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Wu X, Chen Y, Kreutz A, Silver B, Tokar EJ. Pluripotent stem cells for target organ developmental toxicity testing. Toxicol Sci 2024; 199:163-171. [PMID: 38547390 PMCID: PMC11131012 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfae037] [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] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Prenatal developmental toxicity research focuses on understanding the potential adverse effects of environmental agents, drugs, and chemicals on the development of embryos and fetuses. Traditional methods involve animal testing, but ethical concerns and the need for human-relevant models have prompted the exploration of alternatives. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are versatile cells with the unique ability to differentiate into any cell type, serving as a foundational tool for studying human development. Two-dimensional (2D) PSC models are often chosen for their ease of use and reproducibility for high-throughput screening. However, they lack the complexity of an in vivo environment. Alternatively, three-dimensional (3D) PSC models, such as organoids, offer tissue architecture and intercellular communication more reminiscent of in vivo conditions. However, they are complicated to produce and analyze, usually requiring advanced and expensive techniques. This review discusses recent advances in the use of human PSCs differentiated into brain and heart lineages and emerging tools and methods that can be combined with PSCs to help address important scientific questions in the area of developmental toxicology. These advancements and new approach methods align with the push for more relevant and predictive developmental toxicity assessment, combining innovative techniques with organoid models to advance regulatory decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Wu
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27834, USA
| | - Yichang Chen
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Anna Kreutz
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
- Inotiv, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27560, USA
| | - Brian Silver
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Erik J Tokar
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
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Wu X, Chen Y, Luz A, Hu G, Tokar EJ. Cardiac Development in the Presence of Cadmium: An in Vitro Study Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Cardiac Organoids. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:117002. [PMID: 36321828 PMCID: PMC9628677 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to cadmium (Cd) is associated with cardiovascular diseases. Maternal Cd exposure is a significant risk factor for congenital heart disease. However, mechanisms of Cd on developmental cardiotoxicity are not well defined. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the effects of Cd on the different stages (mesoderm, cardiac induction, cardiac function) of cardiac development using an early embryo development in vitro model and two- or three-dimensional (2- or 3D) cardiomyocyte and cardiac organoid formation models mimicking early cardiac development. METHODS Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) form 3D aggregates, called embryoid bodies, that recapitulate events involved with early embryogenesis (e.g., germ layer formation). This model was used for early germ layer formation and signaling pathway identification. The 2D cardiomyocyte differentiation from the NKX2-5eGFP/w human ESCs model was used to explore the effects of Cd exposure on cardiomyocyte formation and to model mesoderm differentiation and cardiac induction, allowing us to explore different developmental windows of Cd toxicity. The 3D cardiac organoid model was used in evaluating the effects of Cd exposure on contractility and cardiac development. RESULTS Cd (0.6μM; 110 ppb) lowered the differentiation of embryoid bodies to mesoderm via suppression of Wnt/β-catenin-signaling pathways. During early mesoderm induction, the mesoderm-associated transcription factors MESP1 and EOMES showed a transient up-regulation, which decreased later in the cardiac induction stage. Cd (0.15μM) lowered mesoderm formation and cardiac induction through suppression of the transcription factors and mesoderm marker genes HAND1, SNAI2, HOPX, and the cardiac-specific genes NKX2-5, GATA4, troponin T, and alpha-actinin. In addition, Cd-induced histone modifications for both gene activation (H3K4me3) and repression (H3K27me3), which play vital roles in regulating mesoderm commitment markers. The effects of Cd inhibition on cardiomyocyte differentiation were confirmed in 3D cardiac organoids. DISCUSSION In conclusion, using a human ESC-derived 2D/3D in vitro differentiation model system and cardiac organoids, we demonstrated that low-dose Cd suppressed mesoderm formation through mesoderm gene histone modification, thus inhibiting cardiomyocyte differentiation and cardiac induction. The studies provide valuable insights into cellular events and molecular mechanisms associated with Cd-induced congenital heart disease. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11208.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Wu
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yichang Chen
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anthony Luz
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Guang Hu
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Division of Intramural Research, NIEHS, NIH, DHHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Erik J. Tokar
