Fibroblasts support a broad range of essential organ functions via microarchitectural,biomechanical,and biochemical cues.Despite great advances in fluorescence,photoacoustic conversion,and Raman scattering over the pa...Fibroblasts support a broad range of essential organ functions via microarchitectural,biomechanical,and biochemical cues.Despite great advances in fluorescence,photoacoustic conversion,and Raman scattering over the past decades,their invasiveness and limited spatial resolution hinder the characterization of fibroblasts in a single cell.Here,taking mouse embryonic fibroblasts(MEFs)as an example,we propose a novel noninvasive approach to investigate the compositional distribution of MEFs at the single-cell scale via terahertz(THz)nanos⁃copy.Compared to the topological morphology,THz nano-imaging enables the component-based visualization of MEFs,such as the membrane,cytoplasm,nucleus,and extracellular vesicles(EVs).Notably,we demonstrate the real-space observation of the influence of rapamycin treatment on the increase of EVs in MEFs.Moreover,the line-cut and area-statistical analysis establishes the relationship between the topological morphology and the THz near-field amplitudes for different cellular components of MEFs.This work provides a new pathway to char⁃acterize the effects of pharmaceutical treatments,with potential applications in disease diagnosis and drug devel⁃opment.展开更多
The technology of induced pluripotent stem cell(iPSCs)has enabled the conversion of somatic cells into primitive undifferentiated cells via reprogramming.This approach provides possibilities for cell replacement thera...The technology of induced pluripotent stem cell(iPSCs)has enabled the conversion of somatic cells into primitive undifferentiated cells via reprogramming.This approach provides possibilities for cell replacement therapies and drug screening,but the potential risk of tumorigenesis hampers further development and application.How to generate required differentia-ted cells without initiating tumor progression remains a huge challenge.Here we show that mouse embryonic fibroblasts could be differentiated into valvular endothelial cell(VEC)like cells.VECs are critical in valve replacements in aortic valve failure.VEC-associated gene and protein expression and functional assays were quantified for these VEC-like cells.We show that mouse embryonic fibroblasts could be converted into VEC-like cells.Our results suggest that it is possible to convert mouse embryonic fibroblasts into VEC-like cells without first reprogramming them into pluripotent stem cells,minimizing the possibility of tumorigenesis.展开更多
The embryonic ages were determined for the best preparation of mouse fibroblasts. Four methods were adapted to verify cryopreservation of mouse fibroblasts. The results showed that embryonic cryopreserving method was ...The embryonic ages were determined for the best preparation of mouse fibroblasts. Four methods were adapted to verify cryopreservation of mouse fibroblasts. The results showed that embryonic cryopreserving method was best one with 0.86 of thawing viability. The embryos from 13-14 d pregnant mouse were superior to 11-12 d and 15-16 d in isolating, growing, laying and living. The first 6 generations were better than following ones in the same aspects above. Cell laying time became longer and vailable time became shorter after the sixth generation. With culture time increasing, fibroblast nuclear size became larger, fibrous filament appeared among fibroblasts, and macrocyst vesicle with floccule appeared in the cells. Cyst vesicle structure with pyknotic granule appeared in 24 h cultured fibroblasts and macrocyst vesicle also appeared in passaging fibroblasts.展开更多
The histological observation was experimentally conducted on in vitro cultured mouse embryonic myocardium cells and myocardiumoid cell mass. The mouse embryo tissue were cultured and regular pulsatile myocardiumoid ti...The histological observation was experimentally conducted on in vitro cultured mouse embryonic myocardium cells and myocardiumoid cell mass. The mouse embryo tissue were cultured and regular pulsatile myocardiumoid tissue could be found. During in vitro culture, the myofilament bundles in the cell were gradually increasing and strongly connectted each other with embryonic age and there were loose muscle fibers initially and intercalated discs were close to each other. The lose myofilament bundles were developed in muscle fibers with age and the distance between intercalated discs was enlarged. There were myofilamentoid structure in inactive cells and filament peripherily.展开更多
The objective of this research was to assess the potential of phosphatidylcholineencapsulated resveratrol as a cosmetic ingredient.The hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))and ultraviolet A(UVA)induced human skin fibroblasts(...The objective of this research was to assess the potential of phosphatidylcholineencapsulated resveratrol as a cosmetic ingredient.The hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))and ultraviolet A(UVA)induced human skin fibroblasts(HSF)models of skin damage were established to compare the antioxidant and anti-wrinkle properties between phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol and unencapsulated resveratrol.The findings reveal that encapsulating resveratrol with phosphatidylcholine not only enhances skin absorption but also significantly improves its antioxidant