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Xiong J, Wang Z, Bai J, Cheng K, Liu Q, Ni J. Calcitonin gene-related peptide: a potential protective agent in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1184766. [PMID: 37529236 PMCID: PMC10387546 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1184766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of cerebrovascular disease with high disability and mortality rates, which severely burdens patients, their families, and society. At present, thrombolytic therapy is mainly used for the treatment of ischemic strokes. Even though it can achieve a good effect, thrombolytic recanalization can cause reperfusion injury. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide that plays a neuroprotective role in the process of ischemia-reperfusion injury. By combining with its specific receptors, CGRP can induce vasodilation of local cerebral ischemia by directly activating the cAMP-PKA pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells and by indirectly activating the NO-cGMP pathway in an endothelial cell-dependent manner,thus rapidly increasing ischemic local blood flow together with reperfusion. CGRP, as a key effector molecule of neurogenic inflammation, can reduce the activation of microglia, downregulates Th1 classical inflammation, and reduce the production of TNF-α, IL-2, and IFN-γ and the innate immune response of macrophages, leading to the reduction of inflammatory factors. CGRP can reduce the overexpression of the aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) protein and its mRNA in the cerebral ischemic junction, and play a role in reducing cerebral edema. CGRP can protect endothelial cells from angiotensin II by reducing the production of oxidants and protecting antioxidant defense. Furthermore, CGRP-upregulated eNOS can further induce VEGF expression, which then promotes the survival and angiogenesis of vascular endothelial cells. CGRP can also reduce apoptosis by promoting the expression of Bcl-2 and inhibiting the expression of caspase-3. These effects suggest that CGRP can reduce brain injury and repair damaged nerve function. In this review, we focused on the role of CGRP in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xiong
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zhiyong Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Junhui Bai
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Keling Cheng
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Qicai Liu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jun Ni
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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2
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Myronenko O, Foris V, Crnkovic S, Olschewski A, Rocha S, Nicolls MR, Olschewski H. Endotyping COPD: hypoxia-inducible factor-2 as a molecular "switch" between the vascular and airway phenotypes? Eur Respir Rev 2023; 32:220173. [PMID: 36631133 PMCID: PMC9879331 DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0173-2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
COPD is a heterogeneous disease with multiple clinical phenotypes. COPD endotypes can be determined by different expressions of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which, in combination with individual susceptibility and environmental factors, may cause predominant airway or vascular changes in the lung. The pulmonary vascular phenotype is relatively rare among COPD patients and characterised by out-of-proportion pulmonary hypertension (PH) and low diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, but only mild-to-moderate airway obstruction. Its histologic feature, severe remodelling of the small pulmonary arteries, can be mediated by HIF-2 overexpression in experimental PH models. HIF-2 is not only involved in the vascular remodelling but also in the parenchyma destruction. Endothelial cells from human emphysema lungs express reduced HIF-2α levels, and the deletion of pulmonary endothelial Hif-2α leads to emphysema in mice. This means that both upregulation and downregulation of HIF-2 have adverse effects and that HIF-2 may represent a molecular "switch" between the development of the vascular and airway phenotypes in COPD. The mechanisms of HIF-2 dysregulation in the lung are only partly understood. HIF-2 levels may be controlled by NAD(P)H oxidases via iron- and redox-dependent mechanisms. A better understanding of these mechanisms may lead to the development of new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleh Myronenko
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Vasile Foris
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, Graz, Austria
| | - Slaven Crnkovic
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, Graz, Austria
- Division of Physiology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Andrea Olschewski
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, Graz, Austria
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Sonia Rocha
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Cell Signalling, Institute of Systems, Molecular, and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mark R Nicolls
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Horst Olschewski
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, Graz, Austria
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3
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Liu Y, Wang J, Jiang M, Li X, Zhang Q, He H. Osteoinductive hybrid hydrogel membranes for in situ bone regeneration in hyperglycemia. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 214:112450. [PMID: 35287069 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In hyperglycemia patients, suffering from insufficient vascularization and vascular network lesion, tissue regeneration, such as bone repair, is limited and maybe delayed by the secondary injury and hyperglycemic microenvironment. Typically, dental therapies involving guided bone regeneration is facing a difficult condition in the patients with diabetes. In this study, a hybrid membrane was endowed with biomimetic function to create an angiogenesis-inductive microenvironment by calcium ion release to overcome the limitations of bone tissue regeneration in diabetic patients. Biomineralized calcium resource was Janus-structured onto the surface of hybrid hydrogel by layer-by-layer technique to enhance vascularization and improve the bone regeneration in this study. The release of calcium ions from mineralized phases was controlled by the solubility of inorganic phases and the degradation of gels, promoting HIF-1α expression and creating a key role in angiogenesis stimulation. With highly enhanced calcium signaling and blood vessel formation, the hybrid hydrogel membranes improved the recruitment, proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitors, confirmed by the enhancement of microvascular regeneration and new bone formation in the critical-sized calvarial defect in diabetic model in vivo. Our study demonstrates a translational potential of hybrid hydrogels engineered with inorganic minerals for orthopedic applications in hyperglycemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanda Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; The State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueyan Li
- Department of stomatology, Eye & Ent Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinghao Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongyan He
- Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Zhu S, Zidan A, Pang K, Musayeva A, Kang Q, Yin J. Promotion of corneal angiogenesis by sensory neuron-derived calcitonin gene-related peptide. Exp Eye Res 2022; 220:109125. [PMID: 35618042 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The normal cornea has no blood vessels but has abundant innervation. There is emerging evidence that sensory nerves, originated from the trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons, play a key role in corneal angiogenesis. In the current study, we examined the role of TG sensory neuron-derived calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in promoting corneal neovascularization (CNV). We found that CGRP was expressed in the TG and cultured TG neurons. In the cornea, minimal CGRP mRNA was detected and CGRP immunohistochemical staining was exclusively co-localized with corneal nerves, suggesting corneal nerves are likely the source of CGRP in the cornea. In response to intrastromal suture placement and neovascularization in the cornea, CGRP expression was increased in the TG. In addition, we showed that CGRP was potently pro-angiogenic, leading to vascular endothelial cell (VEC) proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro and corneal hemangiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in vivo. In a co-culture system of TG neurons and VEC, blocking CGRP signaling in the conditioned media of TG neurons led to decreased VEC migration and tube formation. More importantly, subconjunctival injection of a CGRP antagonist CGRP8-37 reduced suture-induced corneal hemangiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in vivo. Taken together, our data suggest that TG sensory neuron and corneal nerve-derived CGRP promotes corneal angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi, China; Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Asmaa Zidan
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kunpeng Pang
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aytan Musayeva
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qianyan Kang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi, China
| | - Jia Yin
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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5
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Lv K, Kong L, Yang M, Zhang L, Chu S, Zhang L, Yu J, Zhong G, Shi Y, Wang X, Yang N. An ApoA-I Mimic Peptide of 4F Promotes SDF-1α Expression in Endothelial Cells Through PI3K/Akt/ERK/HIF-1α Signaling Pathway. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:760908. [PMID: 35111045 PMCID: PMC8801807 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.760908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis (AS) seriously impairs the health of human beings and is manifested initially as endothelial cells (ECs) impairment and dysfunction in vascular intima, which can be alleviated through mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) induced by stromal-cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α). A strong inverse correlation between HDL and AS has been proposed. The aim of the present work is to investigate whether 4F, an apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I, major component protein of HDL) mimic peptide, can upregulate SDF-1α in mice and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the underlying mechanism. The protein levels of SDF-1α were measured by ELISA assay. Protein levels of HIF-1α, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) were evaluated by Western blotting analysis. The results show that L-4F significantly upregulates protein levels of HIF-1α, Akt, and ERK, which can be inhibited by the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, or ERK inhibitor, PD98059, respectively. Particularly, LY294002 can downregulate the levels of p-ERK, while PD98059 cannot suppress that of p-Akt. D-4F can upregulate the levels of HIF, p-Akt, and p-ERK in the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava from mice. These results suggest that 4F promotes SDF-1α expression in ECs through PI3K/Akt/ERK/HIF-1α signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixuan Lv
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Lingyu Kong
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Mei Yang
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Shangmin Chu
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Lichun Zhang
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Jielun Yu
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.,Medical Laboratory Animal Center, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.,Weifang Key Laboratory of Animal Model Research on Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Weifang, China
| | - Guoshen Zhong
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Yanhua Shi
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Weifang Key Laboratory of Animal Model Research on Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Weifang, China.,School of Public Health and Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Nana Yang
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.,Medical Laboratory Animal Center, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.,Weifang Key Laboratory of Animal Model Research on Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Weifang, China
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6
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1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 promotes angiogenesis by alleviating AGEs-induced autophagy. Arch Biochem Biophys 2021; 712:109041. [PMID: 34560065 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2021.109041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) induces abnormal angiogenesis and results in multiple chronic vascular complications. Previous studies showed that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) up-regulated in diabetic patients and induced a series of cellular effects such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and autophagy. 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D), a hormonal form of vitamin D, proved to be beneficial for vascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanism of 1,25D in angiogenesis in DM remains unclear. Using CCK8 assay and transwell assay, we found that 1,25D could partly ameliorate impaired proliferation and migration ability of endothelial cells (ECs) induced by AGEs (200 μg/mL). Furthermore, tube formation assay, Western blot, and real-time qPCR assay were conducted to demonstrate that AGEs impaired angiogenetic ability, and that angiogenesis-related gene expression (i.e., VEGFA, VEGFB, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, TGFβ1, MMP2, MMP9) in ECs and 1,25D could promote angiogenesis and angiogenetic markers expression. By using DCFH-DA, ELISA, and Western blot assay, we also found that AGEs-induced oxidative stress impaired angiogenic ability of ECs, and 1,25D alleviated angiogenesis dysfunction by inhibiting oxidative stress. Of note, AGEs-induced excessive autophagy was found to impair angiogenesis. We elucidated that the detrimental autophagy is modulated by 1,25D and AGEs via PI3K/Akt pathway. Observed together, our findings illustrated that AGEs-induced oxidative stress and autophagy resulted in angiogenic disorder and 1,25D improved angiogenesis by restraining excessive autophagy and oxidative stress, providing a novel insight for the treatment of vascular complications in DM.
