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Silva I, Alípio C, Pinto R, Mateus V. Potential anti-inflammatory effect of erythropoietin in non-clinical studies in vivo: A systematic review. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 139:111558. [PMID: 33894624 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hypoxia-induced hormone produced in adult kidneys with erythropoietic and non-erythropoietic effects. In vivo studies represent an important role to comprehend the efficacy and safety in the early phase of repurposing drugs. The aim is to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory effect of EPO observed in animal models of disease. Following PRISMA statements, electronic database Medline via PubMed platform was used to search articles with the research expression ((erythropoietin [MeSH Terms]) AND (inflammation [MeSH Terms]) AND (disease models, animal [MeSH Terms])). The inclusion criteria were original articles, studies where EPO was administered, studies where inflammation was studied and/or evaluated, non-clinical studies in vivo with rodents, and articles published in English. Thirty-six articles met the criteria for qualitative analysis. Exogenous EPO was used in models of sepsis, traumatic brain injury, and autoimmune neuritis, with an average of 3000 IU/Kg for single and multiple doses, using mice and rats. Biomarkers such as immune-related effectors, cytokines, reactive oxygen species, prostaglandins, and other biomarkers were assessed. EPO has been recognized as a multifunctional cytokine with anti-inflammatory properties, showing its significant effect both in acute and chronic models of inflammation. Further non-clinical studies are suggested for the enlightenment of anti-inflammatory mechanisms of EPO in lower doses, allowing us to understand the translational data for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Silva
- H&TRC-Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL-Lisbon School of Health Technology, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; iMed.ULisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carolina Alípio
- H&TRC-Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL-Lisbon School of Health Technology, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rui Pinto
- iMed.ULisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; JCS, Dr. Joaquim Chaves, Laboratório de Análises Clínicas, Miraflores, 1495-069 Algés, Portugal
| | - Vanessa Mateus
- H&TRC-Health and Technology Research Center, ESTeSL-Lisbon School of Health Technology, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; iMed.ULisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Huang Y, Li SN, Zhou XY, Zhang LX, Chen GX, Wang TH, Xia QJ, Liang N, Zhang X. The Dual Role of AQP4 in Cytotoxic and Vasogenic Edema Following Spinal Cord Contusion and Its Possible Association With Energy Metabolism via COX5A. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:584. [PMID: 31258460 PMCID: PMC6587679 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord edema, mainly including vasogenic and cytotoxic edema, influences neurological outcome after spinal cord contusion (SCC). Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is the most ubiquitous water channel in the central nervous system (CNS), which is a rate-limiting factor in vasogenic edema expressing in brain injury, and it contributes to the formation of cytotoxic edema locating in astrocytes. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of AQP4 within vasogenic and cytotoxic edema in SCC, and whether the regulation mechanism of AQP4 is related to Cytochrome coxidase (COX5A) affecting energy metabolism. Therefore, the SCC model is established by Allen’s method, and the degree of edema and neuronal area is measured. The motor function of rats is evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring system. Meanwhile, AQP4 and COX5A are detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB). The localization of targeted protein is exhibited by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF). Additionally, the methodology of AQP4 lentivirus-mediated RNA interference (AQP4-RNAi) is used to reveal the effect on edema of SCC and the regulating molecular mechanism. Firstly, we observe that the tissue water content increases after SCC and decreases after the peak value of tissue water content at 3 days (P < 0.05) with abundant expression of AQP4 protein locating around vascular endothelial cells (VECs), which suggests that the increasing AQP4 promotes water reabsorption and improves vasogenic edema in the early stage of SCC. However, the neuronal area is larger than in the sham group in the 7 days (P < 0.05) with the total water content of spinal cord decrease. Meanwhile, AQP4 migrates from VECs to neuronal cytomembrane, which indicates that AQP4 plays a crucial role in aggravating the formation and development of cytotoxic edema in the middle stages of SCC. Secondly, AQP4-RNAi is used to elucidate the mechanism of AQP4 to edema of SCC. The neuronal area shrinks and the area of cytotoxic edema reduces after AQP4 downregulation. The BBB scores are significantly higher than in the vector group after AQP4-RNAi at 5, 7, and 14 (P < 0.05). There is a relationship between AQP4 and COX5A shown by bioinformatics analysis. After AQP4 inhibition, the expression of COX5A is significantly upregulated in the swelling astrocytes. Therefore, the inhibition of AQP4 expression reduces cytotoxic edema in SCC and improves motor function, which may be associated with upregulation of COX5A via affecting energy metabolism. Moreover, it is not clear how the inhibition of AQP4 directly causes the upregulation of COX5A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Huang
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Sheng-Nan Li
- Center for Experimental Technology of Preclinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiu-Ya Zhou
- Center for Experimental Technology of Preclinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | | | - Gang-Xian Chen
- Center for Experimental Technology of Preclinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting-Hua Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.,Institute of Neurological Diseases, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qing-Jie Xia
