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Pro-Angiogenetic Effects of Purified Extracts from Helix aspersa during Zebrafish Development. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:3364-3377. [PMID: 36005128 PMCID: PMC9406997 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44080232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Helix aspersa is a species of land snail belonging to the Helicidae family, widespread in the Mediterranean and continental area up to Northern Europe. In some areas it is appreciated as a food, but is mostly considered a parasite of gardens and cultivated fields. The mucus of Helix aspersa has found multiple applications in the cosmetic and health fields. In the present study, we investigated for the first time the angiogenetic properties of purified extracts from Helix aspersa using a transgenic zebrafish line Tg (kdrl:EGFP). The angiogenesis induced by purified snail extracts was demonstrated by their capability to increase the three well-established parameters of angiogenesis: generation of intersegmental vessels, modeling of caudal venous plexus, and formation of sub-intestinal venous plexus. The effects appeared to be mediated by the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, being prevented by pretreatment of embryos with the selective VEGF receptor antagonist SU5416, and supported by the increased VEGF mRNA levels found in snail-extract-treated embryos. Insufficient vascular supply is underlined by low VEGF signaling, primarily because of its indispensable role in preventing capillary loss. Our findings might have a pharmacological impact by counteracting VEGF hypofunction and promoting angiogenesis to maintain adequate microvascular and vascular density in normal and suffering tissues and organs.
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Basnet RM, Zizioli D, Muscò A, Finazzi D, Sigala S, Rossini E, Tobia C, Guerra J, Presta M, Memo M. Caffeine Inhibits Direct and Indirect Angiogenesis in Zebrafish Embryos. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094856. [PMID: 34063734 PMCID: PMC8124397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we report the effects of caffeine on angiogenesis in zebrafish embryos both during normal development and after exposure to Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2). As markers of angiogenesis, we measured the length and width of intersegmental vessels (ISVs), performed whole-mount in situ hybridization with fli1 and cadh5 vascular markers, and counted the number of interconnecting vessels (ICVs) in sub-intestinal venous plexus (SIVP). In addition, we measured angiogenesis after performing zebrafish yolk membrane (ZFYM) assay with microinjection of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and perivitelline tumor xenograft assay with microinjection of tumorigenic FGF2-overexpressing endothelial (FGF2-T-MAE) cells. The results showed that caffeine treatment causes a shortening and thinning of ISVs along with a decreased expression of the vascular marker genes and a decrease in the number of ICVs in the SIVP. Caffeine was also able to block angiogenesis induced by exogenous FGF2 or FGF2-producing cells. Overall, our results are suggestive of the inhibitory effect of caffeine in both direct and indirect angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Manohar Basnet
- Unit of Pharmacology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (R.M.B.); (A.M.); (S.S.); (E.R.)
| | - Daniela Zizioli
- Unit of Biotechnology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (D.Z.); (D.F.)
| | - Alessia Muscò
- Unit of Pharmacology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (R.M.B.); (A.M.); (S.S.); (E.R.)
| | - Dario Finazzi
- Unit of Biotechnology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (D.Z.); (D.F.)
- Laboratorio Centrale Analisi Chimico-Cliniche, ASST Spedali Civili, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Sandra Sigala
- Unit of Pharmacology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (R.M.B.); (A.M.); (S.S.); (E.R.)
| | - Elisa Rossini
- Unit of Pharmacology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (R.M.B.); (A.M.); (S.S.); (E.R.)
| | - Chiara Tobia
- Unit of Experimental Oncology and Immunology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (C.T.); (J.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Jessica Guerra
- Unit of Experimental Oncology and Immunology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (C.T.); (J.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Marco Presta
- Unit of Experimental Oncology and Immunology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (C.T.); (J.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Maurizio Memo
- Unit of Pharmacology, DMMT, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (R.M.B.); (A.M.); (S.S.); (E.R.)
