Overexpression of FABP3 inhibits human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell proliferation but enhances their survival in hypoxia

Postnatal Growth and Development of the Rumen: Integrating Physiological and Molecular Insights

The rumen plays an essential role in the physiology and production of agriculturally important ruminants such as cattle. Functions of the rumen include fermentation, absorption, metabolism, and protection. Cattle are, however, not born with a functional rumen, and the rumen undergoes considerable changes in size, histology, physiology, and transcriptome from birth to adulthood. In this review, we discuss these changes in detail, the factors that affect these changes, and the potential molecular and cellular mechanisms that mediate these changes. The introduction of solid feed to the rumen is essential for rumen growth and functional development in post-weaning calves. Increasing evidence suggests that solid feed stimulates rumen growth and functional development through butyric acid and other volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced by microbial fermentation of feed in the rumen and that VFAs stimulate rumen growth and functional development through hormones such as insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) or through direct actions on energy production, chromatin modification, and gene expression. Given the role of the rumen in ruminant physiology and performance, it is important to further study the cellular, molecular, genomic, and epigenomic mechanisms that control rumen growth and development in postnatal ruminants. A better understanding of these mechanisms could lead to the development of novel strategies to enhance the growth and development of the rumen and thereby the productivity and health of cattle and other agriculturally important ruminants.

Roles and mechanisms of optineurin in bone metabolism

Optineurin (OPTN) is a widely expressed multifunctional articulatory protein that participates in cellular or mitochondrial autophagy, vesicular transport, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress via interactions with various proteins. Skeletal development is a complex biological process that requires the participation of various osteoblasts, such as bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and osteogenic, osteoclastic, and chondrogenic cells. OPTN was recently found to be involved in the regulation of osteoblast activity, which affects bone metabolism. OPTN inhibits osteoclastogenesis via signaling pathways, including NF-κB, IFN-β, and NRF2. OPTN can promote the differentiation of BMSCs toward osteogenesis and inhibit lipogenic differentiation by delaying BMSC senescence and autophagy. These effects are closely related to the development of bone metabolism disorders, such as Paget's disease of bone, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis. Therefore, this review aims to explore the role and mechanism of OPTN in the regulation of bone metabolism and related bone metabolic diseases. Our findings will provide new targets and strategies for the prevention and treatment of bone metabolic diseases.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of bovine mesenchymal stromal cells reveals tissue-source and species-specific differences

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have the potential to be used as therapeutics, but their efficacy varies due to cellular heterogeneity, which is not fully understood. After characterizing donor-matched bovine MSC from adipose tissue (AT), bone marrow (BM), and peripheral blood (PB), we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to evaluate overarching similarities and differences across these three tissue-derived MSCs. Next, the transcriptomic profiles of the bovine MSCs were compared to those of equine MSCs, derived from the same tissue sources and previously published by our group, and revealed species-specific differences. Finally, the transcriptomic profile from bovine BM-MSCs was compared to mouse and human BM-MSCs and demonstrated that bovine BM-MSCs share more common functionally relevant gene expression profiles with human BM-MSCs than compared to murine BM-MSCs. Collectively, this study presents the cow as a potential non-traditional animal model for translational MSC studies based on transcriptomic profiles similar to human MSCs.

FABP4 in obesity-associated carcinogenesis: Novel insights into mechanisms and therapeutic implications

The increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide is associated with an increased risk of various diseases, including multiple metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and malignant tumors. Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are members of the adipokine family of multifunctional proteins that are related to fatty acid metabolism and are divided into 12 types according to their tissue origin. FABP4 is mainly secreted by adipocytes and macrophages. Under obesity, the synthesis of FABP4 increases, and the FABP4 content is higher not only in tissues but also in the blood, which promotes the occurrence and development of various cancers. Here, we comprehensively investigated obesity epidemiology and the biological mechanisms associated with the functions of FABP4 that may explain this effect. In this review, we explore the molecular mechanisms by which FABP4 promotes carcinoma development and the interaction between fat and cancer cells in obese circumstances here. This review leads us to understand how FABP4 signaling is involved in obesity-associated tumors, which could increase the potential for advancing novel therapeutic strategies and molecular targets for the systematic treatment of malignant tumors.