capabilities.In the H2O2-induced HSF injury model,phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol demonstrates a superior ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species(ROS)generated by H2O2 compared to the resveratrol group.Further analysis indicates that this enhanced functionality is associated with increased enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)and catalase(CAT)when treated with phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol.Additionally,in UVA-irradiated HSF cells,phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol effectively reduces the levels of matrix metalloproteinases-1 and-3(MMP-1 and MMP-3)and increased the contents of CollagenⅠand CollagenⅢ(Col-1 and Col-3),demonstrating significant anti-wrinkle effects.These findings provide critical evaluation criteria and application references for enhancing cosmetic ingredients through phosphatidylcholine encapsulation,thereby advancing skincare formulations.展开更多
OBJECTIVE Aryl hydrocarbon receptor(Ahr)is thought to be a crucial factor that regulates immune responses,which may be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammation including rheumatoid arthritis(RA).The res...OBJECTIVE Aryl hydrocarbon receptor(Ahr)is thought to be a crucial factor that regulates immune responses,which may be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammation including rheumatoid arthritis(RA).The results of our group in recent years have shown that CP-25,a novel ester derivative of paeoniflorin,has a good effect on improving RA animal models.However,whether the anti-arthritis effect of CP-25 is related to Ahr remains unclear.METHODS CP-25 treatment ameliorated adjuvant-induced arthritis(AA),a mouse model of RA,by inhibiting Ahr-related activities in fibroblasts like synoviocytes(FLS).AA rats were treated with CP-25 or paroxetine from day 17 to 33 after immunization.RESULTS CP-25 alleviated arthritis symptoms and the pathological changes,decreased the expression of Ahr in the synovium and FLS of AA rats.Besides,treatment with CP-25 reduced the proliferation and migration of MH7A caused by Ahr activation.In addition,we also demonstrated that CP-25 down-regulated the co-expression and co-localization of Ahr and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2(GRK2)in MH7A.CONCLUSION The data presented here demonstrated that CP-25 suppressed FLS dysfunction in rats with AA,which were associated with reduced Ahr activation and the interaction between Ahr and GRK2.展开更多
OBJECTIVE Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC),a lethal cancer in need of new,effective therapies,has a unique tumor microenvironment characterized by a dense fibrotic stroma(desmoplasia)that is generated by pancrea...OBJECTIVE Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC),a lethal cancer in need of new,effective therapies,has a unique tumor microenvironment characterized by a dense fibrotic stroma(desmoplasia)that is generated by pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts(PCAFs)derived from pancreatic stellate cells(PSCs)and pancreatic fibroblasts(PFs).METHEDS and RESULTS Hypothesizing that G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs)may regulate PCAFs,we used an unbiased GPCRomic array approach to compare GPCR expression in PCAFs,PFs and PSCs and identified 82 GPCRs commonly expressed by PCAFs derived from primary tumors of five PDAC patients.We discovered that PCAFs have increased expression of numerous GPCRs,in particular a GPCR with much higher expression in PCAFs compared to both PFs and PSCs.Immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of this GPCR in PDAC tumors.Co-culture of PSCs with PDAC cells or incubation with TNFαinduced its expression.Activation of the GPCR in PCAF sincreased expression of interleukin-6(IL-6)via a cA MP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway.GPCR knockdown with siR NA diminished IL-6 production and secretionby PCAFs and ability of PCAF conditioned media to enhance proliferation of PDAC cells.CONCLUSION We conclude that PDAC cells induce expression by PCAFs of a novel GPCR,resulting in increased IL-6 production by PCAFs and promotion of PDAC cell proliferation.This PCAF-expressed GPCR thus contributes to PDAC cell-PCAF interaction and as such,may be a novel therapeutic target for PDAC tumors.展开更多
This work identified the important role of matrix mechanical plasticity in mediating fibroblast activation.Many existing studies have highlighted the important effects of biochemical cues(e.g.,transforming growth fact...This work identified the important role of matrix mechanical plasticity in mediating fibroblast activation.Many existing studies have highlighted the important effects of biochemical cues(e.g.,transforming growth factor-β1)and mechanicalstiffness on fibroblast activation.Our results indicated that self-assembled collagen hydrogels showed high plasticity and in which fibroblasts remain undifferentiated.However,when we decreased the plasticity of collagen hydrogels by increasing covalent crosslinking,fibroblasts showed a significant fibrotic response as reflected by the increasedα-SMA expression.Since the material systems we constructed have low and the same initial modulus,this process is stiffness independent.Although it has been reported that covalently crosslinked hydrogels are more difficult to degrade and matrix degradability has an important impact on cell behaviors,no significant changes of fibroblast