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Shih YT, Cheng KC, Ko YJ, Lin CY, Wang MC, Lee CI, Lee PL, Qi R, Chiu JJ, Hsu SH. 3D-Printed proangiogenic patches of photo-crosslinked gelatin and polyurethane hydrogels laden with vascular cells for treating vascular ischemic diseases. Biomaterials 2024; 309:122600. [PMID: 38718614 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Engineering vascularized tissues remains a promising approach for treating ischemic cardiovascular diseases. The availability of 3D-bioprinted vascular grafts that induce therapeutic angiogenesis can help avoid necrosis and excision of ischemic tissues. Here, using a combination of living cells and biodegradable hydrogels, we fabricated 3D-printed biocompatible proangiogenic patches from endothelial cell-laden photo-crosslinked gelatin (EC-PCG) bioink and smooth muscle cell-encapsulated polyurethane (SMC-PU) bioink. Implantation of 3D-bioprinted proangiogenic patches in a mouse model showed that EC-PCG served as an angiogenic capillary bed, whereas patterned SMC-PU increased the density of microvessels. Moreover, the assembled patterns between EC-PCG and SMC-PU induced the geometrically guided generation of microvessels with blood perfusion. In a rodent model of hindlimb ischemia, the vascular patches rescued blood flow to distal tissues, prevented toe/foot necrosis, promoted muscle remodeling, and increased the capillary density, thereby improving the heat-escape behavior of ischemic animals. Thus, our 3D-printed vascular cell-laden bioinks constitute efficient and scalable biomaterials that facilitate the engineering of vascular patches capable of directing therapeutic angiogenesis for treating ischemic vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Tsung Shih
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Chih Cheng
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ju Ko
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yu Lin
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Cun Wang
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chih-I Lee
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Ling Lee
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Rong Qi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmaceutics and New Drug Delivery Systems, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Jeng-Jiann Chiu
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Heart Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
| | - Shan-Hui Hsu
- Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
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Diallo LH, Mariette J, Laugero N, Touriol C, Morfoisse F, Prats AC, Garmy-Susini B, Lacazette E. Specific Circular RNA Signature of Endothelial Cells: Potential Implications in Vascular Pathophysiology. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:680. [PMID: 38203852 PMCID: PMC10779679 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently characterized family of gene transcripts forming a covalently closed loop of single-stranded RNA. The extent of their potential for fine-tuning gene expression is still being discovered. Several studies have implicated certain circular RNAs in pathophysiological processes within vascular endothelial cells and cancer cells independently. However, to date, no comparative study of circular RNA expression in different types of endothelial cells has been performed and analysed through the lens of their central role in vascular physiology and pathology. In this work, we analysed publicly available and original RNA sequencing datasets from arterial, veinous, and lymphatic endothelial cells to identify common and distinct circRNA expression profiles. We identified 4713 distinct circRNAs in the compared endothelial cell types, 95% of which originated from exons. Interestingly, the results show that the expression profile of circular RNAs is much more specific to each cell type than linear RNAs, and therefore appears to be more suitable for distinguishing between them. As a result, we have discovered a specific circRNA signature for each given endothelial cell type. Furthermore, we identified a specific endothelial cell circRNA signature that is composed four circRNAs: circCARD6, circPLXNA2, circCASC15 and circEPHB4. These circular RNAs are produced by genes that are related to endothelial cell migration pathways and cancer progression. More detailed studies of their functions could lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in physiological and pathological (lymph)angiogenesis and might open new ways to tackle tumour spread through the vascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leïla Halidou Diallo
- U1297-I2MC, INSERM, University of Toulouse, 1 Avenue Jean Poulhes, BP 84225, 31432 Toulouse, France; (L.H.D.); (N.L.); (F.M.); (A.-C.P.); (B.G.-S.)
| | - Jérôme Mariette
- MIAT, University of Toulouse, INRAE, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France;
| | - Nathalie Laugero
- U1297-I2MC, INSERM, University of Toulouse, 1 Avenue Jean Poulhes, BP 84225, 31432 Toulouse, France; (L.H.D.); (N.L.); (F.M.); (A.-C.P.); (B.G.-S.)
| | - Christian Touriol
- UMR1037 INSERM, University of Toulouse, 2 Avenue Hubert Curien, 31100 Toulouse, France;
| | - Florent Morfoisse
- U1297-I2MC, INSERM, University of Toulouse, 1 Avenue Jean Poulhes, BP 84225, 31432 Toulouse, France; (L.H.D.); (N.L.); (F.M.); (A.-C.P.); (B.G.-S.)
