Expression of neuronal NO synthase α- and β-isoforms in skeletal muscle of mice

Knowledge of the primary structure of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) in skeletal muscle is still conflicting and needs further clarification. To elucidate the expression patterns of nNOS isoforms at both mRNA and protein level, systematic reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and epitope mapping by qualitative immunoblot analysis on skeletal muscle of C57/BL6 mice were performed. The ability of the nNOS isoforms to form aggregates was characterized by native low-temperature polyacrylamide electrophoresis (LT-PAGE). The molecular analysis was focused on the rectus femoris (RF) muscle, a skeletal muscle with a nearly balanced ratio of nNOS α- and β-isoforms. RT-PCR amplificates from RF muscles showed exclusive exon-1d mRNA expression, either with or without exon-μ. Epitope mapping demonstrated the simultaneous expression of the nNOS splice variants α/μ, α/non-μ, β/μ and β/non-μ. Furthermore, immunoblotting suggests that the transition between nNOS α- and β-isoforms lies within exon-3. In LT-PAGE, three protein nNOS associated aggregates were detected in homogenates of RF muscle and tibialis anterior muscle: a 320 kDa band containing nNOS α-isoforms, while 250 and 300 kDa bands consist of nNOS β-isoforms that form homodimers or heterodimers with non-nNOS proteins.

Deep learning-based classification of the capillary ultrastructure in human skeletal muscles

Background

Capillary ultrastructure in human skeletal muscles is dynamic and prone to alterations in response to many stimuli, e.g., systemic pathologies such as diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, several studies have been conducted to quantify the capillary ultrastructure by means of morphometry. Deep learning techniques like convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are utilized to extract data-driven characteristics and to recognize patterns. Hence, the aim of this study was to train a CNN to identify morphometric patterns that differ between capillaries in muscle biopsies of healthy participants and patients with systemic pathologies for the purpose of hypothesis generation.

Methods

In this retrospective study we used 1810 electron micrographs from human skeletal muscle capillaries derived from 70 study participants which were classified as "healthy" controls or "patients" in dependence of the absence or presence of a documented history of diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension or peripheral arterial disease. Using these micrographs, a pre-trained open-access CNN (ResNet101) was trained to discriminate between micrographs of capillaries of the two groups. The CNN with the highest diagnostic accuracies during training were subsequently compared with manual quantitative analysis of the capillary ultrastructure to distinguish between "healthy" controls and patients.

Results

Using classification into controls or patients as allocation reference, receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC)-analysis of manually obtained BM thickness showed the best diagnostic accuracy of all morphometric indicators (area under the ROC-curve (AUC): 0.657 ± 0.050). The best performing CNN demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy of 79% (sensitivity 93%, specificity 92%). DeLong-Test of the ROC-curves showed a significant difference (p < 0.001) between the AUC of the best performing CNN and the BM thickness. The underlying morphology responsible for the network prediction focuses mainly on debridement of pericytes.

Conclusion

The hypothesis-generating approach using pretrained CNN distinguishes between capillaries depicted on electron micrographs of "healthy" controls and participants with a systemic pathology more accurately than by commonly used morphometric analysis.

Post-COVID exercise intolerance is associated with capillary alterations and immune dysregulations in skeletal muscles

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic not only resulted in millions of acute infections worldwide, but also in many cases of post-infectious syndromes, colloquially referred to as "long COVID". Due to the heterogeneous nature of symptoms and scarcity of available tissue samples, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We present an in-depth analysis of skeletal muscle biopsies obtained from eleven patients suffering from enduring fatigue and post-exertional malaise after an infection with SARS-CoV-2. Compared to two independent historical control cohorts, patients with post-COVID exertion intolerance had fewer capillaries, thicker capillary basement membranes and increased numbers of CD169+ macrophages. SARS-CoV-2 RNA could not be detected in the muscle tissues. In addition, complement system related proteins were more abundant in the serum of patients with PCS, matching observations on the transcriptomic level in the muscle tissue. We hypothesize that the initial viral infection may have caused immune-mediated structural changes of the microvasculature, potentially explaining the exercise-dependent fatigue and muscle pain.

nNOS Increases Fiber Type-Specific Angiogenesis in Skeletal Muscle of Mice in Response to Endurance Exercise

We studied the relationship between neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) expression and capillarity in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of mice subjected to treadmill training. The mRNA (+131%) and protein (+63%) levels of nNOS were higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the TA muscle of C57BL/6 mice undergoing treadmill training for 28 days than in those of littermates remaining sedentary, indicating an up-regulation of nNOS by endurance exercise. Both TA muscles of 16 C57BL/6 mice were subjected to gene electroporation with either the pIRES2-ZsGreen1 plasmid (control plasmid) or the pIRES2-ZsGreen1-nNOS gene-inserted plasmid (nNOS plasmid). Subsequently, one group of mice (n = 8) underwent treadmill training for seven days, while the second group of mice (n = 8) remained sedentary. At study end, 12-18% of TA muscle fibers expressed the fluorescent reporter gene ZsGreen1. Immunofluorescence for nNOS was 23% higher (p ≤ 0.05) in ZsGreen1-positive fibers than ZsGreen1-negative fibers from the nNOS-transfected TA muscle of mice subjected to treadmill training. Capillary contacts around myosin heavy-chain (MHC)-IIb immunoreactive fibers (14.2%; p ≤ 0.05) were only higher in ZsGreen1-positive fibers than ZsGreen1-negative fibers in the nNOS-plasmid-transfected TA muscles of trained mice. Our observations are in line with an angiogenic effect of quantitative increases in nNOS expression, specifically in type-IIb muscle fibers after treadmill training.

Basement Membrane Remodeling Controls Endothelial Function in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

The extracellular matrix (ECM) increasingly emerges as an active driver in several diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). The basement membrane (BM) is a specialized class of ECM proteins. In pulmonary arteries, the BM is in close contact and direct proximity to vascular cells, including endothelial cells. So far, the role of the BM has remained underinvestigated in IPAH. Here, we aimed to shed light on the involvement of the BM in IPAH, by addressing its structure, composition, and function. On an ultrastructural level, we observed a marked increase in BM thickness in IPAH pulmonary vessels. BM composition was distinct in small and large vessels and altered in IPAH. Proteoglycans were mostly responsible for distinction between smaller and larger vessels, whereas BM collagens and laminins were more abundantly expressed in IPAH. Type IV collagen and laminin both strengthened endothelial barrier integrity. However, only type IV collagen concentration dependently increased cell adhesion of both donor and IPAH-derived pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs) and induced nuclear translocation of mechanosensitive transcriptional coactivator of the hippo pathway YAP (Yes-activated protein). On the other hand, laminin caused cytoplasmic retention of YAP in IPAH PAECs. Accordingly, silencing of COL4A5 and LAMC1, respectively, differentially affected tight junction formation and barrier integrity in both donor and IPAH PAECs. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of a well-maintained BM homeostasis. By linking changes in BM structure and composition to altered endothelial cell function, we here suggest an active involvement of the BM in IPAH pathogenesis.