Cardiovascular Biomarkers: Lessons of the Past and Prospects for the Future

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major healthcare burden on the population worldwide. Early detection of this disease is important in prevention and treatment to minimise morbidity and mortality. Biomarkers are a critical tool to either diagnose, screen, or provide prognostic information for pathological conditions. This review discusses the historical cardiac biomarkers used to detect these conditions, discussing their application and their limitations. Identification of new biomarkers have since replaced these and are now in use in routine clinical practice, but still do not detect all disease. Future cardiac biomarkers are showing promise in early studies, but further studies are required to show their value in improving detection of CVD above the current biomarkers. Additionally, the analytical platforms that would allow them to be adopted in healthcare are yet to be established. There is also the need to identify whether these biomarkers can be used for diagnostic, prognostic, or screening purposes, which will impact their implementation in routine clinical practice.

Promising Novel Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases remain the most common causes of death globally, according to the World Health Organization. In recent years, a great number of biomarkers have been investigated, whereas only some have gained value in the diagnosis, prognosis, and risk stratification of different cardiovascular illnesses. As numerous studies have investigated the diagnostic yield of novel biomarkers in various disease entities every year, this review aims to provide an overview of the current status of four promising representatives. In particular, this manuscript refers to soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), growth differentiation factor (GDF-15) and soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR). These markers are of special interest as they are thought to provide an accurate estimate of cardiovascular risk in certain patient populations, especially those with pre-existing diseases, such as obesity or diabetes mellitus. We sought to give an overview of their function, individual diagnostic and predictive value and determination in the laboratory. A review of the literature regarding the aforementioned cardiovascular biomarkers yielded manifold results with respect to their individual diagnostic and prognostic value. Yet, the clinical relevance of these findings remains unclear, warranting further studies to identify their optimal use in clinical routine.

To Breathe or Not to Breathe: The Role of Oxygen in Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Senescence

Stem cell-based cellular therapy is a promising tool for the treatment of pathological conditions with underlying severe tissue damage or malfunction like in chronic cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, or inflammatory conditions. One of the biggest technical challenges of the use of natural stem cells, however, is the prevention of their premature senescence during therapeutical manipulations. Culturing stem cells under hypoxic conditions is believed to be a possible route to fulfill this goal. Here, we review current literature data on the effects of hypoxia on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, one of the most popular tools of practical cellular therapy, in the context of their senescence.

Comprehensive RNA expression profile of therapeutic adipose‑derived mesenchymal stem cells co‑cultured with degenerative nucleus pulposus cells

Stem cell-based therapy is a promising alternative to conventional approaches to treating intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, comprehensive understanding of stem cell-based therapy at the gene level is still lacking. In the present study, we identified the expression profiles of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expressed within a co-culture system of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) and degenerative nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) and explored the signaling pathways involved and their regulatory networks. Microarray analysis was used to compare ASCs co-cultured with degenerative NPCs to ASCs cultured alone, and the underlying regulatory pattern, including the signaling pathways and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network, was analyzed with robust bioinformatics methods. The results showed that 360 lncRNAs and 1757 mRNAs were differentially expressed by ASCs, and the microarray results were confirmed by quantitative PCR. Moreover, 589 Gene Ontology terms were upregulated, whereas 661 terms were downregulated. A total of 299 signaling pathways were significantly altered. A Path-net and a Signal-net were built to show interactions among differentially expressed genes. An mRNA-lncRNA co-expression network was constructed to reveal the interplay among differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs, whereas a ceRNA network was built to investigate their connections with microRNAs involved in IDD. To the best of our knowledge, this original and comprehensive exploration reveals differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs of ASCs stimulated by degenerative NPCs, underscoring the regulation pattern within the co-culture system at the gene level. These data may further understanding of NPC-directed differentiation of ASCs and facilitate the application of ASCs in future treatments for IDD.

Evaluation of the cardioprotective effects of crystalloid del Nido cardioplegia solution via a rapid and accurate cardiac marker: heart-type fatty acid-binding protein

Background/aim

Our aim in this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of crystalloid del Nido solution and cold blood cardioplegia solution on clinical and laboratory parameters.