| | - Anne-Catherine Prats
- U1297-I2MC, INSERM, University of Toulouse, 1 Avenue Jean Poulhes, BP 84225, 31432 Toulouse, France; (L.H.D.); (N.L.); (F.M.); (A.-C.P.); (B.G.-S.)
| | - Barbara Garmy-Susini
- U1297-I2MC, INSERM, University of Toulouse, 1 Avenue Jean Poulhes, BP 84225, 31432 Toulouse, France; (L.H.D.); (N.L.); (F.M.); (A.-C.P.); (B.G.-S.)
| | - Eric Lacazette
- U1297-I2MC, INSERM, University of Toulouse, 1 Avenue Jean Poulhes, BP 84225, 31432 Toulouse, France; (L.H.D.); (N.L.); (F.M.); (A.-C.P.); (B.G.-S.)
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UV-B Filter Octylmethoxycinnamate Alters the Vascular Contractility Patterns in Pregnant Women with Hypothyroidism. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9020115. [PMID: 33530401 PMCID: PMC7912698 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence relating the exposure and/or bioaccumulation of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) with cardiovascular system are arising. Octylmethoxycinnamate (OMC) is the most widely used UV-B filter and as EDC interacts with TH receptors. However, their effects on thyroid diseases during pregnancy remain unknown. The purpose of this work was to assess the short- and long-term effects of OMC on arterial tonus of pregnant women with hypothyroidism. To elucidate this, human umbilical artery (HUA) rings without endothelium were used to explore the vascular effects of OMC by arterial and cellular experiments. The binding energy and the modes of interaction of the OMC into the active center of the TSHR and THRα were analyzed by molecular docking studies. Our results indicated that OMC altered the contractility patterns of HUA contracted with serotonin, histamine and KCl, possibly due to an interference with serotonin and histamine receptors or an involvement of the Ca2+ channels. The molecular docking analysis show that OMC compete with T3 for the binding center of THRα. Taken together, these findings pointed out to alterations in HUA reactivity as result of OMC-exposure, which may be involved in the development and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
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Impacts of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) on angiogenic activities. Microvasc Res 2020; 134:104114. [PMID: 33232706 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2020.104114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
It has been proved that chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) has a more favorable therapeutic applications such as wound healing and anti-tumor treatment, and can affect angiogenesis. For better understanding the effect of COS on angiogenic activities at cellular level, COS with different concentration and degree of polymerization (DP) were used to culture human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in this work. Cell proliferation activity, cell morphology, cell migration and angiogenesis associated factor expression of HUVECs were evaluated. The results indicated that COS at a high concentration of 400 μg/mL (COS(400)) and DP of 6 (Chitinhexaose Hydrochloride, COS6) had inhibitory effect on angiogenic activities of HUVECs. Specifically, COS(400) and COS6 inhibited cell proliferation activity, cell migration, and vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) expression of HUVECs. While COS at a low concentration (<400 μg/mL) and suitable polymerization degrees (DP < 6) had little significant effect on cell proliferation, migration, and VEGF expression of HUVECs, showing dose-dependent effect. These findings provided insight for the potential use of COS, for broadening its future applications in biomedical fields and functional materials area. It also helped guide the design and synthesis of chitosan-based materials as an angiogenesis inhibitor for anti-angiogenic therapy.