Capillary facilitation of skeletal muscle function in health and disease

Skeletal muscle is highly vascularized, with perfusion being tightly regulated to meet wide-ranging metabolic demands. For decades, the capillary supply has been explored mainly in terms of evaluating the capillary numbers and their function in the supply of oxygen and substrates and the removal of metabolic byproducts. This review will focus on recent discoveries concerning the role played by capillaries in facilitating other aspects of cell regulation and maintenance, in health and disease, as well as alterations during the aging process.

Novelty Capillaries play a central role in the coordination of the vascular response that controls blood flow during contraction and the cellular responses to which they feed into. Nitric oxide is an important regulatory compound within the cardiovascular system, and a significant contributor to skeletal muscle capillary angiogenesis and vasodilatory response to agonists. The microvascular network between muscle fibres may play a critical role in the distribution of signalling factors necessary for optimal muscle satellite cell function.

Structural Microangiopathies in Skeletal Muscle Related to Systemic Vascular Pathologies in Humans

It is unclear how microangiopathic changes in skeletal muscle vary among systemic vascular pathologies. We therefore analyzed the capillary fine structure in skeletal muscle from patients with arterial hypertension (HYPT), diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) or intermittent claudication – peripheral arterial disease (IC/PAD). Tablet-based image analysis (TBIA) was carried out to largely re-evaluate 5,000 transmission electron micrographs of capillaries from 126 vastus lateralis biopsies of 75 individuals (HYPT, T2DM or IC/PAD patients as well as healthy individuals before and after endurance exercise training) used in previous morphometric studies, but assessed using stereological counting grids of different sizes. Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) of mouse skeletal muscle was used for validation of the particular fine structural events observed in human biopsies. The peri-capillary basement membrane (BM) was 38.5 and 45.5% thicker (P < 0.05) in T2DM and IC/PAD patients than in the other groups. A 17.7–39.6% lower (P < 0.05) index for intraluminal endothelial cell (EC) surface enlargement by projections was exclusively found in T2DM patients by TBIA morphometry. The proportion of capillaries with disrupted BM between pericytes (PC) and EC was higher (P < 0.05) in HYPT (33.2%) and T2DM (38.7%) patients than in the control group. Empty EC-sockets were more frequent (P < 0.05) in the three patient groups (20.6% in HYPT, 27.1% in T2DM, 30.0% in IC/PAD) than in the healthy individuals. SBFSEM confirmed that EC-sockets may exhibit close proximity to the capillary lumen. Our comparative morphometric analysis demonstrated that structural arrangement of skeletal muscle capillaries is more affected in T2DM than in HYPT or IC/PAD, although some similar elements of remodeling were found. The increased frequency of empty EC-sockets in the three patient groups indicates that the PC-EC interaction is commonly disturbed in these systemic vascular pathologies.

The effect of two exercise modalities on skeletal muscle capillary ultrastructure in individuals with type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is associated with microvascular dysfunction, but little is known about how capillary ultrastructure is affected by exercise training. To investigate the effect of two types of exercise training on skeletal muscle capillary ultrastructure and capillarization in individuals with type 2 diabetes, 21 individuals with type 2 diabetes were allocated (randomized controlled trial) to 11 weeks of aerobic exercise training consisting of either moderate-intensity endurance training (END; n = 10) or low-volume high-intensity interval training (HIIT; n = 11). Skeletal muscle biopsies (m vastus lateralis) were obtained before and after the training intervention. At baseline, there was no difference in capillarization, capillary structure, and exercise hyperemia between the two groups. After the training intervention, capillary-to-fiber ratio increased by 8% ± 3% in the END group (P < 0.05) and was unchanged in the HIIT group with no difference between groups. Endothelium thickness increased (P < 0.05), basement membrane thickness decreased (P < 0.05), and the capillary lumen tended (P = 0.07) to increase in the END group, whereas these structural indicators were unchanged after HIIT. In contrast, skeletal muscle endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) increased after HIIT (P < 0.05), but not END, whereas there was no change in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), superoxide dismutase (SOD)-2, or NADPH oxidase after both training protocols. In contrast to END training, HIIT did not alter capillarization or capillary structure in individuals with type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, HIIT appears to be a less effective strategy to treat capillary rarefaction and reduce basement thickening in type 2 diabetes.

Shear Stress Modulates the Expression of Thrombospondin-1 and CD36 in Endothelial Cells in vitro and during Shear Stress-Induced Angiogenesis in vivo

Binding of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) to the CD36 receptor inhibits angiogenesis and induces apoptosis in endothelial cells (EC). Conversely, matrix-bound TSP-1 supports vessel formation. In this study we analyzed the shear stress-dependent expression of TSP-1 and CD36 in endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo to reveal its putative role in the blood flow-induced remodelling of vascular networks. Shear stress was applied to EC using a cone-and-plate apparatus and gene expression was analyzed by RT-PCR, Northern and Western blot. Angiogenesis in skeletal muscles of prazosin-fed (50 mg/1 drinking water; 4 d) mice was assessed by measuring capillary-to-fiber (C/F) ratios. Protein expression in whole muscle homogenates (WMH) or BS-1 lectin-enriched EC fractions (ECF) was analyzed by Western blot. Shear stress down-regulated TSP-1 and CD36 expression in vitro in a force- and time-dependent manner sustained for at least 72 h and reversible by restoration of no-flow conditions. In vivo, shear stress-driven increase of C/F in prazosin-fed mice was associated with reduced expression of TSP-1 and CD36 in ECF, while TSP-1 expression in WMH was increased. Down-regulation of endothelial TSP-1/CD36 by shear stress suggests a mechanism for inhibition of apoptosis in perfused vessels and pruning in the absence of flow. The increase of extra-endothelial (e.g. matrix-bound) TSP-1 could support a splitting type of vessel growth.

Increased capillary tortuosity and pericapillary basement membrane thinning in skeletal muscle of mice undergoing running wheel training

To work out which microvascular remodeling processes occur in murine skeletal muscle during endurance exercise, we subjected C57BL/6 mice to voluntary running wheel training for 1 week (1 wk-t) or 6 weeks (6 wks-t). By means of morphometry, the capillarity as well as the compartmental and sub-compartmental structure of the capillaries were quantitatively described at the light microscopy level and at the electron microscopy level, respectively, in the plantaris (PLNT) muscle of the exercising mice in comparison to untrained littermates. In the early phase of the training (1 wk-t), angiogenesis [32% higher capillary/fiber (C/F) ratio; P<0.05] in PLNT muscle was accompanied by a tendency for capillary lumen enlargement (30%; P=0.06) and a reduction of the pericapillary basement membrane thickness [(CBMT) 12.7%; P=0.09] as well as a 21% shortening of intraluminal protrusion length (P<0.05), all compared with controls. After long-term training (6 wks-t), when the mice reached a steady state in running activity, additional angiogenesis (C/F ratio: 76%; P<0.05) and a 16.3% increase in capillary tortuosity (P<0.05) were established, accompanied by reversal of the lumen expansion (23%; P>0.05), further reduction of the CBMT (16.5%; P<0.05) and additional shortening of the intraluminal protrusion length (23%; P<0.05), all compared with controls. Other structural indicators, such as capillary profile sizes, profile area densities, perimeters of the capillary compartments and concentrations of endothelium-pericyte peg-socket junctions, were not significantly different between the mouse groups. Besides angiogenesis, increase of capillary tortuosity and reduction of CBMT represent the most striking microvascular remodeling processes in skeletal muscle of mice that undergo running wheel training.

