclear whether NFATc3 acts on the apoptosis of PASMCs, an important step in PAs remodeling. Our laboratory has demonstrated that 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) is a key factor in hypoxia-induced PA remodeling and can increase PASMC intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) in rats. It is possible that NFATc3 is related with the function of 15-HETE anti-apoptosis during hypoxia. Our results identified that NFATc3 was mainly localized in rat PASMCs and was upregulated in PAs during hypoxia-induced rat pulmonary hypertension (PH), while this effect was inhibited by administration of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) inhibitor. Moreover, hypoxia and exogenous 15-HETE promoted the expression and nuclear translocation of NFATc3 in PASMCs, which was inhibited by NDGA or small interfering RNA targeted to rat 15-LO1 or 15-LO2. Furthermore, endogenous 15-HETE induced by hypoxia and exogenous 15-HETE suppressed serum deprivation-induced loss of rat PASMCs survival and prevented annexin V binding, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, DNA nick end labeling and chromatin condensation. Although all these effects were suppressed after the cells were treated with cyclosporin A (a calcineurin/NFAT inhibitor), it aggravated the apoptosis induced by serum deprivation. Thus, all these results indicate that 15-HETE-mediated PASMCs anti-apoptosis in hypoxic PH via the Ca(2+)-NFATc3 pathway.