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Sánchez Gutiérrez JF, Olaya-C M, Franco JA, Guevara J, Garzón-Alvarado DA, Gutiérrez Gómez ML. Effect of umbilical cord length on early fetal biomechanics. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2020; 24:91-100. [PMID: 32845161 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2020.1811980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The umbilical cord suspends the fetus within the amniotic cavity, where fetal dynamics is one of its many functions. Hence, the umbilical cord is a viable index in determining fetal activity. Fetal movements result in mechanical loads that are fundamental for fetal growth. At present, mechanical environment during early human fetal development is still largely unknown. To determine early fetal movement dynamics at given physiological (0.060 m) and pathological umbilical cord lengths (0.030 m, 0.020 m, 0.017 m and 0.014 m) a 2D computational model was created to simulate dynamic movement conditions. Main findings of this computational model revealed the shortest umbilical cord length (0.014 m) with a 6(10-6)N, twitch force amplitude had a two-fold increase on linear velocity (0.12 m/s) in comparison with other lengths (0.05m/s). Moreover, umbilical cord length effect presented an increasing exponential tension on the fetus body wall from longest to shortest, from 0 N in the control length to 0.05 N for the shortest umbilical cord. Last, tension was always present over a period of time for the shortest cord (0.03 N to 0.08 N). Collectively, for all variables evaluated the shortest umbilical cord (0.014 m) presented remarkable differences with other lengths in particular with the second shortest umbilical cord (0.017 m), suggesting a 0.003 m difference represents a greater biomechanical effect. In conclusion, this computational model brings new insights required by clinicians, where the magnitude of these loads could be associated with different pathologies found in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mercedes Olaya-C
- Hospital Universitario San Ignacio - Pontificia Universidad Javeriana,Bogota, Colombia.,Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jorge Andrés Franco
- Department of Morphological Sciences, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Johana Guevara
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - María Lucía Gutiérrez Gómez
- Department of Morphological Sciences, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.,Institute for Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
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6
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Li Y, Wang K, Zou QY, Jiang YZ, Zhou C, Zheng J. ITE Suppresses Angiogenic Responses in Human Artery and Vein Endothelial Cells: Differential Roles of AhR. Reprod Toxicol 2017; 74:181-188. [PMID: 28986273 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor is involved in regulation of many essential biological processes including vascular development and angiogenesis. 2-(1'H-indole-3'-carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE) is an AhR ligand, which regulates immune responses and cancer cell growth. However, the roles of the ITE/AhR pathway in mediating placental angiogenesis remains elusive. Here, we determined if ITE affected placental angiogenic responses via AhR in human umbilical vein (HUVECs) and artery endothelial (HUAECs) cells in vitro. We observed that ITE dose- and time-dependently inhibited proliferation and viability of HUAECs and HUVECs, whereas it inhibited migration of HUAECs, but not HUVECs. While AhR siRNA significantly suppressed AhR protein expression in HUVECs and HUAECs, it attenuated the ITE-inhibited angiogenic responses of HUAECs, but not HUVECs. Collectively, ITE suppressed angiogenic responses of HUAECs and HUVECs, dependent and independent of AhR, respectively. These data suggest that ITE may regulate placental angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Qing-Yun Zou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Yi-Zhou Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Chi Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Jing Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States; Cardiovascular Medicine Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524001, Guangdong, China.
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7
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Voronina N, Lemcke H, Wiekhorst F, Kühn JP, Frank M, Steinhoff G, David R. Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Magnetized miR-modified Endothelial Cells. J Vis Exp 2017:55567. [PMID: 28518114 PMCID: PMC5565141 DOI: 10.3791/55567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, the available surgical and pharmacological treatments for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are limited and often palliative. At the same time, gene and cell therapies are highly promising alternative approaches for CVD treatment. However, the broad clinical application of gene therapy is greatly limited by the lack of suitable gene delivery systems. The development of appropriate gene delivery vectors can provide a solution to current challenges in cell therapy. In particular, existing drawbacks, such as limited efficiency and low cell retention in the injured organ, could be overcome by appropriate cell engineering (i.e., genetic) prior to transplantation. The presented protocol describes the efficient and safe transient modification of endothelial cells using a polyethyleneimine superparamagnetic magnetic nanoparticle (PEI/MNP)-based delivery vector. Also, the algorithm and methods for cell characterization are defined. The successful intracellular delivery of microRNA (miR) into human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) has been achieved without affecting cell viability, functionality, or intercellular communication. Moreover, this approach was proven to cause a strong functional effect in introduced exogenous miR. Importantly, the application of this MNP-based vector ensures cell magnetization, with accompanying possibilities of magnetic targeting and non-invasive MRI tracing. This may provide a basis for magnetically guided, genetically engineered cell therapeutics that can be monitored non-invasively with MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Voronina