Materials and methods

Sixty patients who underwent elective coronary bypass operation between July 2019 and January 2020 were included in our study. Patients were divided into 2 groups of 30 patients using del Nido solution (DNS) and cold blood cardioplegia solution (CBCS), which were given for cardiac arrest. Demographic data, preoperative, postoperative 0th h, 6th h and 4th day creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB) and troponin I values were compared with a specific cardiac enzyme heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP).

Results

We found that aortic cross clamp duration and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time were shorter in patients using del Nido solution than cold blood cardioplegia solution (57.30 ± 23.57 min, 76.07 ± 27.18 min, P = 0.006) (95.07 ± 23.06 min, 114.13 ± 33.93, P = 0.014). Total cardioplegia solution volume was higher in the cold blood cardioplegia solution group (1426.67 ± 416.00 vs. 1200 ± 310.73 P = 0.02). Preoperative and postoperative levels of cardiac enzymes including CK-MB, troponin I and H-FABP were comparable in del Nido solution and cold blood cardioplegia solution groups.

Conclusion

According to these results, when we compare both demographic data and CK-MB, troponin I and H-FABP levels, both cardioplegia solutions were comparable regarding safety and efficacy in terms of myocardial protection.

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) resembles a mesenchymal stromal progenitor: evidence from meta-analysis of transcriptomic data

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is an extremely rare malignancy characterized by the unbalanced translocation der(17)t(X;17)(p11;q25). This translocation generates a fusion protein, ASPL-TFE3, that drives pathogenesis through aberrant transcriptional activity. Although considerable progress has been made in identifying ASPS therapeutic vulnerabilities (e.g., MET inhibitors), basic research efforts are hampered by the lack of appropriate in vitro reagents with which to study the disease. In this report, previously unmined microarray data for the ASPS cell line, ASPS-1, was analyzed relative to the NCI sarcoma cell line panel. These data were combined with meta-analysis of pre-existing ASPS patient microarray and RNA-seq data to derive a platform-independent ASPS transcriptome. Results demonstrated that ASPS-1, in the context of the NCI sarcoma cell panel, had some similarities to normal mesenchymal cells and connective tissue sarcomas. The cell line was characterized by high relative expression of transcripts such as CRYAB, MT1G, GCSAML, and SV2B. Notably, ASPS-1 lacked mRNA expression of myogenesis-related factors MYF5, MYF6, MYOD1, MYOG, PAX3, and PAX7. Furthermore, ASPS-1 had a predicted mRNA surfaceome resembling an undifferentiated mesenchymal stromal cell through expression of GPNMB, CD9 (TSPAN29), CD26 (DPP4), CD49C (ITGA3), CD54 (ICAM1), CD63 (TSPAN30), CD68 (SCARD1), CD130 (IL6ST), CD146 (MCAM), CD147 (BSG), CD151 (SFA-1), CD166 (ALCAM), CD222 (IGF2R), CD230 (PRP), CD236 (GPC), CD243 (ABCB1), and CD325 (CDHN). Subsequent re-analysis of ASPS patient data generated a consensus expression profile with considerable overlap between studies. In common with ASPS-1, elevated expression was noted for CTSK, DPP4, GPNMB, INHBE, LOXL4, PSG9, SLC20A1, STS, SULT1C2, SV2B, and UPP1. Transcripts over-expressed only in ASPS patient samples included ABCB5, CYP17A1, HIF1A, MDK, P4HB, PRL, and PSAP. These observations are consistent with that expected for a mesenchymal progenitor cell with adipogenic, osteogenic, or chondrogenic potential. In summary, the consensus data generated in this study highlight the unique and highly conserved nature of the ASPS transcriptome. Although the ability of the ASPL-TFE3 fusion to perturb mRNA expression must be acknowledged, the prevailing ASPS transcriptome resembles that of a mesenchymal stromal progenitor.

Heart-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (H-FABP) and its Role as a Biomarker in Heart Failure: What Do We Know So Far?

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) remains one of the leading causes of death to date despite extensive research funding. Various studies are conducted every year in an attempt to improve diagnostic accuracy and therapy monitoring. The small cytoplasmic heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) has been studied in a variety of disease entities. Here, we provide a review of the available literature on H-FABP and its possible applications in HF. Methods: Literature research using PubMed Central was conducted. To select possible studies for inclusion, the authors screened all available studies by title and, if suitable, by abstract. Relevant manuscripts were read in full text.