Morphometry of skeletal muscle capillaries: the relationship between capillary ultrastructure and ageing in humans

AIM

To determine whether the ultrastructure of the capillary system in human skeletal muscle changes during advancing senescence, we evaluated the compartmental and subcompartmental organization of capillaries from vastus lateralis muscle (VL) biopsies of 41 non-diseased persons aged 23-75 years.

METHODS

From each VL biopsy, 38-40 randomly selected capillaries were assessed by transmission electron microscopy and subsequent morphometry with a newly established tablet-based image analysis technique.

RESULTS

Quantification of the compartmental organization revealed most indicators of the capillary ultrastructure to be only non-significantly altered (P > 0.05) over age. However, the peri-capillary basement membrane (BM) was thicker in the older participants than in the younger ones (P ≤ 0.05). Regression analysis revealed a bipartite relationship between the two parameters: a homogenous slight increase in BM thickness up to the age of approximately 50 years was followed by a second phase with more scattered BM thickness values. In 44.5% of the capillary profiles, projections/filopodia of the pericytes (PCs) traversed the BM and invaded endothelial cells (ECs) visible as PC pegs in pale cytoplasm holes (EC sockets). Strikingly, PC pegs were often in proximity to the EC nucleus. In PC profiles, sockets were likewise detected in 14.2% of the capillaries. Within these PC sockets, cellular profiles were frequently seen, which could be assigned to EC filopodia, internal PC curling or PC-PC interactions. Quantification of the occurrence of peg-socket junctions revealed the proportions of empty EC sockets and empty PC sockets to increase (P ≤ 0.05) during ageing.

CONCLUSION

Our investigation demonstrates advancing senescence to be associated with increase in BM thickness and loss of EC and PC filopodia length in skeletal muscle capillaries.

Pericapillary basement membrane thickening in human skeletal muscles

The basement membrane (BM) surrounding capillaries in skeletal muscles varies physiologically in thickness according to age, physical fitness, and anatomical site in humans. Furthermore, the pericapillary BM thickness (CBMT) increases pathophysiologically during several common disease states, including peripheral arterial disease and diabetes mellitus. This review on CBM thickening in human skeletal muscles is two pronged. First, it addresses the advantages/disadvantages of grid- and tablet-based measuring and morphometric techniques that are implemented to assess the CBMT on transmission electron micrographs. Second, it deals with the biology of CBM thickening in skeletal muscles, particularly its possible causes, molecular mechanisms, and functional impact. CBM thickening is triggered by several physical factors, including diabetes-associated glycation, hydrostatic pressure, and inflammation. Increased biosynthesis of type IV collagen expression or repetitive cycles in pericyte or endothelial cell degeneration/proliferation appear to be most critical for CBM accumulation. A thickened CBM obviously poses a greater barrier for diffusion, lowers the microvascular elasticity, and impedes transcytosis of inflammatory cells. Our own morphometric data reveal the CBM enlargement to be not accompanied by the pericyte coverage. Owing to an overlap or redundancy in the capillary supply, CBM thickening in skeletal muscles might not be such a devastating occurrence as in organs with endarterial circulation (e.g., kidney and retina). CBM growth in skeletal muscles can be reversed by training or administration of antidiabetic drugs. In conclusion, CBM thickening in skeletal muscles is a microvascular remodeling process by which metabolic, hemodynamic, and inflammatory forces are integrated together and which could play a hitherto underestimated role in etiology/progression of human diseases.

Capillary ultrastructure and mitochondrial volume density in skeletal muscle in relation to reduced exercise capacity of patients with intermittent claudication

Intermittent claudication (IC) is the most commonly reported symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Impaired limb blood flow is a major casual factor of lower exercise tolerance in PAD but cannot entirely explain it. We hypothesized that IC is associated with structural changes of the capillary-mitochondria interface that could contribute to the reduction of exercise tolerance in IC patients. Capillary and mitochondrial morphometry were performed after light and transmission electron microscopy using vastus lateralis muscle biopsies of 14 IC patients and 10 age-matched controls, and peak power output (PPO) was determined for all participants using an incremental single-leg knee-extension protocol. Capillary density was lower (411 ± 90 mm−2 vs. 506 ± 95 mm−2; P ≤ 0.05) in the biopsies of the IC patients than in those of the controls. The basement membrane (BM) around capillaries was thicker (543 ± 82 nm vs. 423 ± 97 nm; P ≤ 0.01) and the volume density of mitochondria was lower (3.51 ± 0.56% vs. 4.60 ± 0.74%; P ≤ 0.01) in the IC patients than the controls. In the IC patients, a higher proportion of capillaries appeared with collapsed slit-like lumen and/or swollen endothelium. PPO was lower (18.5 ± 9.9 W vs. 33.5 ± 9.4 W; P ≤ 0.01) in the IC patients than the controls. We suggest that several structural alterations in skeletal muscle, either collectively or separately, contribute to the reduction of exercise tolerance in IC patients.

Advances and challenges in skeletal muscle angiogenesis

The role of capillaries is to serve as the interface for delivery of oxygen and removal of metabolites to/from tissues. During the past decade there has been a proliferation of studies that have advanced our understanding of angiogenesis, demonstrating that tissue capillary supply is under strict control during health but poorly controlled in disease, resulting in either excessive capillary growth (pathological angiogenesis) or losses in capillarity (rarefaction). Given that skeletal muscle comprises nearly 40% of body mass in humans, skeletal muscle capillary density has a significant impact on metabolism, endocrine function, and locomotion and is tightly regulated at many different levels. Skeletal muscle is also high adaptable and thus one of the few organ systems that can be experimentally manipulated (e.g., by exercise) to study physiological regulation of angiogenesis. This review will focus on the methodological concerns that have arisen in determining skeletal muscle capillarity and highlight the concepts that are reshaping our understanding of the angio-adaptation process. We also summarize selected new findings (physical influences, molecular changes, and ultrastructural rearrangement of capillaries) that identify areas of future research with the greatest potential to expand our understanding of how angiogenesis is normally regulated, and that may also help to better understand conditions of uncontrolled (pathological) angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis-related ultrastructural changes to capillaries in human skeletal muscle in response to endurance exercise