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Silva T, Silva AN, Serafim Y, Silva Júnior V, Lima E. Behavioral and structural changes in the hippocampus of wistar epileptic rats are minimized by acupuncture associated or not with phenobarbital. ARQ BRAS MED VET ZOO 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4162-12391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to analyze the behavior and histopathological changes in the hippocampus of epileptic Wistar rats treated with acupuncture associated or not with phenobarbital. The experiment used 44 male rats with 90 days of birth, induced to status epileptics with pilocarpine hydrochloride in a single dose of 350mg/kg, separated into treatment groups and submitted for 5 minutes to the elevated plus-maze test. Group 1 received 0.2mL of saline solution orally; Group 2 treated with acupuncture at the yintang, baihui, shishencong, jizhong, naohu, thianzu points; Group 3 received orally phenobarbital, daily dose of 20mg/kg; Group 4 treated with an association of acupuncture and oral phenobarbital; Group 5 random needling. The results obtained showed that Groups 2 (acupuncture) and 4 (acupuncture and phenobarbital) presented decreased anxiety, epileptic seizures, and neuronal death in the CA1, CA3 areas of the hippocampus when compared to animals in groups 1, 3 and 5. It is concluded that the association of phenobarbital and acupuncture points used in the experiment allowed for the control of epileptic seizures, reduction of anxiety and reduction of lesions in the subareas of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.C.C. Silva
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - E.R. Lima
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil
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Philbrook NA, Nikolovska A, Maciver RD, Belanger CL, Winn LM. Characterizing the effects of in utero exposure to valproic acid on murine fetal heart development. Birth Defects Res 2019; 111:1551-1560. [PMID: 31661193 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, the use of the antiepileptic drug valproic acid (VPA) for the treatment of psychiatric conditions has been on the rise. However, studies have shown that in utero VPA exposure can affect embryonic development, including being associated with congenital heart defects. One proposed mechanism of VPA-initiated teratogenicity is the inhibition of histone deacetylase, which is involved in the regulation of transcription factors that regulate cardiogenesis. Myocyte enhancing factor 2C (Mef2c), a transcription factor involved in the development of cardiac structure and cardiomyocyte differentiation, has been shown to increase in response to in utero VPA exposure, associating with contractile dysfunction and myocardial disorganization. METHODS To characterize the effects of VPA on murine heart development, pregnant CD-1 mice were dosed with 400 mg/kg of VPA on gestational day (GD) 9. Using high-resolution ultrasound, we examined the effects of VPA on cardiac contractile function on GD 14-18, with fetal hearts being harvested on GD 19 for histological analysis. Lastly, we conducted quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure the relative Mef2c gene expression in GD 16 murine hearts. RESULTS We observed structural anomalies at GD 19 in the hearts of VPA-treated mice. Additionally, our results showed alterations in measures of cardiac contractility, with a decrease or increase in cardiac contractile ability in VPA-treated mice depending on the GD and measurement taken. CONCLUSIONS These results further characterize the effects of VPA on heart development and suggest that alterations in Mef2c gene expression, at least on GD 16, do not mediate VPA-induced cardiotoxicity in CD-1 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Louise M Winn
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Similar Safety Profile of the Enantiomeric N-Aminoalkyl Derivatives of Trans-2-Aminocyclohexan-1-ol Demonstrating Anticonvulsant Activity. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24132505. [PMID: 31323993 PMCID: PMC6651381 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24132505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorder in the world. Many antiepileptic drugs cause multiple adverse effects. Moreover, multidrug resistance is a serious problem in epilepsy treatment. In the present study we evaluated the safety profile of three (1–3) new chiral N-aminoalkyl derivatives of trans-2-aminocyclohexan-1-ol demonstrating anticonvulsant activity. Our aim was also to determine differences between the enantiomeric compounds with respect to their safety profile. The results of the study indicated that compounds 1–3 are non-cytotoxic for astrocytes, although they exhibit cytotoxic activity against human glioblastoma cells. Moreover, 1–3 did not affect the viability of HepG2 cells and did not produce adducts with glutathione. Compounds 1–3 demonstrated no mutagenic activity either in the Salmonella typhimurium or in Vibrio harveyi tests. Additionally, the compounds displayed a strong or moderate antimutagenic effect. Finally, the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) ATPase assay demonstrated that both enantiomers are potent P-gp inhibitors. To sum up, our results indicate that the newly synthesized derivatives may be considered promising candidates for further research on anticonvulsant drug discovery and development. Our study indicated the similar safety profile of the enantiomeric N-aminoalkyl derivatives of trans-2-aminocyclohexan-1-ol, although in the previous studies both enantiomers differ in their biotransformation pathways and pharmacological activity.