RESULTS

In total, 23 studies regarding H-FABP in HF were included in this review.

CONCLUSION

While, algorithms already exist in the area of risk stratification for acute pulmonary embolism, there is still no consensus for the routine use of H-FABP in daily clinical practice in HF. At present, the strongest evidence exists for risk evaluation of adverse cardiac events. Other future applications of H-FABP may include early detection of ischemia, worsening of renal failure, and long-term treatment planning.

Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses Reveal the Potential Mode of Action of Chondrocyte Sheets in Hyaline Cartilage Regeneration

Chondrocyte sheet transplantation is a novel and promising approach to treating patients who have cartilage defects associated with osteoarthritis. Hyaline cartilage regeneration by autologous chondrocyte sheets has already been demonstrated in clinical research. In this study, the efficacy of polydactyly-derived chondrocyte sheets (PD sheets) as an allogeneic alternative to standard chondrocyte sheets was examined using an orthotopic xenogeneic transplantation model. In addition, the expression of genes and the secreted proteins in the PD sheets was analyzed using a microarray and a DNA aptamer array. The efficacy of PD sheets with respect to cartilage defects was assessed using histological scores, after which the expressions of genes and proteins exhibiting a correlation to efficacy were identified. Enrichment analysis of efficacy-correlated genes and proteins showed that they were associated with extracellular matrices, skeletal development, and angiogenesis. Eight genes (ESM1, GREM1, SERPINA3, DKK1, MIA, NTN4, FABP3, and PDGFA) exhibited a positive correlation with the efficacy of PD sheets, and three genes (RARRES2, APOE, and PGF) showed a negative correlation for both transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Among these, MIA, DKK1, and GREM1 involved in skeletal development pathways and ESM1 involved in the angiogenesis pathway exhibited a correlation between the amount of secretion and efficacy. These results suggest that these secreted factors may prove useful for predicting PD sheet efficacy and may therefore contribute to hyaline cartilage regeneration via PD sheets.

The Effects of Hypoxia on the Immune-Modulatory Properties of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

The therapeutic repertoire for life-threatening inflammatory conditions like sepsis, graft-versus-host reactions, or colitis is very limited in current clinical practice and, together with chronic ones, like the osteoarthritis, presents growing economic burden in developed countries. This urges the development of more efficient therapeutic modalities like the mesenchymal stem cell-based approaches. Despite the encouraging in vivo data, however, clinical trials delivered ambiguous results. Since one of the typical features of inflamed tissues is decreased oxygenation, the success of cellular therapy in inflammatory pathologies seems to be affected by the impact of oxygen depletion on transplanted cells. Here, we examine our current knowledge on the effect of hypoxia on the physiology of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, one of the most popular tools of practical cellular therapy, in the context of their immune-modulatory capacity.

Fatty acid-binding protein 3 contributes to ischemic heart injury by regulating cardiac myocyte apoptosis and MAPK pathways

Fatty acid-binding protein 3 (FABP3), a low-molecular-weight protein, participates in lipid transportation, storage, signaling transduction, oxidation, and transcription regulation. Here, we investigated the expression and function of FABP3 in ischemic heart diseases and explored the mechanisms by which FABP3 affected remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). We showed that ischemic or hypoxic conditions upregulated FABP3 expression in vivo and in vitro. Notably, overexpression of FABP3 induced more myocyte apoptosis in the infarction and border areas and aggravated cardiac dysfunction, with lower left ventricular ejection fraction. Meanwhile, overexpression of FABP3 drastically promoted death and apoptosis of neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes under hypoxia. Furthermore, deficiency of FABP3 exerted protective effects against ischemic heart injuries by decreasing cardiac myocyte apoptosis and heart remodeling after MI. We found that overexpression of FABP3 upregulated the phosphorylation of MAPK signaling pathway and decreased phosphorylated Akt levels, which may account for the augmentation of apoptosis and remodeling after MI. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that deficiency of FABP3 would protect cardiac myocytes from apoptosis and alleviate cardiac remodeling after MI, suggesting FABP3 as a potential target to preserve cardiac function after MI. NEW & NOTEWORTHY It is an undisputable fact that myocyte apoptosis plays a crucial role in cardiac remodeling and the development of heart failure after myocardial infarction. Here, fatty acid-binding protein 3 deficiency improved myocardial structural remodeling and function by decreasing cell apoptosis and regulating MAPK signaling pathways. We suppose that fatty acid-binding protein 3 may be regarded as a potential intervention approach to preserve cardiomyocytes during myocardial infarction.