The ultrastructure of capillaries in skeletal muscle was morphometrically assessed in vastus lateralis muscle (VL) biopsies taken before and after exercise from 22 participants of two training studies. In study 1 (8 wk of ergometer training), light microscopy revealed capillary-fiber (C/F) ratio (+27%) and capillary density (+16%) to be higher (P ≤ 0.05) in postexercise biopsies than in preexercise biopsies from all 10 participants. In study 2 (6 mo of moderate running), C/F ratio and capillary density were increased (+23% and +20%; respectively, P ≤ 0.05) in VL biopsies from 6 angiogenesis responders (AR) after training, whereas 6 nonangiogenesis responders (NR) showed nonsignificant changes in these structural indicators (-4%/-4%, respectively). Forty capillary profiles per participant were evaluated by point and intersection counting on cross sections after transmission electron microscopy. In study 1, volume density (Vv) and mean arithmetic thickness (T) of endothelial cells (ECs; +19%/+17%, respectively) and pericytes (PCs; +20%/+21%, respectively) were higher (P ≤ 0.05), whereas Vv and T of the pericapillary basement membrane (BM) were -23%/-22% lower (P ≤ 0.05), respectively, in posttraining biopsies. In study 2, exercise-related differences between AR and NR-groups were found for Vv and T of PCs (AR, +26%/+22%, respectively, both P ≤ 0.05; NR, +1%/-3%, respectively, both P > 0.05) and BM (AR, -14%/-13%, respectively, both P ≤ 0.05; NR, -9%/-11%, respectively, P = 0.07/0.10). Vv and T of ECs were higher (AR, +16%/+18%, respectively; NR, +6%/+6%, respectively; all P ≤ 0.05) in both groups. The PC coverage was higher (+13%, P ≤ 0.05) in VL biopsies of individuals in the AR group but nonsignificantly altered (+3%, P > 0.05) in those of the NR group after training. Our study suggests that intensified PC mobilization and BM thinning are related to exercise-induced angiogenesis in human skeletal muscle, whereas training per se induces EC-thickening.

Capillary growth, ultrastructure remodelling and exercise training in skeletal muscle of essential hypertensive patients

AIM

The aim was to elucidate whether essential hypertension is associated with altered capillary morphology and density and to what extent exercise training can normalize these parameters.

METHODS

To investigate angiogenesis and capillary morphology in essential hypertension, muscle biopsies were obtained from m. vastus lateralis in subjects with essential hypertension (n = 10) and normotensive controls (n = 11) before and after 8 weeks of aerobic exercise training. Morphometry was performed after transmission electron microscopy, and protein levels of several angioregulatory factors were determined.

RESULTS

At baseline, capillary density and capillary-to-fibre ratio were not different between the two groups. However, the hypertensive subjects had 9% lower capillary area (12.7 ± 0.4 vs. 13.9 ± 0.2 μm(2)) and tended to have thicker capillary basement membranes (399 ± 16 vs. 358 ± 13 nm; P = 0.094) than controls. Protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor-2 and thrombospondin-1 were similar in normotensive and hypertensive subjects, but tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase was 69% lower in the hypertensive group. After training, angiogenesis was evident by 15% increased capillary-to-fibre ratio in the hypertensive subjects only. Capillary area and capillary lumen area were increased by 7 and 15% in the hypertensive patients, whereas capillary basement membrane thickness was decreased by 17% (P < 0.05). VEGF expression after training was increased in both groups, whereas VEGF receptor-2 was decreased by 25% in the hypertensive patients(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Essential hypertension is associated with decreased lumen area and a tendency for increased basement membrane thickening in capillaries of skeletal muscle. Exercise training may improve the diffusion conditions in essential hypertension by altering capillary structure and capillary number.

Endogenous α-calcitonin-gene-related peptide promotes exercise-induced, physiological heart hypertrophy in mice

AIM

It is unknown how the heart distinguishes various overloads, such as exercise or hypertension, causing either physiological or pathological hypertrophy. We hypothesize that alpha-calcitonin-gene-related peptide (αCGRP), known to be released from contracting skeletal muscles, is key at this remodelling.

METHODS

The hypertrophic effect of αCGRP was measured in vitro (cultured cardiac myocytes) and in vivo (magnetic resonance imaging) in mice. Exercise performance was assessed by determination of maximum oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion. Cardiac phenotype was defined by transcriptional analysis, cardiac histology and morphometry. Finally, we measured spontaneous activity, body fat content, blood volume, haemoglobin mass and skeletal muscle capillarization and fibre composition.

RESULTS

While αCGRP exposure yielded larger cultured cardiac myocytes, exercise-induced heart hypertrophy was completely abrogated by treatment with the peptide antagonist CGRP(8-37). Exercise performance was attenuated in αCGRP(-/-) mice or CGRP(8-37) treated wild-type mice but improved in animals with higher density of cardiac CGRP receptors (CLR-tg). Spontaneous activity, body fat content, blood volume, haemoglobin mass, muscle capillarization and fibre composition were unaffected, whereas heart index and ventricular myocyte volume were reduced in αCGRP(-/-) mice and elevated in CLR-tg. Transcriptional changes seen in αCGRP(-/-) (but not CLR-tg) hearts resembled maladaptive cardiac phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

Alpha-calcitonin-gene-related peptide released by skeletal muscles during exercise is a hitherto unrecognized effector directing the strained heart into physiological instead of pathological adaptation. Thus, αCGRP agonists might be beneficial in heart failure patients.

Molecular mechanisms of muscle plasticity with exercise

The skeletal muscle phenotype is subject to considerable malleability depending on use. Low-intensity endurance type exercise leads to qualitative changes of muscle tissue characterized mainly by an increase in structures supporting oxygen delivery and consumption. High-load strength-type exercise leads to growth of muscle fibers dominated by an increase in contractile proteins. In low-intensity exercise, stress-induced signaling leads to transcriptional upregulation of a multitude of genes with Ca(2+) signaling and the energy status of the muscle cells sensed through AMPK being major input determinants. Several parallel signaling pathways converge on the transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α, perceived as being the coordinator of much of the transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes. High-load training is dominated by a translational upregulation controlled by mTOR mainly influenced by an insulin/growth factor-dependent signaling cascade as well as mechanical and nutritional cues. Exercise-induced muscle growth is further supported by DNA recruitment through activation and incorporation of satellite cells. Crucial nodes of strength and endurance exercise signaling networks are shared making these training modes interdependent. Robustness of exercise-related signaling is the consequence of signaling being multiple parallel with feed-back and feed-forward control over single and multiple signaling levels. We currently have a good descriptive understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling muscle phenotypic plasticity. We lack understanding of the precise interactions among partners of signaling networks and accordingly models to predict signaling outcome of entire networks. A major current challenge is to verify and apply available knowledge gained in model systems to predict human phenotypic plasticity.