activation were observed when proteases were broadly inhibited in our experiments.Importantly,the hydrogels we constructed showed similar plastic behaviors under creep and recovery tests compared to native normal and fibrotic tissues.These highlight the importance of matrix plasticity in mimicking the mechanical microenvironment of native fibrotic tissues.Mechanistically,we found that the enhanced fibroblast activation in low plastic matrix is mediated through integrin-actin pathway and nuclear localization of YAP.In high plastic collagen,matrix cannot provide effective resistance to actin contraction because of the rupture of weak crosslinks and the slippage of local fibers.On the contrary,in low plastic collagen,deformation energy can be stored in the network due to the existence of strong covalent crosslinks,thus enabling the build-up of cell traction and the formation of a robust cell-matrix interaction.Experiments of inhibiting or promoting cytoskeletal contractility and CGMD simulation both verified the above points.Our results clarify plasticity changes on the development of fibrotic diseases and highlight plasticity as an important mechanical cue in understanding cell-matrix interactions.展开更多
Adipose tissue plays pivotal roles in the development of hypertension,including white and brown adipocytes.Immunity and inflammation provide a bridge between adipose dysfunction and hypertensive target organ damage.We...Adipose tissue plays pivotal roles in the development of hypertension,including white and brown adipocytes.Immunity and inflammation provide a bridge between adipose dysfunction and hypertensive target organ damage.We firstly found that perivascular adipose tissue(PVAT)expressed abundant C3,which stimulated adventitial fibroblast migration and phenotype trans-differentiation.Subsequently,we showed that C5a regulated M1/M2 macrophage polarization and inhibited adiponectin production in the PVAT,which contributed to vascular inflammation in hypertension.展开更多
Bax is a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family genes which regulate programmed cell death. To decrease the apoptosis of bovine fibroblast cells, we construsted specific short hairpin （shRNA） expression vector enc...Bax is a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family genes which regulate programmed cell death. To decrease the apoptosis of bovine fibroblast cells, we construsted specific short hairpin （shRNA） expression vector encoding shRNA targeting Bax gene to screen the most effective vector. Four shRNAs sequences based on the sequence of bovine Bax mRNA in the GenBank were designed, and one scrambled shRNA sequence was regarded as negative control. The designed and synthesised single-stranded primer were annealed to double-stranded oligo sequences and cloned into linear pRI-GFP vector digested by enzymes Xho I and Bgl II. Screening positive cloning after transformed into DH5a competent cells and identified by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Named the correct vectors as pRI-GFP-Bax-190, pRI-GFP-Bax-206, pRI-GFP-Bax-215, pRI -GFP-Bax-389, pRI-GFP- Bax-NC （the negative control） and seleced them by quantitative PCR after transfected after 24 h and 48 h. The results showed that pRI-GFP-Bax-190 was the highest efficiency （95.47%）, and significant difference （P〈0.01） after 48 h transfection. RNA interference （RNAi） mediated by shRNA expression vector could significantly down-regulate the expression of Bax gene in bovine fibroblast cells, which laid a foundation for further research.展开更多
Studying the skin care efficacy of recombinant humanized collagen based on in vitro level.The stability of the recombinant humanized collagen was first analyzed by treating at different temperatures,then its skincare ...Studying the skin care efficacy of recombinant humanized collagen based on in vitro level.The stability of the recombinant humanized collagen was first analyzed by treating at different temperatures,then its skincare efficacy based on in vitro level was evaluated by detecting the inhibition rate of elastase,the inhibition rate of collagenase,the protein content of type I collagen in human fibroblasts,the inhibition of reactive oxygen species(ROS)with human keratinocytes,and the effects of the recombinant humanized collagen on the expression of hyaluronic acid(HA),filaggrin(FLG)and transglutaminase 1(TGM1)in keratinocytes.The results showed that recombinant humanized collagen was able to maintain stability at temperatures below 70℃.With regard to its skincare efficacy,recombinant humanized collagen could inhibit elastase and collagenase activities and promote the increase of type I collagen content in human fibroblasts.It also showed good inhibition of ROS in keratinocytes in vitro and could increase the expression of HA,FLG,and TGM1 in keratinocytes.In short,the recombinant humanized collagen exhibited a favourable skin care effect in vitro level.This study proved that it has potential firming,anti-wrinkle,moisturizing,and repairing efficacy,and is a valuable cosmetic raw material.展开更多