Profiling the miRNA-mRNA-lncRNA interaction network in MSC osteoblast differentiation induced by (+)-cholesten-3-one

Background

Our previous study showed that (+)-cholesten-3-one (CN) has the potential to induce the osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). However, the roles of CN in targeting miRNA-mRNA-lncRNA interactions to regulate osteoblast differentiation remain poorly understood.

Results

A total of 77 miRNAs (36 upregulated and 41 downregulated) and 295 lncRNAs (281 upregulated and 14 downregulated) were significantly differentially expressed during CN-induced MSC osteogenic differentiation. Bioinformatic analysis identified that several pathways may play vital roles in MSC osteogenic differentiation, such as the vitamin D receptor signalling, TNF signalling, PI3K-Akt signalling, calcium signalling, and mineral absorption pathways. Further bioinformatic analysis revealed 16 core genes, including 6 mRNAs (Vdr, Mgp, Fabp3, Fst, Cd38, and Col1a1), 5 miRNAs (miR-483, miR-298, miR-361, miR-92b and miR-155) and 5 lncRNAs (NR_046246.1, NR_046239.1, XR_086062.1, XR_145872.1 and XR_146737.1), that may play important roles in regulating the CN-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Verified by the luciferase reporter, AR-S, qRT-PCR and western blot assays, we identified one miRNA (miR-298) that may enhance the osteogenic differentiation potential of MSCs via the vitamin D receptor signalling pathway.

Conclusions

This study revealed the global expression profile of miRNAs and lncRNAs involved in the Chinese medicine active ingredient CN-induced osteoblast differentiation of MSCs for the first time and provided a foundation for future investigations of miRNA-mRNA-lncRNA interaction networks to completely illuminate the regulatory role of CN in MSC osteoblast differentiation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-5155-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Crohn's disease patient serum changes protein expression in a human mesenchymal stem cell model in a linear relationship to patients' disease stage and to bone mineral density

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with a higher prevalence of osteoporosis, a complication that is recognized as a significant cause of morbidity. Its pathogenesis is controversial, but the activity of CD is one contributing factor.

METHODS

We stimulated SCP-1 cells (mesenchymal stem cell line) under osteogenic conditions with serum from adult patients with CD in the symptomatic phase (SP) and in remission (R) and with control sera. Concentrations of IL-6, IL-1 beta, and TNF alpha in the sera were measured. Patients were classified as normal or osteopenic/osteoporotic based on bone mineral density (BMD) T-score measurements. After 14 days in culture, protein expression and gene ontology (GO) annotation analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Cytokine concentrations (IL-6, IL-1 beta, TNF alpha) varied within sera groups. None of the cytokines were significantly increased in the symptomatic phase compared to remission. Protein analysis revealed 17 proteins regulated by the SP versus R phase sera of disease. A linear relationship between CDAI (Crohn's disease activity index) and normalized protein expression of APOA1 and 2, TTR, CDKAL1 and TUBB6 could be determined. Eleven proteins were found to be differentially regulated comparing osteoporosis-positive and osteoporosis-negative sera. Gene annotation and further analysis identified these genes as part of heme and erythrocyte metabolism, as well as involved in hypoxia and in endocytosis. A significant linear relationship between bone mineral density and normalized protein expression could be determined for proteins FABP3 and TTR.

CONCLUSION

Our explorative results confirm our hypothesis that factors in serum from patients with CD change the protein expression pattern of human immortalized osteoblast like cells. We suggest, that these short time changes indeed influence factors of bone metabolism.