- Reference and Translation Center for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy (RTC), Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rostock
| | - Heiko Lemcke
- Reference and Translation Center for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy (RTC), Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rostock
| | | | - Jens-Peter Kühn
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald
| | - Markus Frank
- Electron Microscopy Center, University of Rostock
| | - Gustav Steinhoff
- Reference and Translation Center for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy (RTC), Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rostock
| | - Robert David
- Reference and Translation Center for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy (RTC), Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rostock;
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Sex-specific pharmacological modulation of autophagic process in human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells. Pharmacol Res 2016; 113:166-174. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Li Y, Wang K, Zou QY, Magness RR, Zheng J. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin differentially suppresses angiogenic responses in human placental vein and artery endothelial cells. Toxicology 2015; 336:70-8. [PMID: 26275813 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Placental angiogenesis is dramatically increased during pregnancy in association with the elevated placental blood flows to support the rapidly growing fetus. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is an environmental toxicant and a ligand of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Herein, we investigated the effects of TCDD on proliferation, migration, and viability of fetoplacental endothelial cells in response to a complete growth medium which contained serum and growth supplement using human umbilical cord vein (HUVECs) and artery (HUAECs) cells as models. We found that TCDD dose- and time-dependently inhibited (p < 0.05) proliferation of HUVECs and HUAECs. Treatment with TCDD at 10 nM for 6 days inhibited (p < 0.05) migration (by ∼ 30%) of HUAECs, but not HUVECs. TCDD at 10nM also decreased (p < 0.05) viability of HUVECs and HUAECs. Interestingly, specific AhR siRNA blocked (p < 0.05) the TCDD-inhibited cellular responses in HUAECs, but not HUVECs. Nonetheless, TCDD at 10nM neither affected the cell cycle progression, nor did it induce cell apoptosis in HUVECs and HUAECs. In addition, TCDD at 10 nM also did not alter activation of ERK1/2 and AKT1 in HUVECs and HUAECs. Collectively, TCDD suppresses proliferation and/or migration (two key steps of angiogenesis) of HUVECs and HUAECs independent and dependent of AhR, respectively. These data suggest that TCDD inhibited growth of HUVECs and HUAECs via decreasing cell viability. Thus, TCDD may inhibit fetoplacental angiogenesis, leading to negative pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200040, PR China
| | - Qing-Yun Zou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| | - Ronald R Magness
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; Departments of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| | - Jing Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524001, Guangdong, PR China.
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Addis R, Campesi I, Fois M, Capobianco G, Dessole S, Fenu G, Montella A, Cattaneo MG, Vicentini LM, Franconi F. Human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) have a sex: characterisation of the phenotype of male and female cells. Biol Sex Differ 2014; 5:18. [PMID: 25535548 PMCID: PMC4273493 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-014-0018-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) are widely used to study the endothelial physiology and pathology that might be involved in sex and gender differences detected at the cardiovascular level. This study evaluated whether HUVECs are sexually dimorphic in their morphological, proliferative and migratory properties and in the gene and protein expression of oestrogen and androgen receptors and nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3). Moreover, because autophagy is influenced by sex, its degree was analysed in male and female HUVECs (MHUVECs and FHUVECs). Methods Umbilical cords from healthy, normal weight male and female neonates born to healthy non-obese and non-smoking women were studied. HUVEC morphology was analysed by electron microscopy, and their function was investigated by proliferation, viability, wound healing and chemotaxis assays. Gene and protein expression for oestrogen and androgen receptors and for NOS3 were evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively, and the expression of the primary molecules involved in autophagy regulation [protein kinase B (Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)] were detected by Western blotting. Results Cell proliferation, migration NOS3 mRNA and protein expression were significantly higher in FHUVECs than in MHUVECs. Conversely, beclin-1 and the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio were higher in MHUVECs than in FHUVECs, indicating that male cells are more autophagic than female cells. The expression of oestrogen and androgen receptor genes and proteins, the protein expression of Akt and mTOR and cellular size and shape were not influenced by sex. Body weights of male and female neonates were not significantly different, but the weight of male babies positively correlated with the weight of the mother, suggesting that the mother’s weight may exert a different influence on male and female babies. Conclusions The results indicate that sex differences exist in prenatal life and are parameter-specific, suggesting that HUVECs of both sexes should be used as an in vitro model to increase the quality and the translational value of research. The sex differences observed in HUVECs could be relevant in explaining the diseases of adulthood because endothelial dysfunction has a crucial role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, neurodegeneration and immune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Addis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Ilaria Campesi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.,National Laboratory of Gender Medicine of the National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Osilo, Sassari Italy