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[Mutagenicity, genotoxicity and gene expression of Rad51C, Xiap, P53 and Nrf2 induced by antimalarial extracts of plants collected from the middle Vaupés region, Colombia]. BIOMEDICA 2017; 37:378-389. [PMID: 28968015 DOI: 10.7705/biomedica.v37i3.3239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Due to Plasmodium resistance to antimalarial drugs, it is important to find new therapeutic alternatives for malaria treatment and control. Based on the knowledge of Colombian indigenous communities, we collected extracts of plants with potential antimalarial effects from the middle Vaupés region. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the mutagenic and genotoxic effects, as well as the gene expression of Rad51C, Xiap, P53 and Nrf2 induced by four ethanolic extracts with antimalarial activity (R001, T002, T015 and T028). MATERIALS AND METHODS We evaluated four ethanolic extracts with antimalarial activity using the Ames test to assess mutagenicity, and the comet assay on HepG2 cells to determine the genotoxicicity. We also evaluated the expression of Rad51C, Xiap, P53 and Nrf2 from HepG2 cells stimulated with the four extracts. RESULTS None of the four extracts was mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 strain in the presence and absence of S9 metabolic activity. Extracts R001, T015 and T028 were weakly mutagenic on the TA100 strain in the presence of S9, with mutagenic indexes (MI) of 1.58, 1.53 and 1.61, respectively. The T015 strain showed the same behavior without S9 with an MI of 1.36. The results of the comet assay showed that the four extracts produced category 1 or 2 damage, with comets between 36.7 and 51.48 μm in length. However, the genetic damage index suggested that most of the cells were affected by the treatments. Regarding gene expression, extracts R001 and T028 induced an overexpression of genes Xiap and P53 with an 1.84 to 3.99 fold-change compared with untreated cells. CONCLUSIONS These results revealed that the T002 extract was the safest as it had antimalarial activity and was not cytotoxic on HepG2 cells. Moreover, it was not mutagenic and it only produced category 1 damage on the DNA. Also, the extract did not induce a change in the expression of the tested genes.