The purpose of the present study was to determine protectivie effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on cochlear neurons and hair cells in vitro and in vivo. In experiment I, cultured spiral ganglion neurons...The purpose of the present study was to determine protectivie effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on cochlear neurons and hair cells in vitro and in vivo. In experiment I, cultured spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) prepared from P3 mice were exposed to 20mM glutamate for 2 hours before the culture medium was replaced with fresh medium containing 0, 25, 50, and 100 ng/ml bFGF, respectively. Fourteen days later, all cultures were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde, and stained with 1% toluidine blue. The number of surviving SGNs were counted and the length of SGNs neurites were measured. Exposure to 20 mM glutamate for 24 hours resulted in an inhibition on neurite outgrowth of SGNs and elevated cell death. Treatment of the cultures with bFGF led to promotion of neurite outgrowth and elevated number of surviving SGNs. Effects of bFGF were dose dependent with the highest potency at 100 ng/ml. In experiment Ⅱ, in vivo studies were carried out with guinea pigs in which bFGF or artificial perilymph was perfused into the cochlea to assess possible protective effects of bFGF on cochlear hair cells and compound action potentials(CAP). The CAPs were measured before, immediatly and 48 hours after exposure to noise. Significant differences in CAP were observed (p＜0. 05 ) among the bFGF perfused group, control group(t =3. 896 ) and artificial perilymph perfused group (t =2. 520) at 48 hours after noise exposure, Cochleae were removed and hair cell Loss was analyzed in surface preparations prepared from all experimental animals. Acoustic trauma caused loss of 651 and 687 inner hair cells in the control and artificial perilymph perfused group, respectively. In sharp contrast, only 31 inner hair cells were lost in the bFGF perfused ears. Similarly, more outer hair cells died in the control and perilymph perfuesed group (41830 and 41968, respectively) than in the group treated with bFGF (34258). Our results demonstrate that bFGF protected SGNs against glutmate neurotoxicity in vitro. In addition, treatment with bFGF also protected hair cells from acoustic trauma.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61988102,62401113,92463308)the National Safety Academic Fund(U2130113)+2 种基金the Sichuan Science and Technology Program(2022JDJQ0065)the Chengdu Science and Technology Program(2024-YF05-01803-SN)the Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2024MS512)and the from Key Laboratory of THz Technology,Ministry of Education.
文摘Fibroblasts support a broad range of essential organ functions via microarchitectural,biomechanical,and biochemical cues.Despite great advances in fluorescence,photoacoustic conversion,and Raman scattering over the past decades,their invasiveness and limited spatial resolution hinder the characterization of fibroblasts in a single cell.Here,taking mouse embryonic fibroblasts(MEFs)as an example,we propose a novel noninvasive approach to investigate the compositional distribution of MEFs at the single-cell scale via terahertz(THz)nanos⁃copy.Compared to the topological morphology,THz nano-imaging enables the component-based visualization of MEFs,such as the membrane,cytoplasm,nucleus,and extracellular vesicles(EVs).Notably,we demonstrate the real-space observation of the influence of rapamycin treatment on the increase of EVs in MEFs.Moreover,the line-cut and area-statistical analysis establishes the relationship between the topological morphology and the THz near-field amplitudes for different cellular components of MEFs.This work provides a new pathway to char⁃acterize the effects of pharmaceutical treatments,with potential applications in disease diagnosis and drug devel⁃opment.
基金supported by funds from Huazhong University of Science and Technology
文摘The technology of induced pluripotent stem cell(iPSCs)has enabled the conversion of somatic cells into primitive undifferentiated cells via reprogramming.This approach provides possibilities for cell replacement therapies and drug screening,but the potential risk of tumorigenesis hampers further development and application.How to generate required differentia-ted cells without initiating tumor progression remains a huge challenge.Here we show that mouse embryonic fibroblasts could be differentiated into valvular endothelial cell(VEC)like cells.VECs are critical in valve replacements in aortic valve failure.VEC-associated gene and protein expression and functional assays were quantified for these VEC-like cells.We show that mouse embryonic fibroblasts could be converted into VEC-like cells.Our results suggest that it is possible to convert mouse embryonic fibroblasts into VEC-like cells without first reprogramming them into pluripotent stem cells,minimizing the possibility of tumorigenesis.
文摘The embryonic ages were determined for the best preparation of mouse fibroblasts. Four methods were adapted to verify cryopreservation of mouse fibroblasts. The results showed that embryonic cryopreserving method was best one with 0.86 of thawing viability. The embryos from 13-14 d pregnant mouse were superior to 11-12 d and 15-16 d in isolating, growing, laying and living. The first 6 generations were better than following ones in the same aspects above. Cell laying time became longer and vailable time became shorter after the sixth generation. With culture time increasing, fibroblast nuclear size became larger, fibrous filament appeared among fibroblasts, and macrocyst vesicle with floccule appeared in the cells. Cyst vesicle structure with pyknotic granule appeared in 24 h cultured fibroblasts and macrocyst vesicle also appeared in passaging fibroblasts.
