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Liu Q, Xie J, Zhou R, Deng J, Nie W, Sun S, Wang H, Shi C. A matrix metalloproteinase-responsive hydrogel system controls angiogenic peptide release for repair of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:503-517. [PMID: 38819063 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202502000-00028/figure1/v/2024-05-28T214302Z/r/image-tiff Vascular endothelial growth factor and its mimic peptide KLTWQELYQLKYKGI (QK) are widely used as the most potent angiogenic factors for the treatment of multiple ischemic diseases. However, conventional topical drug delivery often results in a burst release of the drug, leading to transient retention (inefficacy) and undesirable diffusion (toxicity) in vivo. Therefore, a drug delivery system that responds to changes in the microenvironment of tissue regeneration and controls vascular endothelial growth factor release is crucial to improve the treatment of ischemic stroke. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is gradually upregulated after cerebral ischemia. Herein, vascular endothelial growth factor mimic peptide QK was self-assembled with MMP-2-cleaved peptide PLGLAG (TIMP) and customizable peptide amphiphilic (PA) molecules to construct nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK. PA-TIMP-QK was found to control the delivery of QK by MMP-2 upregulation after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and had a similar biological activity with vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro. The results indicated that PA-TIMP-QK promoted neuronal survival, restored local blood circulation, reduced blood-brain barrier permeability, and restored motor function. These findings suggest that the self-assembling nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK may provide an intelligent drug delivery system that responds to the microenvironment and promotes regeneration and repair after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jianye Xie
- Department of General Practice, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Runxue Zhou
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jin Deng
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Weihong Nie
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Shuwei Sun
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Haiping Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chunying Shi
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
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Sun D, Wu L, Lan S, Chi X, Wu Z. β-asarone induces viability and angiogenesis and suppresses apoptosis of human vascular endothelial cells after ischemic stroke by upregulating vascular endothelial growth factor A. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17534. [PMID: 38948219 PMCID: PMC11214739 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Ischemic stroke (IS) is a disease with a high mortality and disability rate worldwide, and its incidence is increasing per year. Angiogenesis after IS improves blood supply to ischemic areas, accelerating neurological recovery. β-asarone has been reported to exhibit a significant protective effect against hypoxia injury. The ability of β-asarone to improve IS injury by inducing angiogenesis has not been distinctly clarified. The experimental rats were induced with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model cells were constructed using human microvascular endothelial cell line (HMEC-1) cells. Cerebral infarction and pathological damage were first determined via triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Then, cell viability, apoptosis, and angiogenesis were assessed by utilizing cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, spheroid-based angiogenesis, and tube formation assays in OGD HMEC-1 cells. Besides, angiogenesis and other related proteins were identified with western blot. The study confirms that β-asarone, like nimodipine, can ameliorate cerebral infarction and pathological damage. β-asarone can also upregulate vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and induce phosphorylation of p38. Besides, the study proves that β-asarone can protect against IS injury by increasing the expression of VEGFA. In vitro experiments affirmed that β-asarone can induce viability and suppress apoptosis in OGD-mediated HMEC-1 cells and promote angiogenesis of OGD HMEC-1 cells by upregulating VEGFA. This establishes the potential for β-asarone to be a latent drug for IS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhong Sun
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Rehabilitation, GuangDong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lulu Wu
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siyuan Lan
- School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiangfeng Chi
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Rehabilitation, GuangDong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhibing Wu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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Nathan J, Shameera R, Devarajan N, Perumal E. Role of berberine on angiogenesis and blood flow hemodynamics using zebrafish model. J Appl Toxicol 2024; 44:165-174. [PMID: 37615217 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4529] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenesis and hemodynamic instability created by the irregular blood vessels causes hypoperfusion and angiogenesis-mediated diseases. Therefore, therapies focusing on controlling angiogenesis will be a valuable approach to treat a broad spectrum of diseases. In this study, we explored the anti-angiogenic potential of berberine (BBR) and also analyzed blood flow hemodynamics using zebrafish embryos. Zebrafish embryos treated with BBR (0.01-0.75 mM) at various doses at 1 hour post-fertilization (hpf) developed a variety of phenotypic variations including aberrant blood vessels, tail bending, edema, and hemorrhage. Survival rates were much lower at higher dosages, and hatching rates were almost 99%, whereas control group appeared normal. Heart rate is an essential measure that has a strong association with hemodynamics. We used ImageJ software to study the heart rate of embryos treated with BBR, preceded by video processing. The resultant graph shows a significant decrease in heart rate of embryos treated with BBR in dose-dependent manner. Also, RBC staining using o-Dianisidine confirms the anti-angiogenic potential of BBR by indicating the decrease in the intersegmental vessels at 0.5 and 0.75 mM treated embryos. Further, the gene expression study determined that the transcripts (vegf, vegfr2, nrp1a, hif-1α, nos2a, nos2b, cox-2a, and cox-2b) measured were found to be downregulated by BBR at 0.5 mM concentration, from which we conclude that enos/vegf signaling could play an important role in modulating angiogenesis. Our data imply that BBR may be an effective compound for suppressing angiogenesis in vivo, which might be helpful in the treatment of vascular disorders like cancer and diabetic retinopathy in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhansi Nathan
- Zebrafish Developmental Biology Laboratory, AUKBC Research Centre for Emerging Technologies, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Rabiathul Shameera
- Zebrafish Developmental Biology Laboratory, AUKBC Research Centre for Emerging Technologies, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nalini Devarajan
- Central Research Laboratory, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (Deemed to be University), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Elumalai Perumal
- Centre for Transdisciplinary Research, Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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