- Correspondence:
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McCollum CW, Conde-Vancells J, Hans C, Vazquez-Chantada M, Kleinstreuer N, Tal T, Knudsen T, Shah SS, Merchant FA, Finnell RH, Gustafsson JÅ, Cabrera R, Bondesson M. Identification of vascular disruptor compounds by analysis in zebrafish embryos and mouse embryonic endothelial cells. Reprod Toxicol 2016; 70:60-69. [PMID: 27838387 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
To identify vascular disruptor compounds (VDCs), this study utilized an in vivo zebrafish embryo vascular model in conjunction with a mouse endothelial cell model to screen a subset of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ToxCast Phase I chemical inventory. In zebrafish, 161 compounds were screened and 34 were identified by visual inspection as VDCs, of which 28 were confirmed as VDCs by quantitative image analysis. Testing of the zebrafish VDCs for their capacity to inhibit endothelial tube formation in the murine yolk-sac-derived endothelial cell line C166 identified 22 compounds that both disrupted zebrafish vascular development and murine endothelial in vitro tubulogenesis. Putative molecular targets for the VDCs were predicted using EPA's Toxicological Prioritization Index tool and a VDC signature based on a proposed adverse outcome pathway for developmental vascular toxicity. In conclusion, our screening approach identified 22 novel VDCs, some of which were active at nanomolar concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine W McCollum
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Javier Conde-Vancells
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Charu Hans
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Mercedes Vazquez-Chantada
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | | | | | | | - Shishir S Shah
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Fatima A Merchant
- Department of Computer Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Department of Engineering Technology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Jan-Åke Gustafsson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Novum, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robert Cabrera
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA
| | - Maria Bondesson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA; Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
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Planchart A, Mattingly CJ, Allen D, Ceger P, Casey W, Hinton D, Kanungo J, Kullman SW, Tal T, Bondesson M, Burgess SM, Sullivan C, Kim C, Behl M, Padilla S, Reif DM, Tanguay RL, Hamm J. Advancing toxicology research using in vivo high throughput toxicology with small fish models. ALTEX 2016; 33:435-452. [PMID: 27328013 PMCID: PMC5270630 DOI: 10.14573/altex.1601281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Small freshwater fish models, especially zebrafish, offer advantages over traditional rodent models, including low maintenance and husbandry costs, high fecundity, genetic diversity, physiology similar to that of traditional biomedical models, and reduced animal welfare concerns. The Collaborative Workshop on Aquatic Models and 21st Century Toxicology was held at North Carolina State University on May 5-6, 2014, in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Participants discussed the ways in which small fish are being used as models to screen toxicants and understand mechanisms of toxicity. Workshop participants agreed that the lack of standardized protocols is an impediment to broader acceptance of these models, whereas development of standardized protocols, validation, and subsequent regulatory acceptance would facilitate greater usage. Given the advantages and increasing application of small fish models, there was widespread interest in follow-up workshops to review and discuss developments in their use. In this article, we summarize the recommendations formulated by workshop participants to enhance the utility of small fish species in toxicology studies, as well as many of the advances in the field of toxicology that resulted from using small fish species, including advances in developmental toxicology, cardiovascular toxicology, neurotoxicology, and immunotoxicology. We alsoreview many emerging issues that will benefit from using small fish species, especially zebrafish, and new technologies that will enable using these organisms to yield results unprecedented in their information content to better understand how toxicants affect development and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Planchart
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Carolyn J. Mattingly
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - David Allen
- Integrated Laboratory Systems, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Patricia Ceger
- Integrated Laboratory Systems, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Warren Casey
- National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - David Hinton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jyotshna Kanungo
- National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, USA
| | - Seth W. Kullman
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Tamara Tal
- Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Maria Bondesson
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Con Sullivan
- Department of Molecular & Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Carol Kim
- Department of Molecular & Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Mamta Behl
- Division of National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Stephanie Padilla
- Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - David M. Reif
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Robert L. Tanguay
- Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jon Hamm
- Integrated Laboratory Systems, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Harper B, Thomas D, Chikkagoudar S, Baker N, Tang K, Heredia-Langner A, Lins R, Harper S. Comparative hazard analysis and toxicological modeling of diverse nanomaterials using the embryonic zebrafish (EZ) metric of toxicity. JOURNAL OF NANOPARTICLE RESEARCH : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY FORUM FOR NANOSCALE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2015; 17:250. [PMID: 26069453 PMCID: PMC4454819 DOI: 10.1007/s11051-015-3051-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The integration of rapid assays, large datasets, informatics, and modeling can overcome current barriers in understanding nanomaterial structure-toxicity relationships by providing a weight-of-the-evidence mechanism to generate hazard rankings for nanomaterials. Here, we present the use of a rapid, low-cost assay to perform screening-level toxicity evaluations of nanomaterials in vivo. Calculated EZ Metric scores, a combined measure of morbidity and mortality in developing embryonic zebrafish, were established at realistic exposure levels and used to develop a hazard ranking of diverse nanomaterial toxicity. Hazard ranking and clustering analysis of 68 diverse nanomaterials revealed distinct patterns of toxicity related to both the core composition and outermost surface chemistry of nanomaterials. The resulting clusters guided the development of a surface chemistry-based model of gold nanoparticle toxicity. Our findings suggest that risk assessments based on the size and core composition of nanomaterials alone may be wholly inappropriate, especially when considering complex engineered nanomaterials. Research should continue to focus on methodologies for determining nanomaterial hazard based on multiple sub-lethal responses following realistic, low-dose exposures, thus increasing the availability of quantitative measures of nanomaterial hazard to support the development of nanoparticle structure-activity relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Harper
- />Oregon State University, 1007 ALS Building, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
| | - Dennis Thomas
- />Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA USA
| | | | - Nathan Baker
- />Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA USA
| | - Kaizhi Tang
- />Intelligent Automation, Inc., Rockville, MD USA
| | | | - Roberto Lins
- />CPqAM, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, FIOCRUZ-PE, Recife, PE 50.740-465 Brazil
| | - Stacey Harper
- />Oregon State University, 1007 ALS Building, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
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