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Kobayashi K, Suzuki N, Higashi K, Muroi A, Le Coz F, Nagahori H, Saito K. Editor's Highlight: Development of Novel Neural Embryonic Stem CellTests for High-Throughput Screening of Embryotoxic Chemicals. Toxicol Sci 2017; 159:238-250. [PMID: 28903496 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a great demand for appropriate alternative methods to rapidly evaluate the developmental and reproductive toxicity of a wide variety of chemicals. We used the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) into cardiomyocytes as a basis for establishing a rapid and highly reproducible invitro embryotoxicity test known as the Hand1-Luc Embryonic Stem Cell Test (Hand1-Luc EST). In this study, we developed novel neural-Luc ESTs using two marker genes for neural development, tubulin beta-3 (Tubb3) and Reelin (Reln), and evaluated the capacity of these tests to predict developmental toxicity. In addition, we tested whether an integrated approach (a combination of neural-Luc ESTs and the Hand1-Luc EST) improved developmental toxicant detection. To perform our neural-Luc ESTs, we needed to generate stable transgenic mESCs with individual promoters linked to the luciferase gene, and to establish that similar changes in promoter activities and mRNA expression levels occur during neural differentiation. Based on the concentration-response curves of 15 developmental toxicants and 17 non-developmental toxic chemicals, we derived a prediction formula and assessed the capacity of this formula to predict developmental toxicity. Although both were highly sensitive and specific for predicting developmental toxicity, neural-Luc ESTs had similar predictive capacities. In contrast, neural-Luc ESTs and Hand1-Luc EST had significantly different predictive powers. As expected, the combination of these ESTs increased the sensitivity of developmental toxicant detection. These results demonstrate the convenience and the usefulness of this combination of ESTs as an alternative assay system for future toxicological and mechanistic studies of developmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumiko Kobayashi
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Suzuki
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Higashi
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Akane Muroi
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Florian Le Coz
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Nagahori
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Koichi Saito
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
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Modulation of Donor-Specific Antibody Production After Organ Transplantation by Valproic Acid: A Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor. Transplantation 2017; 100:2342-2351. [PMID: 27140514 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000001197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibody-mediated rejection, mediated by donor-specific antibodies, is emerging as a leading cause for allograft dysfunction in organ transplantation. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have potential immunosuppressive action, but their effects on antibody-mediated rejection and B cell function in organ transplantation have not been fully explored. METHODS The impacts of valproic acid (VPA), an HDACi, on isolated murine B cell proliferation, apoptosis, class switch recombination (CSR), differentiation, and secretion of immunoglobulin were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Molecular mechanisms were also explored by analyzing the expression of the activation-induced cytidinedeaminase, B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1/Pridm1), X-box-binding protein 1 and interferon-regulatory factor 4. Mouse cardiac transplant model was used to evaluate the regulatory effects of VPA on B cell response in vivo. RESULTS Valproic acid significantly inhibited B cell CSR, plasma cell differentiation, thereby reduced antibody generation in a dose-dependent manner without altering B cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Activation-induced cytidinedeaminase, Blimp-1/Pridm1 and X-box-binding protein 1 expression were repressed by VPA treatment in a dose-dependent manner, whereas no obvious changes were observed on interferon-regulatory factor 4 expression. Although VPA alone did not prolong the graft medium survival time after murine heart transplantation, the low levels of donor-specific antibody, especially IgG in serum and the less numbers of plasma cells in the spleen were observed in VPA-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS Valproic acid inhibited B cell CSR and plasma cell differentiation in vitro and in nitrophenyl-chicken gamma globulin-immunized and heart transplant recipient mice. HDACi might be a therapeutic agent targeting B cell response after organ transplantation.
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Mohammed OJ, Latif ML, Pratten MK. Diabetes-induced effects on cardiomyocytes in chick embryonic heart micromass and mouse embryonic D3 differentiated stem cells. Reprod Toxicol 2017; 69:242-253. [PMID: 28286266 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus during pregnancy is a considerable medical challenge, since it is related to augmented morbidity and mortality concerns for both the fetus and the pregnant woman. Records show that the etiology of diabetic embryopathy is complicated, as many teratological factors might be involved in the mechanisms of diabetes mellitus-induced congenital malformation. In this study, the potential cardiotoxic effect of hyperglycemia with hyperketonemia was investigated by using two in vitro models; primary chick embryonic cardiomyocytes and stem cell derived cardiomyocytes, where adverse effects were recorded in both systems. The cells were evaluated by changes in beating activity, cell activity, protein content, ROS production, DNA damage and differentiating stem cell migration. The diabetic formulae used produced an increase in DNA damage and a decline in cell migration in mouse embryonic stem cells. These results provide an additional insight into adverse effects during gestational diabetes mellitus and a recommendation for expectant mothers and maternity staff to monitor glycaemic levels months ahead of conception. This study also supports the recommendation of using antioxidants during pregnancy to prevent DNA damage by the production of ROS, which might result in heart defects as well as other developmental anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar J Mohammed
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
| | - Muhammad Liaque Latif
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
| | - Margaret K Pratten
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom.