Phenotype of capillaries in skeletal muscle of nNOS-knockout mice

Because neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) has a well-known impact on arteriolar blood flow in skeletal muscle, we compared the ultrastructure and the hemodynamics of/in the ensuing capillaries in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of male nNOS-knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) littermates. The capillary-to-fiber (C/F) ratio (-9.1%) was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in the nNOS-KO mice than in the WT mice, whereas the mean cross-sectional fiber area (-7.8%) and the capillary density (-3.1%) varied only nonsignificantly (P > 0.05). Morphometrical estimation of the area occupied by the capillaries as well as the volume and surface densities of the subcellular compartments differed nonsignificantly (P > 0.05) between the two strains. Intravital microscopy revealed neither the capillary diameter (+3% in nNOS-KO mice vs. WT mice) nor the mean velocity of red blood cells in EDL muscle (+25% in nNOS-KO mice vs. WT mice) to significantly vary (P > 0.05) between the two strains. The calculated shear stress in the capillaries was likewise nonsignificantly different (3.8 ± 2.2 dyn/cm² in nNOS-KO mice and 2.1 ± 2.2 dyn/cm² in WT mice; P > 0.05). The mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A were lower in the EDL muscle of nNOS-KO mice than in the WT littermates (-37%; P ≤ 0.05), whereas mRNA levels of VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) (-11%), hypoxia inducible factor-1α (+9%), fibroblast growth factor-2 (-14%), and thrombospondin-1 (-10%) differed nonsignificantly (P > 0.05). Our findings support the contention that VEGF-A mRNA expression and C/F-ratio but not the ultrastructure or the hemodynamics of/in capillaries in skeletal muscle at basal conditions depend on the expression of nNOS.

Terahertz and far-infrared synchrotron spectroscopy and global modeling of methyl mercaptan, CH3(32)SH

In this work, terahertz and Fourier transform far-infrared (FTFIR) synchrotron spectra of methyl mercaptan, CH(3)SH, have been investigated in order to provide new laboratory information for enhanced observations of this species in interstellar molecular clouds and star-forming regions. Like its methanol cousin, methyl mercaptan has particularly rich spectra associated with its large-amplitude internal rotation that extend throughout the THz and FIR regions. We have recorded new spectra for CH(3)SH from 1.1-1.5 and 1.790-1.808 THz at the University of Cologne as well as high-resolution FTFIR synchrotron spectra from 50-550 cm(-1) at 0.001 cm(-1) resolution on the far-IR beam-line at the Canadian Light Source. Assignments are reported for rotational quantum numbers up to J ≈ 40 and K ≈ 15, and torsional states up to v(t) = 2 for the THz measurements and v(t) = 3 for the FTFIR observations. The THz and FTFIR measurements together with literature results have been combined in a global analysis of a dataset comprising a total of 1725 microwave and THz frequencies together with ~18000 FTFIR transitions, ranging up to v(t) = 2 and J(max) = 30 for MW∕THz and 40 for FTFIR. The global fit employs 78 torsion-rotation parameters and has achieved a weighted standard deviation of ~1.1. A prediction list (v(t) ≤ 2, J ≤ 45 and K ≤ 20) has been generated from the model giving essentially complete coverage of observable CH(3)(32)SH transitions within the bandwidths of major new astronomical facilities such as HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared) on the Herschel Space Observatory, ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array), SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) and APEX (Atacama Pathfinder Experiment) to close to spectroscopic accuracy.

The vascular-disrupting agent combretastatin impairs splitting and sprouting forms of physiological angiogenesis

OBJECTIVE

Vascular-disrupting agents like combretastatin (CA-4-P), used to attenuate tumor blood flow in vivo, exert anti-mitotic and anti-migratory effects on endothelial cells in vitro. We tested whether anti-vascular or anti-angiogenic effects of CA-4-P are evident with physiological angiogenesis in skeletal muscle (EDL) due to sustained hyperemia (intraluminal splitting) and chronic muscle overload (abluminal sprouting).

METHODS

CA-4-P was given i.v. (25 mg/kg on alternate days for 14 days) to mice subjected to angiogenic stimuli (prazosin or synergist extirpation). The responses of femoral artery blood flow as well as capillarity, capillary ultrastructure, and levels of Rho GTPase were measured.

RESULTS

Blood flow was unaffected in the sprouting angiotype, but decreased in the splitting angiotype, by CA-4-P. In contrast, CA-4-P attenuated the capillarity increase in both models, associated with reduced lamellipodia and filopodia formation. Muscle overload, but not hyperemia, was accompanied by an increase in Rho GTPase with CA-4-P.

CONCLUSIONS

CA-4-P impaired the angiogenic response in both experimental models. This inhibitory effect was associated with a lower increase in femoral blood flow in splitting, whereas sprouting angiogenesis was accompanied by higher Rho activity consistent with the interruption of actin polymerization. Thus, CA-4-P may exert context-dependent anti-vascular and anti-angiogenic effects in vivo under physiological conditions.

The impact of antioxidant supplements and endurance exercise on genes of the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle of mice

To ascertain whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to training-induced adaptation of skeletal muscle, we administered ROS-scavenging antioxidants (AOX; 140 mg/l of ascorbic acid, 12 mg/l of coenzyme Q10 and 1% N-acetyl-cysteine) via drinking water to 16 C57BL/6 mice. Sixteen other mice received unadulterated tap water (CON). One cohort of both groups (CON(EXE) and AOX(EXE) ) was subjected to treadmill exercise for 4 weeks (16-26 m/min, incline of 5°-10°). The other two cohorts (CON(SED) and AOX(SED) ) remained sedentary. In skeletal muscles of the AOX(EXE) mice, GSSG and the expression levels of SOD-1 and PRDX-6 were significantly lower than those in the CON(EXE) mice after training, suggesting disturbance of ROS levels. The peak power related to the body weight and citrate synthase activity was not significantly influenced in mice receiving AOX. Supplementation with AOX significantly altered the mRNA levels of the exercise-sensitive genes HK-II, GLUT-4 and SREBF-1c and the regulator gene PGC-1alpha but not G6PDH, glycogenin, FABP-3, MCAD and CD36 in skeletal muscle. Although the administration of AOX during endurance exercise alters the expression of particular genes of the ROS metabolism, it does not influence peak power or generally shift the metabolism, but it modulates the expression of specific genes of the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and PGC-1alpha within murine skeletal muscle.

Decrease in VEGF expression induces intussusceptive vascular pruning

OBJECTIVE

The concept of vascular pruning, the "cuting-off" of vessels, is gaining importance due to expansion of angio-modulating therapies. The proangiogenic effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are broadly described, but the mechanisms of structural alterations by its downregulation are not known.