| | - Marco Fois
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giampiero Capobianco
- Department of Surgical, Microsurgical and Medical Sciences, Gynaecologic and Obstetric Clinic, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Dessole
- Department of Surgical, Microsurgical and Medical Sciences, Gynaecologic and Obstetric Clinic, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Grazia Fenu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Andrea Montella
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Cattaneo
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Lucia M Vicentini
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Flavia Franconi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.,National Laboratory of Gender Medicine of the National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Osilo, Sassari Italy.,Assessorato alle Politiche per la Persona, Region Basilicata, Italy
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11
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Ivorra C, García-Vicent C, Chaves FJ, Monleón D, Morales JM, Lurbe E. Metabolomic profiling in blood from umbilical cords of low birth weight newborns. J Transl Med 2012; 10:142. [PMID: 22776444 PMCID: PMC3551816 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-10-142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low birth weight has been linked to an increased risk to develop obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension in adult life, although the mechanisms underlying the association are not well understood. The objective was to determine whether the metabolomic profile of plasma from umbilical cord differs between low and normal birth weight newborns. METHODS Fifty healthy pregnant women and their infants were selected. The eligibility criteria were being born at term and having a normal pregnancy. Pairs were grouped according to their birth weight: low birth weight (LBW, birth weight < 10th percentile, n = 20) and control (control, birth weight between the 75th-90th percentiles, n = 30). Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was used to generate metabolic fingerprints of umbilical cord plasma samples. Simultaneously, the metabolomic profiles of the mothers were analysed. The resulting data were subjected to chemometric, principal component and partial least squares discriminant analyses. RESULTS Umbilical cord plasma from LBW and control newborns displayed a clearly differentiated metabolic profile. Seven metabolites were identified that discriminate the LBW from the control group. LBW newborns had lower levels of choline, proline, glutamine, alanine and glucose than did the control newborns, while plasma levels of phenylalanine and citrulline were higher in LBW newborns (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups of mothers. CONCLUSIONS Low birth weight newborns display a differential metabolomic profile than those of normal birth weight, a finding not present in the mothers. The meaning and the potential utility of the findings as biomarkers of risk need to be addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ivorra
- Cardiovascular Risk Unit, Consorcio, Hospital General, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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12
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Polchow B, Kebbel K, Schmiedeknecht G, Reichardt A, Henrich W, Hetzer R, Lueders C. Cryopreservation of human vascular umbilical cord cells under good manufacturing practice conditions for future cell banks. J Transl Med 2012; 10:98. [PMID: 22591741 PMCID: PMC3422199 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-10-98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2012] [Accepted: 05/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In vitro fabricated tissue engineered vascular constructs could provide an alternative to conventional substitutes. A crucial factor for tissue engineering of vascular constructs is an appropriate cell source. Vascular cells from the human umbilical cord can be directly isolated and cryopreserved until needed. Currently no cell bank for human vascular cells is available. Therefore, the establishment of a future human vascular cell bank conforming to good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions is desirable for therapeutic applications such as tissue engineered cardiovascular constructs. Materials and methods A fundamental step was the adaption of conventional research and development starting materials to GMP compliant starting materials. Human umbilical cord artery derived cells (HUCAC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were isolated, cultivated, cryopreserved (short- and long-term) directly after primary culture and recultivated subsequently. Cell viability, expression of cellular markers and proliferation potential of fresh and cryopreserved cells were studied using trypan blue staining, flow cytometry analysis, immunofluorescence staining and proliferation assays. Statistical analyses were performed using Student’s t-test. Results Sufficient numbers of isolated cells with acceptable viabilities and homogenous expression of cellular markers confirmed that the isolation procedure was successful using GMP compliant starting materials. The influence of cryopreservation was marginal, because cryopreserved cells mostly maintain phenotypic and functional characteristics similar to those of fresh cells. Phenotypic studies revealed that fresh cultivated and cryopreserved HUCAC were positive for alpha smooth muscle actin, CD90, CD105, CD73, CD29, CD44, CD166 and negative for smoothelin. HUVEC expressed CD31, CD146, CD105 and CD144 but not alpha smooth muscle actin. Functional analysis demonstrated acceptable viability and sufficient proliferation properties of cryopreserved HUCAC and HUVEC. Conclusion Adaptation of cell isolation, cultivation and cryopreservation to GMP compliant starting materials was successful. Cryopreservation did not influence cell properties with lasting impact, confirming that the application of vascular cells from the human umbilical cord is feasible for cell banking. A specific cellular marker expression profile was established for HUCAC and HUVEC using flow cytometry analysis, applicable as a GMP compliant quality control. Use of these cells for the future fabrication of advanced therapy medicinal products GMP conditions are required by the regulatory authority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Polchow