- Institute of Neurological Diseases, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Liang
- Center for Experimental Technology of Preclinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Center for Experimental Technology of Preclinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
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Zhou ZW, Li F, Zheng ZT, Li YD, Chen TH, Gao WW, Chen JL, Zhang JN. Erythropoietin regulates immune/inflammatory reaction and improves neurological function outcomes in traumatic brain injury. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00827. [PMID: 29201540 PMCID: PMC5698857 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of disability and death among young people in China. Unfortunately, no specific pharmacological agents to block the progression of secondary brain injury have been approved for clinical treatment. Recently, neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) have been demonstrated in addition to its principal function in erythropoiesis, and hence it is viewed as a potential drug for TBI. In this study, we have investigated the neuroprotective effects of EPO associated with immune/inflammatory modulation in a mouse experimental TBI model. METHODS EPO (5000 U/kg body weight, i.p.) was injected at 1 hr, 1, 2, and 3 days after TBI, and its effect on cognitive function, brain edema, immune/inflammatory cells including regulatory T cells (Tregs), neutrophils, CD3+ T cells, and microglia, cytokines including interleukin-10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were evaluated at different time points after treatment. RESULTS EPO treatment significantly decreased brain edema and improved cognitive function when compared to Saline-treated mice (p < .05). EPO treatment also significantly increased Tregs level in spleen and injured brain tissue as well as significantly reduced the infiltration and activation of immune/inflammatory cells (neutrophils, CD3+T cells, and microglia) in the injured hemisphere compared to Saline-treated control animals (p < .05). In addition, ELISA analysis demonstrated that EPO treatment increased the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, but decreased the expression of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β and TNF-α in the injured brain tissue (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that EPO could improve neurological and cognitive functional outcomes as well as regulate immune/inflammatory reaction in TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Wei Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Heping District Tianjin China.,Tianjin Neurological Institute Tianjin China.,Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System Ministry of Education Heping District Tianjin China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System Heping District Tianjin China
| | - Fei Li
- Department of Neurosurgery Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Heping District Tianjin China
| | - Zhi-Tong Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Heping District Tianjin China
| | - Ya-Dan Li
- Intensive Care Units Tianjin Huanhu Hospital Tianjin China
| | - Tong-Heng Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery The Second Hospital Tianjin Medical University Hexi District Tianjin China
| | - Wei-Wei Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Heping District Tianjin China.,Tianjin Neurological Institute Tianjin China.,Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System Ministry of Education Heping District Tianjin China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System Heping District Tianjin China
| | - Jie-Li Chen
- Department of Neurology Henry Ford Hospital Detroit MI USA
| | - Jian-Ning Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Heping District Tianjin China.,Tianjin Neurological Institute Tianjin China.,Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System Ministry of Education Heping District Tianjin China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System Heping District Tianjin China
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Zhiyuan Q, Qingyong L, Shengming H, Hui M. Protective effect of rhEPO on tight junctions of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells early following traumatic brain injury in rats. Brain Inj 2016; 30:462-7. [DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2015.1080386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Maiese K, Chong ZZ, Shang YC, Hou J. Novel avenues of drug discovery and biomarkers for diabetes mellitus. J Clin Pharmacol 2011; 51:128-52. [PMID: 20220043 PMCID: PMC3033756 DOI: 10.1177/0091270010362904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Globally, developed nations spend a significant amount of their resources on health care initiatives that poorly translate into increased population life expectancy. As an example, the United States devotes 16% of its gross domestic product to health care, the highest level in the world, but falls behind other nations that enjoy greater individual life expectancy. These observations point to the need for pioneering avenues of drug discovery to increase life span with controlled costs. In particular, innovative drug development for metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus becomes increasingly critical given that the number of diabetic people will increase exponentially over the next 20 years. This article discusses the elucidation and targeting of novel cellular pathways that are intimately tied to oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus for new treatment strategies. Pathways that involve wingless, β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) precursors, and cytokines govern complex biological pathways that determine both cell survival and longevity during diabetes mellitus and its complications. Furthermore, the role of these entities as biomarkers for disease can further enhance their utility irrespective of their treatment potential. Greater understanding of the intricacies of these unique cellular mechanisms will shape future drug discovery for diabetes mellitus to provide focused clinical care with limited or absent long-term complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Maiese
- Department of Neurology, 8C-1 UHC, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4201 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