METHODS AND RESULTS

VEGF(165)-releasing hydrogels were applied onto the chick chorioallantoic membrane on embryonic day 10. The hydrogels, designed to completely degrade within 2 days, caused high-level VEGF presentation followed by abrupt VEGF withdrawal. Application of VEGF resulted in a pronounced angiogenic response within 24 hours. The drastic decrease in level of exogenous VEGF-A within 48 hours was corroborated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Following this VEGF withdrawal we observed vasculature adaptation by means of intussusception, including intussusceptive vascular pruning. As revealed on vascular casts and serial semithin sections, intussusceptive vascular pruning occurred by emergence of multiple eccentric pillars at bifurcations. Time-lapse in vivo microscopy has confirmed the de novo occurrence of transluminal pillars and their capability to induce pruning. Quantitative evaluation corroborated an extensive activation of intussusception associated with VEGF withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONS

Diminution of VEGF level induces vascular tree regression by intussusceptive vascular pruning. This observation may allude to the mechanism underlying the "normalization" of tumor vasculature if treated with antiangiogenic drugs. The mechanism described here gives new insights into the understanding of the processes of vasculature regression and hence provides new and potentially viable targets for antiangiogenic and/or angio-modulating therapies during various pathological processes.

Remodeling of calcium handling in skeletal muscle through PGC-1α: impact on force, fatigability, and fiber type

Regular endurance exercise remodels skeletal muscle, largely through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α). PGC-1α promotes fiber type switching and resistance to fatigue. Intracellular calcium levels might play a role in both adaptive phenomena, yet a role for PGC-1α in the adaptation of calcium handling in skeletal muscle remains unknown. Using mice with transgenic overexpression of PGC-1α, we now investigated the effect of PGC-1α on calcium handling in skeletal muscle. We demonstrate that PGC-1α induces a quantitative reduction in calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum by diminishing the expression of calcium-releasing molecules. Concomitantly, maximal muscle force is reduced in vivo and ex vivo. In addition, PGC-1α overexpression delays calcium clearance from the myoplasm by interfering with multiple mechanisms involved in calcium removal, leading to higher myoplasmic calcium levels following contraction. During prolonged muscle activity, the delayed calcium clearance might facilitate force production in mice overexpressing PGC-1α. Our results reveal a novel role of PGC-1α in altering the contractile properties of skeletal muscle by modulating calcium handling. Importantly, our findings indicate PGC-1α to be both down- as well as upstream of calcium signaling in this tissue. Overall, our findings suggest that in the adaptation to chronic exercise, PGC-1α reduces maximal force, increases resistance to fatigue, and drives fiber type switching partly through remodeling of calcium transients, in addition to promoting slow-type myofibrillar protein expression and adequate energy supply.

Excessive erythrocytosis compromises the blood-endothelium interface in erythropoietin-overexpressing mice

Elevated systemic haematocrit (Hct) increases risk of cardiovascular disorders, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. One possible pathophysiological mechanism could be a disturbance of the blood-endothelium interface. It has been shown that blood interacts with the endothelial surface via a thick hydrated macromolecular layer (the 'glycocalyx', or 'endothelial surface layer'--ESL), modulating various biological processes, including inflammation, permeability and atherosclerosis. However, the consequences of elevated Hct on the functional properties of this interface are incompletely understood. Thus, we combined intravital microscopy of an erythropoietin overexpressing transgenic mouse line (tg6) with excessive erythrocytosis (Hct 0.85), microviscometric analysis of haemodynamics, and a flow simulation model to assess the effects of elevated Hct on glycocalyx/ESL thickness and flow resistance. We show that the glycocalyx/ESL is nearly abolished in tg6 mice (thickness: wild-type control: 0.52 μm; tg6: 0.13 μm; P < 0.001). However, the corresponding reduction in network flow resistance contributes <20% to the maintenance of total peripheral resistance observed in tg6 mice. This suggests that the pathological effects of elevated Hct in these mice, and possibly also in polycythaemic humans, may relate to biological corollaries of a reduced ESL thickness and the consequent alteration in the blood-endothelium interface, rather than to an increase of flow resistance.

Exercise-induced angiogenesis correlates with the up-regulated expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in human skeletal muscle

The contribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) to angiogenesis in human skeletal muscle after endurance exercise is controversially discussed. We therefore ascertained whether the expression of nNOS is associated with the capillary density in biopsies of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle that had been derived from 10 sedentary male subjects before and after moderate training (four 30-min weekly jogging sessions for 6 months, with a heart-rate corresponding to 75% VO(2)max). In these biopsies, nNOS was predominantly expressed as alpha-isoform with exon-mu and to a lesser extent without exon-mu, as determined by RT-PCR. The mRNA levels of nNOS were quantified by real-time PCR and related to the capillary-to-fibre ratio and the numerical density of capillaries specified by light microscopy. If the VL biopsies of all subjects were co-analysed, mRNA levels of nNOS were non-significantly elevated after training (+34%; P > 0.05). However, only five of the ten subjects exhibited significant (P ≤ 0.05) elevations in the capillary-to-fibre ratio (+25%) and the numerical density of capillaries (+21%) and were thus undergoing angiogenesis. If the VL biopsies of these five subjects alone were evaluated, the mRNA levels of nNOS were significantly up-regulated (+128%; P ≤ 0.05) and correlated positively (r = 0.8; P ≤ 0.01) to angiogenesis. Accordingly, nNOS protein expression in VL biopsies quantified by immunoblotting was significantly increased (+82%; P ≤ 0.05) only in those subjects that underwent angiogenesis. In conclusion, the expression of nNOS at mRNA and protein levels was statistically linked to capillarity after exercise suggesting that nNOS is involved in the angiogenic response to training in human skeletal muscle.

VEGF-A promotes intussusceptive angiogenesis in the developing chicken chorioallantoic membrane

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on intussusceptive angiogenesis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Polyurethane casts of the microvasculature of chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) were prepared on embryonic days (E) 8, 10, 12, and 14. At light microscopy level, minute holes (<2 microm in diameter) and hollows (>2 microm) were observed in the casts. Transmission electron microscopy disclosed the minute holes to mainly represent transluminal pillars characteristic for intussusceptive angiogenesis. The numerical density of the holes/pillars was highest at an early (E8) and a late (E12-E14) stage. Only mRNA of VEGF-A-122 and VEGF-A-166 isoforms was detected in the CAM. The transcription rate of VEGF-A mRNA peaked on E8/9 and E12, while VEGF-A protein expression increased on E8/9 and E11/12 to rapidly decrease thereafter as determined by immunoblotting. At all time points investigated, VEGF-A immunohistochemical reactivity was restricted to cells of the chorionic epithelium in direct contact to the capillary plexus. When the VEGF-R-inhibitor PTK787/ZK222584 (0.1 mg/mL) was applied on E9 CAM, the microvasculature topology on E12 was similar to that on E10.