- German Heart Institute Berlin, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Laboratory for Tissue Engineering, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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Fu H, Luo F, Yang L, Wu W, Liu X. Hypoxia stimulates the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in human vascular smooth muscle cells via HIF-1alpha dependent pathway. BMC Cell Biol 2010; 11:66. [PMID: 20727156 PMCID: PMC2931459 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2121-11-66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2010] [Accepted: 08/20/2010] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hypoxia plays an important role in vascular remodeling and directly affects vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) functions. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a well known proinflammatory factor, and recent evidence suggests an important role of MIF in the progression of atherosclerosis and restenosis. However, the potential link between hypoxia and MIF in VSMC has not been investigated. The current study was designed to test whether hypoxia could regulate MIF expression in human VSMC. The effect of modulating MIF expression on hypoxia-induced VSMC proliferation and migration was also investigated at the same time. Results Expression of MIF mRNA and protein was up-regulated as early as 2 hours in cultured human VSMCs after exposed to moderate hypoxia condition (3% O2). The up-regulation of MIF expression appears to be dependent on hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1α(HIF-1α) since knockdown of HIF-1α inhibits the hypoxia induction of MIF gene and protein expression. The hypoxia induced expression of MIF was attenuated by antioxidant treatment as well as by inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Under moderate hypoxia conditions (3% O2), both cell proliferation and cell migration were increased in VSMC cells. Blocking the MIF by specific small interference RNA to MIF (MIF-shRNA) resulted in the suppression of proliferation and migration of VSMCs. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that in VSMCs, hypoxia increased MIF gene expression and protein production. The hypoxia-induced HIF-1α activation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and ERK activation might be involved in this response. Both MIF and HIF-1α mediated the hypoxia response of vascular smooth muscle cells, including cell migration and proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Fu
- Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Pan P, Fu H, Zhang L, Huang H, Luo F, Wu W, Guo Y, Liu X. Angiotensin II upregulates the expression of placental growth factor in human vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. BMC Cell Biol 2010; 11:36. [PMID: 20500895 PMCID: PMC2885991 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2121-11-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2009] [Accepted: 05/26/2010] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Atherosclerosis is now recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a critical factor in inflammatory responses, which promotes the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family cytokines and is associated with inflammatory progress of atherosclerosis. However, the potential link between PlGF and Ang II has not been investigated. In the current study, whether Ang II could regulate PlGF expression, and the effect of PlGF on cell proliferation, was investigated in human vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Results In growth-arrested human VECs and VSMCs, Ang II induced PlGF mRNA expression after 4 hour treatment, and peaked at 24 hours. 10-6 mol/L Ang II increased PlGF protein production after 8 hour treatment, and peaked at 24 hours. Stimulation with Ang II also induced mRNA expression of VEGF receptor-1 and -2(VEGFR-1 and -2) in these cells. The Ang II type I receptor (AT1R) antagonist blocked Ang II-induced PlGF gene expression and protein production. Several intracellular signals elicited by Ang II were involved in PlGF synthesis, including activation of protein kinase C, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and PI3-kinase. A neutralizing antibody against PlGF partially inhibited the Ang II-induced proliferation of VECs and VSMCs. However, this antibody showed little effect on the basal proliferation in these cells, whereas blocking antibody of VEGF could suppress both basal and Ang II-induced proliferation in VECs and VSMCs. Conclusion Our results showed for the first time that Ang II could induce the gene expression and protein production of PlGF in VECs and VSMCs, which might play an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingxi Pan
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Human Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Abstract
Cardiovascular complications occurring in adults find their roots in risk factors operating early in life. Among the factors influencing cardiovascular risk, blood pressure values in children represent an important measurable marker of the level of potential cardiovascular risk later in life because the levels are both the cause and the consequence of early vascular alterations. Early vascular phenotypes represent a field of great interest, and they can be studied through indirect assessment using non-invasive techniques. Estimations of blood pressure components, pulse wave velocity, and reflecting waves provide valuable information that can be easily recorded and repeated overtime. A direct assessment, carried out by examining the umbilical vessels, can add further valuable information. In this review, we discuss the potential application of surrogate markers of early vascular alterations and describe the information provided by umbilical cord vessels.
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