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Yan Y, Cheng X, Yang RH, Li H, Chen JL, Ma ZL, Wang G, Chuai M, Yang X. Exposure to Excess Phenobarbital Negatively Influences the Osteogenesis of Chick Embryos. Front Pharmacol 2016; 7:349. [PMID: 27746734 PMCID: PMC5044464 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenobarbital is an antiepileptic drug that is widely used to treat epilepsy in a clinical setting. However, a long term of phenobarbital administration in pregnant women may produce side effects on embryonic skeletogenesis. In this study, we aim to investigate the mechanism by which phenobarbital treatment induces developmental defects in long bones. We first determined that phenobarbital treatment decreased chondrogenesis and inhibited the proliferation of chondrocytes in chick embryos. Phenobarbital treatment also suppressed mineralization in both in vivo and in vitro long bone models. Next, we established that phenobarbital treatment delayed blood vessel invasion in a cartilage template, and this finding was supported by the down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor in the hypertrophic zone following phenobarbital treatment. Phenobarbital treatment inhibited tube formation and the migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In addition, it impaired angiogenesis in chick yolk sac membrane model and chorioallantoic membrane model. In summary, phenobarbital exposure led to shortened lengths of long bones during embryogenesis, which might result from inhibiting mesenchyme differentiation, chondrocyte proliferation, and delaying mineralization by impairing vascular invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yan
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Cheng
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
| | - Ren-Hao Yang
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
| | - He Li
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Long Chen
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
| | - Zheng-Lai Ma
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
| | - Guang Wang
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
| | - Manli Chuai
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Dundee Dundee, UK
| | - Xuesong Yang
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Medical College, Jinan University Guangzhou, China
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Ahir BK, Pratten MK. The impact of caffeine on connexin expression in the embryonic chick cardiomyocyte micromass culture system. J Appl Toxicol 2016; 36:903-13. [PMID: 26304238 DOI: 10.1002/jat.3219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes are electrically coupled by gap junctions, defined as clusters of low-resistance multisubunit transmembrane channels composed of connexins (Cxs). The expression of Cx40, Cx43 and Cx45, which are present in cardiomyocytes, is known to be developmentally regulated. This study investigates the premise that alterations in gap junction proteins are one of the mechanisms by which teratogens may act. Specifically, those molecules known to be teratogenic in humans could cause their effects via disruption of cell-to-cell communication pathways, resulting in an inability to co-ordinate tissue development. Caffeine significantly inhibited contractile activity at concentrations above and including 1500 μm (P < 0.05), while not affecting cell viability and total protein, in the embryonic chick cardiomyocyte micromass culture system. The effects of caffeine on key cardiac gap junction protein (Cx40, Cx43 and Cx45) expression were analysed using immunocytochemistry and in-cell Western blotting. The results indicated that caffeine altered the expression pattern of Cx40, Cx43 and Cx45 at non-cytotoxic concentrations (≥2000 μm), i.e., at concentrations that did not affect total cell protein and cell viability. In addition the effects of caffeine on cardiomyocyte formation and function (contractile activity score) were correlated with modulation of Cxs (Cx40, Cx43 and Cx45) expression, at above and including 2000 μm caffeine concentrations (P < 0.05). These experiments provide evidence that embryonic chick cardiomyocyte micromass culture may be a useful in vitro method for mechanistic studies of perturbation of embryonic heart development. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavesh K Ahir
- National Center for Computational Toxicology (B205-01), US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Margaret K Pratten
- School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Tolou-Ghamari Z, Palizban AA. Review of Sodium Valproate Clinical and Biochemical Properties. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.17795/zjrms-2207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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