Diverse roles of fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) in development and pathogenesis of cancers

One of the most importantly involved pathways in cancer development is fatty-acid signaling pathway. Synthesized lipids as energetic sources are consumed by cancer cells for proliferation, growth, survival, invasion and angiogenesis. Fatty acids as signaling compounds regulate metabolic and transcriptional networks, survival pathways and inflammatory responses. Aggregation of fatty acids with fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) facilitates their transportation to different cell organelles. FABPs, a group of lipid binding proteins modulate fatty acid metabolism, cell growth and proliferation and cancer development. They may be used as tumor marker in some cancers. FABPs are expressed in most malignancies such as prostate, breast, liver, bladder and lung cancer which are associated with the incidence, proliferation, metastasis, invasion of tumors. This review introduces several isoforms of FABPs (FABP1-12) and summarizes their function and their possible roles in cancer development through some proposed mechanisms.

Early weaning of calves after different dietary regimens affects later rumen development, growth, and carcass traits in Hanwoo cattle

Objective

The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of different diets for early-weaned (EW) calves on rumen development, and how this affects fat deposition in the longissimus dorsi of adult Korean Hanwoo beef cattle.

Methods

Three EW groups were established (each n = 12) in which two- week-old Hanwoo calves were fed for ten weeks with milk replacer+concentrate (T1), milk replacer+concentrate+ roughage (T2), or milk replacer+concentrate+30% starch (T3); a control group (n = 12) was weaned as normal. At six months, 5 calves of each group were slaughtered and their organs were assessed and rumen papillae growth rates were measured. The remaining calves (n = 7 in each group) were raised to 20 months for further analysis.

Results

Twenty-month-old EW calves had a higher body weight (BW), backfat thickness (BF), longissimus dorsi muscle area (LMA) and intramuscular fat (IMF) than the control (p<0.05). Organ growth, rumen histology, and gene expression patterns in the 6-month-old calves were positively related to the development of marbling in the loin, as assessed by ultrasound analysis (p<0.05). In the group fed the starch-enriched diet (T3), higher BW, BF, LMA, and IMF were present. The IMF beef quality score of 20-month-old cattle was 1+ for the T2 and T3 diets and 1 for the T1 diet (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Papillae development was significantly greater in calves fed on high-concentrate diets and this may have resulted in the improved beef quality in the EW dietary groups compared to the control.

Genetic Engineering of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Induce Their Migration and Survival

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are very attractive for regenerative medicine due to their relatively easy derivation and broad range of differentiation capabilities, either naturally or induced through cell engineering. However, efficient methods of delivery to diseased tissues and the long-term survival of grafted cells still need improvement. Here, we review genetic engineering approaches designed to enhance the migratory capacities of MSCs, as well as extend their survival after transplantation by the modulation of prosurvival approaches, including prevention of senescence and apoptosis. We highlight some of the latest examples that explore these pivotal points, which have great relevance in cell-based therapies.

Enhanced cell survival and paracrine effects of mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor promote cardioprotection in myocardial infarction

Poor cell survival post transplantation compromises the therapeutic benefits of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in myocardial infarction (MI). Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is an important cytokine for angiogenesis, anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis. This study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of MSCs overexpressing HGF in a mouse model of MI. The apoptosis of umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) and HGF-UC-MSCs under normoxic and hypoxic conditions was detected. The conditioned medium (CdM) of UC-MSCs and HGF-UC-MSCs under a hypoxic condition was harvested and its protective effect on neonatal cardiomyocytes (NCMs) exposed to a hypoxic challenge was examined. UC-MSCs and HGF-UC-MSCs were transplanted into the peri-infarct region in mice following MI and heart function assessed 4 weeks post transplantation. The apoptosis of HGF-UC-MSCs under hypoxic conditions was markedly decreased compared with that of UC-MSCs. NCMs treated with HGF-UC-MSC hypoxic CdM (HGF-UC-MSCs-hy-CdM) exhibited less cell apoptosis in response to hypoxic challenge than those treated with UC-MSC hypoxic CdM (UC-MSCs-hy-CdM). HGF-UC-MSCs-hy-CdM released the inhibited p-Akt and lowered the enhanced ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 induced by hypoxia in the NCMs. HGF-UC-MSCs-hy-CdM expressed higher levels of HGF, EGF, bFGF and VEGF than UC-MSCs-hy-CdM. Transplantation of HGF-UC-MSCs or UC-MSCs greatly improved heart function in the mouse model of MI. Compared with UC-MSCs, transplantation of HGF-UC-MSCs was associated with less cardiomyocyte apoptosis, enhanced angiogenesis and increased proliferation of cardiomyocytes. This study may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for MSC-based therapy in cardiovascular disease.