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Sargin D, Friedrichs H, El-Kordi A, Ehrenreich H. Erythropoietin as neuroprotective and neuroregenerative treatment strategy: comprehensive overview of 12 years of preclinical and clinical research. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol 2010; 24:573-94. [PMID: 21619868 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpa.2010.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2010] [Accepted: 10/11/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Erythropoietin (EPO), originally discovered as hematopoietic growth factor, has direct effects on cells of the nervous system that make it a highly attractive candidate drug for neuroprotection/neuroregeneration. Hardly any other compound has led to so much preclinical work in the field of translational neuroscience than EPO. Almost all of the >180 preclinical studies performed by many independent research groups from all over the world in the last 12 years have yielded positive results on EPO as a neuroprotective drug. The fact that EPO was approved for the treatment of anemia >20 years ago and found to be well tolerated and safe, facilitated the first steps of translation from preclinical findings to the clinic. On the other hand, the same fact, naturally associated with loss of patent protection, hindered to develop EPO as a highly promising therapeutic strategy for application in human brain disease. Therefore, only few clinical neuroprotection studies have been concluded, all with essentially positive and stimulating results, but no further development towards the clinic has occurred thus far. This article reviews the preclinical and clinical work on EPO for the indications neuroprotection/neuroregeneration and cognition, and hopefully will stimulate new endeavours promoting development of EPO for the treatment of human brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derya Sargin
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein Str. 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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Xiong Y, Mahmood A, Meng Y, Zhang Y, Qu C, Schallert T, Chopp M. Delayed administration of erythropoietin reducing hippocampal cell loss, enhancing angiogenesis and neurogenesis, and improving functional outcome following traumatic brain injury in rats: comparison of treatment with single and triple dose. J Neurosurg 2010; 113:598-608. [PMID: 19817538 DOI: 10.3171/2009.9.jns09844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECT This efficacy study was designed to investigate traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats treated with delayed erythropoietin (EPO) administered in a single dose compared with a triple dose. METHODS Young adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following groups: 1) sham group (6 animals); 2) TBI/saline group (6 animals); 3) TBI/EPOx1 group (6 animals); and 4) TBI/EPOx3 group (7 animals). Traumatic brain injury was induced by controlled cortical impact over the left parietal cortex. Erythropoietin (5000 U/kg) or saline was administered intraperitoneally on Day 1 (EPOx1 group) or on Days 1, 2, and 3 (EPOx3 group) postinjury. Neurological function was assessed using a modified neurological severity score, foot-fault, and Morris water maze tests. Animals were killed 35 days after injury and brain sections were stained for immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Compared with the saline treatment, EPO treatment in both the EPOx1 and EPOx3 groups significantly reduced hippocampal cell loss, enhanced angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the injured cortex and hippocampus, and significantly improved neurological functional outcome. The EPOx3 group exhibited significantly improved functional and histological outcomes compared with the EPOx1 group. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that delayed posttraumatic administration of EPO significantly improved histological and long-term functional outcomes in rats after TBI. The triple doses of delayed EPO treatment produced better histological and functional outcomes in rats, although a single dose provided substantial benefits compared with saline treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Xiong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA.
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Bian XX, Yuan XS, Qi CP. Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on serum S100B protein and interleukin-6 levels after traumatic brain injury in the rat. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2010; 50:361-6. [PMID: 20505289 DOI: 10.2176/nmc.50.361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin (EPO) has a neuroprotective effect in the animal model of ischemia/hypoxia, but the mechanisms underlying the EPO effect in traumatic brain injury (TBI) are not well understood. This study examined the potential neuroprotective mechanisms of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) in rats after TBI. Sixty healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: 1000 U/kg rhEPO-treated, 3000 U/kg rhEPO-treated, 5000 U/kg rhEPO-treated, citicoline, and normal saline (control) groups. The TBI model was based on the modified Feeney's free falling model. Serum samples were collected at 6 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days after trauma. The serum S100B protein and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured after treatment in each group with double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Both serum S100B protein and IL-6 levels were significantly lower in 3000 U/kg rhEPO-treated and 5000 U/kg rhEPO-treated groups (p < 0.001). The decrease in serum S100B protein level was correlated with the dosage of rhEPO. Medium doses of rhEPO achieved the optimum decreases in the serum IL-6 level. Therefore, inhibition of the composition and secretion of S100B protein and IL-6 levels by EPO might be one of the mechanisms involved in decreasing inflammatory reaction in the brain, and may be responsible for the neuroprotective effect after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-xing Bian
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Wujin Hospital of Jiangsu University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, P.R.C.