CONCLUSIONS

The temporal course of intussusception corresponded to the expression of VEGF-A in CAM microvasculature. Inhibition of VEGF-signaling retarded intussusceptive-dependent capillary maturation. These data suggest that VEGF promotes intussusception.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma} coactivator 1{alpha} (PGC-1{alpha}) promotes skeletal muscle lipid refueling in vivo by activating de novo lipogenesis and the pentose phosphate pathway

Exercise induces a pleiotropic adaptive response in skeletal muscle, largely through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α). PGC-1α enhances lipid oxidation and thereby provides energy for sustained muscle contraction. Its potential implication in promoting muscle refueling remains unresolved, however. Here, we investigated a possible role of elevated PGC-1α levels in skeletal muscle lipogenesis in vivo and the molecular mechanisms that underlie PGC-1α-mediated de novo lipogenesis. To this end, we studied transgenic mice with physiological overexpression of PGC-1α and human muscle biopsies pre- and post-exercise. We demonstrate that PGC-1α enhances lipogenesis in skeletal muscle through liver X receptor α-dependent activation of the fatty acid synthase (FAS) promoter and by increasing FAS activity. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we establish a direct interaction between PGC-1α and the liver X receptor-responsive element in the FAS promoter. Moreover, we show for the first time that increased glucose uptake and activation of the pentose phosphate pathway provide substrates for RNA synthesis and cofactors for de novo lipogenesis. Similarly, we observed increased lipogenesis and lipid levels in human muscle biopsies that were obtained post-exercise. Our findings suggest that PGC-1α coordinates lipogenesis, intramyocellular lipid accumulation, and substrate oxidation in exercised skeletal muscle in vivo.

Diesel exhaust particles modulate the tight junction protein occludin in lung cells in vitro

Background

Using an in vitro triple cell co-culture model consisting of human epithelial cells (16HBE14o-), monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells, it was recently demonstrated that macrophages and dendritic cells create a transepithelial network between the epithelial cells to capture antigens without disrupting the epithelial tightness. The expression of the different tight junction proteins in macrophages and dendritic cells, and the formation of tight junction-like structures with epithelial cells has been demonstrated. Immunofluorescent methods combined with laser scanning microscopy and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to investigate if exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEP) (0.5, 5, 50, 125 μg/ml), for 24 h, can modulate the expression of the tight junction mRNA/protein of occludin, in all three cell types.

Results

Only the highest dose of DEP (125 μg/ml) seemed to reduce the occludin mRNA in the cells of the defence system however not in epithelial cells, although the occludin arrangement in the latter cell type was disrupted. The transepithelial electrical resistance was reduced in epithelial cell mono-cultures but not in the triple cell co-cultures, following exposure to high DEP concentration. Cytotoxicity was not found, in either epithelial mono-cultures nor in triple cell co-cultures, after exposure to the different DEP concentrations.

Conclusion

We concluded that high concentrations of DEP (125 μg/ml) can modulate the tight junction occludin mRNA in the cells of the defence system and that those cells play an important role maintaining the epithelial integrity following exposure to particulate antigens in lung cells.

Up-regulation of the peroxiredoxin-6 related metabolism of reactive oxygen species in skeletal muscle of mice lacking neuronal nitric oxide synthase

Although neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) plays a substantial role in skeletal muscle physiology, nNOS-knockout mice manifest an only mild phenotypic malfunction in this tissue. To identify proteins that might be involved in adaptive responses in skeletal muscle of knockout mice lacking nNOS, 2D-PAGE with silver-staining and subsequent tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed using extracts of extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL) derived from nNOS-knockout mice in comparison to C57Bl/6 control mice. Six proteins were significantly (P < or = 0.05) more highly expressed in EDL of nNOS-knockout mice than in that of C57 control mice, all of which are involved in the metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These included prohibitin (2.0-fold increase), peroxiredoxin-3 (1.9-fold increase), Cu(2+)/Zn(2+)-dependent superoxide dismutase (SOD; 1.9-fold increase), heat shock protein beta-1 (HSP25; 1.7-fold increase) and nucleoside diphosphate kinase B (2.6-fold increase). A significantly higher expression (4.1-fold increase) and a pI shift from 6.5 to 5.9 of peroxiredoxin-6 in the EDL of nNOS-knockout mice were confirmed by quantitative immunoblotting. The concentrations of the mRNA encoding five of these proteins (the exception being prohibitin) were likewise significantly (P < or = 0.05) higher in the EDL of nNOS-knockout mice. A higher intrinsic hydrogen peroxidase activity (P < or = 0.05) was demonstrated in EDL of nNOS-knockout mice than C57 control mice, which was related to the presence of peroxiredoxin-6. The treatment of mice with the chemical NOS inhibitor L-NAME for 3 days induced a significant 3.4-fold up-regulation of peroxiredoxin-6 in the EDL of C57 control mice (P < or = 0.05), but did not alter its expression in EDL of nNOS-knockout mice. ESR spectrometry demonstrated the levels of superoxide to be 2.5-times higher (P < or = 0.05) in EDL of nNOS-knockout mice than in C57 control mice while an in vitro assay based on the emission of 2,7-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence disclosed the concentration of ROS to be similar in both strains of mice. We suggest that the up-regulation of proteins that are implicated in the metabolism of ROS, particularly of peroxiredoxin-6, within skeletal muscles of nNOS-knockout mice functionally compensates for the absence of nNOS in scavenging of superoxide.

Tumor recovery by angiogenic switch from sprouting to intussusceptive angiogenesis after treatment with PTK787/ZK222584 or ionizing radiation

Inhibitors of angiogenesis and radiation induce compensatory changes in the tumor vasculature both during and after treatment cessation. To assess the responses to irradiation and vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition (by the vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor PTK787/ZK222854), mammary carcinoma allografts were investigated by vascular casting; electron, light, and confocal microscopy; and immunoblotting. Irradiation and anti-angiogenic therapy had similar effects on the tumor vasculature. Both treatments reduced tumor vascularization, particularly in the tumor medulla. After cessation of therapy, the tumor vasculature expanded predominantly by intussusception with a plexus composed of enlarged sinusoidal-like vessels containing multiple transluminal tissue pillars. Tumor revascularization originated from preserved alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive vessels in the tumor cortex. Quantification revealed that recovery was characterized by an angiogenic switch from sprouting to intussusception. Up-regulated alpha-smooth muscle actin-expression during recovery reflected the recruitment of alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive cells for intussusception as part of the angio-adaptive mechanism. Tumor recovery was associated with a dramatic decrease (by 30% to 40%) in the intratumoral microvascular density, probably as a result of intussusceptive pruning and, surprisingly, with only a minimal reduction of the total microvascular (exchange) area. Therefore, the vascular supply to the tumor was not severely compromised, as demonstrated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha expression. Both irradiation and anti-angiogenic therapy cause a switch from sprouting to intussusceptive angiogenesis, representing an escape mechanism and accounting for the development of resistance, as well as rapid recovery, after cessation of therapy.