Strategies to improve the immunosuppressive properties of human mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of particular interest for the treatment of immune-related diseases because of their immunosuppressive capacities. However, few clinical trials of MSCs have yielded satisfactory results. A number of clinical trials using MSCs are currently in progress worldwide. Unfortunately, protocols and methods, including optimized culture conditions for the harvest of MSCs, have not been standardized. In this regard, complications in the ex vivo expansion of MSCs and MSC heterogeneity have been implicated in the failure of clinical trials. In this review, potential strategies to obtain MSCs with improved immunosuppressive properties and the potential roles of specific immunomodulatory genes, which are differentially upregulated in certain culture conditions, will be discussed.

Microarray Analysis of the Gene Expression Profile and Lipid Metabolism in Fat-1 Transgenic Cattle

Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are beneficial for human health. However, humans and mammals are unable to synthesize n-3 PUFAs because they lack the n-3 desaturase gene fat-1 and must therefore obtain this type of fatty acid through their diet. Through the production of fat-1 transgenic animals, it is possible to obtain animal products that are rich in n-3 PUFAs, such as meat and milk. The aim of this study was to analyze the gene expression profile and the mechanism of lipid metabolism in fat-1 transgenic cattle and to accumulate important basic data that are required to obtain more efficient fat-1 transgenic cattle. Transcriptome profiling of fat-1 transgenic and wild-type cattle identified differentially expressed genes that are involved in 90 biological pathways, eight pathways of which were related to lipid metabolism processes 36 genes of which were related to lipid metabolism. This analysis also identified 11 significantly enriched genes that were involved in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway. These findings were verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The information obtained in this study indicated that the introduction of an exogenous fat-1 gene into cattle affects the gene expression profile and the process of lipid metabolism in these animals. These results may provide important insights into how an exogenous fat-1 gene synthesizes n-3 PUFAs in transgenic cattle and other mammals.

Utilization of digital differential display to identify differentially expressed genes related to rumen development

This study aimed to identify the genes associated with the development of the rumen epithelium by screening for candidate genes by digital differential display (DDD) in silico. Using DDD in NCBI's UniGene database, expressed sequence tag (EST)-based gene expression profiles were analyzed in rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum and other tissues in cattle. One hundred and ten candidate genes with high expression in the rumen were derived from a library of all tissues. The expression levels of 11 genes in all candidate genes were analyzed in the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum of nine Japanese Black male calves (5-week-old pre-weaning: n = 3; 15-week-old weaned calves: n = 6). Among the 11 genes, only 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), aldo-keto reductase family 1, member C1-like (AKR1C1), and fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) showed significant changes in the levels of gene expression in the rumen between the pre- and post-weaning of calves. These results indicate that DDD analysis in silico can be useful for screening candidate genes related to rumen development, and that the changes in expression levels of three genes in the rumen may have been caused by weaning, aging or both.

Increased expression levels of S100A4 associated with hypoxia-induced invasion and metastasis in esophageal squamous cell cancer

Here, we explored the expression of S100A4 in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) tissues and investigated its role in hypoxia-induced invasion and metastasis in ESCC cell lines EC-1 and EC-9706. Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated that S100A4 was overexpressed in human ESCC tissues especially in ESCC tissues with deep invasion and lymph node metastasis. Hypoxia-induced S100A4 overexpression was observed in EC-1 and EC-9706 cells, in which it was associated with invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, we used EC-1 and EC-9706 cells again to upregulate or knockdown the expression S100A4 to investigate the mechanism role of S100A4 in hypoxia-induced invasion and metastasis in ESCC cells. And the results showed that S100A4 played an important role in promoting the invasion and metastasis of EC-1 and EC-9706 cells under hypoxia. Therefore, S100A4 overexpression might be an important mechanism by which hypoxia induced invasion and metastasis, and S100A4 could also be a potential target for the treatment of ESCC.