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Maiese K, Shang YC, Chong ZZ, Hou J. Diabetes mellitus: channeling care through cellular discovery. Curr Neurovasc Res 2010; 7:59-64. [PMID: 20158461 DOI: 10.2174/156720210790820217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 12/29/2009] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) impacts a significant portion of the world's population and care for this disorder places an economic burden on the gross domestic product for any particular country. Furthermore, both Type 1 and Type 2 DM are becoming increasingly prevalent and there is increased incidence of impaired glucose tolerance in the young. The complications of DM are protean and can involve multiple systems throughout the body that are susceptible to the detrimental effects of oxidative stress and apoptotic cell injury. For these reasons, innovative strategies are necessary for the implementation of new treatments for DM that are generated through the further understanding of cellular pathways that govern the pathological consequences of DM. In particular, both the precursor for the coenzyme beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)), nicotinamide, and the growth factor erythropoietin offer novel platforms for drug discovery that involve cellular metabolic homeostasis and inflammatory cell control. Interestingly, these agents and their tightly associated pathways that consist of cell cycle regulation, protein kinase B, forkhead transcription factors, and Wnt signaling also function in a broader sense as biomarkers for disease onset and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Maiese
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Cerebral Ischemia, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
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Krügel K, Wurm A, Linnertz R, Pannicke T, Wiedemann P, Reichenbach A, Bringmann A. Erythropoietin inhibits osmotic swelling of retinal glial cells by Janus kinase- and extracellular signal-regulated kinases1/2-mediated release of vascular endothelial growth factor. Neuroscience 2010; 165:1147-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2009] [Revised: 11/11/2009] [Accepted: 11/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Oxidative stress: Biomarkers and novel therapeutic pathways. Exp Gerontol 2010; 45:217-34. [PMID: 20064603 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2010.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2009] [Revised: 12/28/2009] [Accepted: 01/07/2010] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress significantly impacts multiple cellular pathways that can lead to the initiation and progression of varied disorders throughout the body. It therefore becomes imperative to elucidate the components and function of novel therapeutic strategies against oxidative stress to further clinical diagnosis and care. In particular, both the growth factor and cytokine erythropoietin (EPO) and members of the mammalian forkhead transcription factors of the O class (FoxOs) may offer the greatest promise for new treatment regimens since these agents and the cellular pathways they oversee cover a range of critical functions that directly influence progenitor cell development, cell survival and degeneration, metabolism, immune function, and cancer cell invasion. Furthermore, both EPO and FoxOs function not only as therapeutic targets, but also as biomarkers of disease onset and progression, since their cellular pathways are closely linked and overlap with several unique signal transduction pathways. However, biological outcome with EPO and FoxOs may sometimes be both unexpected and undesirable that can raise caution for these agents and warrant further investigations. Here we present the exciting as well as complicated role EPO and FoxOs possess to uncover the benefits as well as the risks of these agents for cell biology and clinical care in processes that range from stem cell development to uncontrolled cellular proliferation.
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Nonerythropoietic, tissue-protective peptides derived from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:10925-30. [PMID: 18676614 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0805594105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin (EPO), a member of the type 1 cytokine superfamily, plays a critical hormonal role regulating erythrocyte production as well as a paracrine/autocrine role in which locally produced EPO protects a wide variety of tissues from diverse injuries. Significantly, these functions are mediated by distinct receptors: hematopoiesis via the EPO receptor homodimer and tissue protection via a heterocomplex composed of the EPO receptor and CD131, the beta common receptor. In the present work, we have delimited tissue-protective domains within EPO to short peptide sequences. We demonstrate that helix B (amino acid residues 58-82) of EPO, which faces the aqueous medium when EPO is bound to the receptor homodimer, is both neuroprotective in vitro and tissue protective in vivo in a variety of models, including ischemic stroke, diabetes-induced retinal edema, and peripheral nerve trauma. Remarkably, an 11-aa peptide composed of adjacent amino acids forming the aqueous face of helix B is also tissue protective, as confirmed by its therapeutic benefit in models of ischemic stroke and renal ischemia-reperfusion. Further, this peptide simulating the aqueous surface of helix B also exhibits EPO's trophic effects by accelerating wound healing and augmenting cognitive function in rodents. As anticipated, neither helix B nor the 11-aa peptide is erythropoietic in vitro or in vivo. Thus, the tissue-protective activities of EPO are mimicked by small, nonerythropoietic peptides that simulate a portion of EPO's three-dimensional structure.
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