Pseudovacuoles--immobilized by high-pressure freezing--are associated with blebbing in walker carcinosarcoma cells

By applying high pressure freezing and freeze-substitution, we observed large inclusions of homogeneous appearance in the front of locomoting Walker carcinosarcoma cells that have not been described earlier. Live cell imaging revealed that these inclusions were poor in lipids and nucleic acids but had a high lysine (and hence protein) content. Usually one such structure 2-5 mum in size was present at the front of motile Walker cells, predominantly in the immediate vicinity of newly forming blebs. By correlating the lysine-rich areas in fixed and embedded cells with electron microscopic pictures, inclusions could be assigned to confined, faintly stained cytoplasmic areas that lacked a surrounding membrane; they were therefore called pseudovacuoles. After high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution, pseudovacuoles appeared to be filled with 20 nm large electron-transparent patches surrounded by 12 and 15 nm large particles. The heat shock protein Hsp90 was identified by peptide sequencing as a major fluorescent band on SDS-PAGE of lysine-labelled Walker cell extracts. By immunofluorescence, Hsp90 was found to be enriched in pseudovacuoles. Colocalization of the lysine with a potassium-specific dye in living cells revealed that pseudovacuoles act as K+ stores in the vicinity of forming blebs. We propose that pseudovacuoles might support blebbing by locally regulating the intracellular hydrostatic pressure.

Microvascular endowment in the developing chicken embryo lung

In the current study, the contribution of the major angiogenic mechanisms, sprouting and intussusception, to vascular development in the avian lung has been demonstrated. Sprouting guides the emerging vessels to form the primordial vascular plexus, which successively surrounds and encloses the parabronchi. Intussusceptive angiogenesis has an upsurge from embryonic day 15 (E15) and contributes to the remarkably rapid expansion of the capillary plexus. Increased blood flow stimulates formation of pillars (the archetype of intussusception) in rows, their subsequent fusion and concomitant delineation of slender, solitary vascular entities from the disorganized meshwork, thus crafting the organ-specific angioarchitecture. Morphometric investigations revealed that sprouting is preponderant in the early period of development with a peak at E15 but is subsequently supplanted by intussusceptive angiogenesis by the time of hatching. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that moderate levels of basic FGF (bFGF) and VEGF-A were maintained during the sprouting phase while PDGF-B remained minimal. All three factors were elevated during the intussusceptive phase. Immunohistoreactivity for VEGF was mainly in the epithelial cells, whereas bFGF was confined to the stromal compartment. Temporospatial interplay between sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenesis fabricates a unique vascular angioarchitecture that contributes to the establishment of a highly efficient gas exchange system characteristic of the avian lung.

Nitric oxide synthase protein levels, not the mRNA, are downregulated in olfactory bulb interneurons of reeler mice

Homozygous mutations in the Reelin gene result in severe disruption of brain development. The histogenesis of layered regions, like the neocortex, hippocampus and the cerebellum, is most notably affected in mouse reeler mutants and similar traits are also present in mice lacking molecular components of the Reelin signalling pathway. Moreover, there is evidence for an additional role of Reelin in sustaining synaptic plasticity in adult networks. Nitric oxide is an important gaseous messenger that can modulate neuronal plasticity both in developing and mature synaptic networks and has been shown to facilitate synaptic changes in the hippocampus, cerebellum and olfactory bulb. We studied the distribution and content of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the olfactory bulbs of reeler and wildtype mice. Immunocytochemistry reveals that Reelin and neuronal nitric oxide synthase containing interneurons are two distinct, non overlapping cell populations of the olfactory bulb. We show by in situ hybridization that both nitrergic and Reelin expressing cells represent only a subset of olfactory bulb GABAergic neurons. Immunoblots show that neuronal nitric oxide synthase protein content is decreased by two thirds in reeler mice causing a detectable loss of immunolabelled cells throughout the olfactory bulb of this strain. However, neuronal nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels, essayed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR, are unaffected in the reeler olfactory bulb. Thus, disruption of the Reelin signalling pathway may modify the turnover of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the olfactory bulb and possibly affects nitric oxide functions in reeler mice.

Basement membrane remodeling in skeletal muscles of patients with limb ischemia involves regulation of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases

BACKGROUND/AIM

Because the pericapillary basement membrane in skeletal muscles of patients with chronic critical limb ischemia (CLI) is thickened, we determined the expression patterns of genes involved in collagen metabolism, using samples from 9 CLI patients, 4 patients with acute limb ischemia and 4 healthy controls.

METHODS

Gene array analysis, quantitative RT-PCR and semiquantitative grading of immunohistochemical reactivity were performed to determine mRNA/cDNA and protein concentrations.

RESULTS

In CLI patients compared to controls, cDNA levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-19 were higher, collagen type IV chains A1 and A2, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 were similar and MMP-2 were lower. On the protein level, MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-19 and TIMP-1 were more abundantly expressed. In skeletal muscles from patients with acute limb ischemia, cDNA and protein levels of MMP-9, MMP-19, collagen type IV chains, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were high. MMP-2 was elevated at the protein but decreased on the cDNA level.

CONCLUSION

Expression of basement membrane components in skeletal muscles of CLI and acute limb ischemia patients is altered, possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of peripheral arterial disease.

Increased invasive potential and up-regulation of MMP-2 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells expressing the beta3 integrin subunit

Integrins are a family of transmembrane adhesion receptors that might transduce signals from the extracellular matrix into the inside of cells after ligand binding. In order to investigate whether beta3 integrins expressed in tumor cells might mediate such outside-in signaling, human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells that were stably transfected with either beta3 integrin or mock-transfected were investigated in a matrigel degradation assay and a grafting experiment was performed on the developing chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). After cultivation on matrigel for time periods between one and five days, more matrigel was digested in the wells in which beta3 integrin expressing cells were incubated than in wells of mock-transfected cells. Furthermore, extracts of beta3 integrin expressing cells contained higher levels of MMP-2 protein as determined by immunoblotting and more MMP-2 associated gelatinase activity as detected by zymography than extracts of mock-transfected cells. Matrigel degradation and gelatinase activity as well as MMP-2 expression were elevated when beta3 integrin expressing cells were incubated in the presence of the RGD peptide (mimicking an integrin ligand). After grafting on 10 day-old embryonic chicken CAM for three to five days, beta3 integrin expressing cells assembled in spheroids showed higher rates of spreading on the CAM surface and CAM invasion as well as a significant MMP-2 up-regulation compared to mock-transfected cells. The results from the in vivo and in vitro experiments allow the conclusion that the presence of beta3 integrin in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells induced an increased MMP-2 expression and activity that might contribute to the enhanced invasive potential observed.