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7
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Wang L, Wang L, Wang S, Zhou Z, Liu Z, Xu P, Luo X, Wu T, Luo F, Yan J. N2E4, a Monoclonal Antibody Targeting Neuropilin-2, Inhibits Tumor Growth and Metastasis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma via Suppressing FAK/Erk/HIF-1α Signaling. Front Oncol 2021; 11:657008. [PMID: 34336654 PMCID: PMC8319910 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.657008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with extremely limited treatment; the effective targeting strategy stays an urgent unmet need. Neuropilin-2 (NRP2), a multifunctional transmembrane non-tyrosine-kinase glycoprotein, enhances various signal transduction pathways to modulate cancer progression. However, the application value of NRP2 as a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer is still unclear. Here, we detected the elevated NRP2 was associated with the poor prognosis of pancreas carcinoma. The mouse monoclonal antibody targeting NRP2 (N2E4) that could specifically bind to PDAC cells was developed. Moreover, N2E4 inhibits PDAC proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and repressed growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, the effect of N2E4 was mainly related to the blocking of interaction between NRP2 with integrinβ1 to inhibit FAK/Erk/HIF-1a/VEGF signaling. Therefore, N2E4 has the potential for targeting therapy of PDAC. This study lays a foundation for the future development of NRP2-based targeted therapy for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Lanlan Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Shengyu Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zonglang Zhou
- The 174th Clinical College of People's Liberation Army, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zongjunlin Liu
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Peilan Xu
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xian Luo
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ting Wu
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Fanghong Luo
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jianghua Yan
- Cancer Research Center, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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Abstract
Transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cation channel, that is mainly distributed in sensory nerve endings and can release a variety of neurotransmitters after activation. Early studies showed that it mainly conducts pain sensation, but research has demonstrated that it also plays an important role in cardiovascular diseases. Notably, in atherosclerosis, the activation of TRPV1 can regulate lipid metabolism, reduce foam cell formation, protect endothelial cells, inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation and inhibit inflammation and oxidation. In this review, the role of the TRPV1 channel in atherosclerosis was discussed to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.,Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Qingdao University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lifang Ye
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Qingdao University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qinggang Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Qingdao University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fei Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Qingdao University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lihong Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Qingdao University, Hangzhou, China
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9
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Xu X, Meng T, Wen Q, Tao M, Wang P, Zhong K, Shen Y. Dynamic changes in vascular size and density in transgenic mice with Alzheimer's disease. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:17224-17234. [PMID: 32908022 PMCID: PMC7521516 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we used vessel size imaging to investigate the specific microvascular changes and most susceptible brain regions during AD progression in an amyloid precursor protein 23 (APP23) transgenic AD mouse model. Using 9.4 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the values of microvascular density (Density), mean vessel diameter (mVD), and vessel size index (VSI) were compared between APP23 and wild-type (WT) mice at 3, 6, 9, 14, and 20 months of age. Our results demonstrate that in 20-month old APP23 and WT mice, the Density values were significantly decreased, while the vascular dilatation and diameter had increased. However, a transient increase in the cortex Density at 14-months was observed in APP23 mice. Additionally, our results suggest that the hippocampus is the susceptible brain region affected by the abnormal microvascular angiogenesis during the early stages of AD. Together, our findings indicate that vessel size imaging using MRI can provide novel biomarkers for the early detection of AD, and for monitoring the effects of vascular-targeted therapeutics in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Xu
- Institute on Aging and Brain Disorders, First University Affiliated Hospital, Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, Division of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei Material Science National Laboratory at Microscale, CAS-Key Laboratory of Brain Functions and Brain Disorders, Center for Excellent in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Hefei, China,Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tong Meng
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingqing Wen
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mengling Tao
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peijun Wang
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China,School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Zhong
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China,Key Laboratory of Anhui Province for High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hefei, China,Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Shen
- Institute on Aging and Brain Disorders, First University Affiliated Hospital, Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, Division of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei Material Science National Laboratory at Microscale, CAS-Key Laboratory of Brain Functions and Brain Disorders, Center for Excellent in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Hefei, China
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