文摘The histological observation was experimentally conducted on in vitro cultured mouse embryonic myocardium cells and myocardiumoid cell mass. The mouse embryo tissue were cultured and regular pulsatile myocardiumoid tissue could be found. During in vitro culture, the myofilament bundles in the cell were gradually increasing and strongly connectted each other with embryonic age and there were loose muscle fibers initially and intercalated discs were close to each other. The lose myofilament bundles were developed in muscle fibers with age and the distance between intercalated discs was enlarged. There were myofilamentoid structure in inactive cells and filament peripherily.
文摘The objective of this research was to assess the potential of phosphatidylcholineencapsulated resveratrol as a cosmetic ingredient.The hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))and ultraviolet A(UVA)induced human skin fibroblasts(HSF)models of skin damage were established to compare the antioxidant and anti-wrinkle properties between phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol and unencapsulated resveratrol.The findings reveal that encapsulating resveratrol with phosphatidylcholine not only enhances skin absorption but also significantly improves its antioxidant capabilities.In the H2O2-induced HSF injury model,phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol demonstrates a superior ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species(ROS)generated by H2O2 compared to the resveratrol group.Further analysis indicates that this enhanced functionality is associated with increased enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)and catalase(CAT)when treated with phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol.Additionally,in UVA-irradiated HSF cells,phosphatidylcholine-encapsulated resveratrol effectively reduces the levels of matrix metalloproteinases-1 and-3(MMP-1 and MMP-3)and increased the contents of CollagenⅠand CollagenⅢ(Col-1 and Col-3),demonstrating significant anti-wrinkle effects.These findings provide critical evaluation criteria and application references for enhancing cosmetic ingredients through phosphatidylcholine encapsulation,thereby advancing skincare formulations.
基金National Nature Science Foundation of China(81573443,82173824,81973332)Anhui Province Natural Science Fund(170808J10)+1 种基金Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation(2108085MH320)and Collaborative Innovation Project of Key Scientific Research Platform in Anhui Universities(GXXT-2020-065)。
文摘OBJECTIVE Aryl hydrocarbon receptor(Ahr)is thought to be a crucial factor that regulates immune responses,which may be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammation including rheumatoid arthritis(RA).The results of our group in recent years have shown that CP-25,a novel ester derivative of paeoniflorin,has a good effect on improving RA animal models.However,whether the anti-arthritis effect of CP-25 is related to Ahr remains unclear.METHODS CP-25 treatment ameliorated adjuvant-induced arthritis(AA),a mouse model of RA,by inhibiting Ahr-related activities in fibroblasts like synoviocytes(FLS).AA rats were treated with CP-25 or paroxetine from day 17 to 33 after immunization.RESULTS CP-25 alleviated arthritis symptoms and the pathological changes,decreased the expression of Ahr in the synovium and FLS of AA rats.Besides,treatment with CP-25 reduced the proliferation and migration of MH7A caused by Ahr activation.In addition,we also demonstrated that CP-25 down-regulated the co-expression and co-localization of Ahr and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2(GRK2)in MH7A.CONCLUSION The data presented here demonstrated that CP-25 suppressed FLS dysfunction in rats with AA,which were associated with reduced Ahr activation and the interaction between Ahr and GRK2.
文摘OBJECTIVE Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC),a lethal cancer in need of new,effective therapies,has a unique tumor microenvironment characterized by a dense fibrotic stroma(desmoplasia)that is generated by pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts(PCAFs)derived from pancreatic stellate cells(PSCs)and pancreatic fibroblasts(PFs).METHEDS and RESULTS Hypothesizing that G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs)may regulate PCAFs,we used an unbiased GPCRomic array approach to compare GPCR expression in PCAFs,PFs and PSCs and identified 82 GPCRs commonly expressed by PCAFs derived from primary tumors of five PDAC patients.We discovered that PCAFs have increased expression of numerous GPCRs,in particular a GPCR with much higher expression in PCAFs compared to both PFs and PSCs.Immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of this GPCR in PDAC tumors.Co-culture of PSCs with PDAC cells or incubation with TNFαinduced its expression.Activation of the GPCR in PCAF sincreased expression of interleukin-6(IL-6)via a cA MP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway.GPCR knockdown with siR NA diminished IL-6 production and secretionby PCAFs and ability of PCAF conditioned media to enhance proliferation of PDAC cells.CONCLUSION We conclude that PDAC cells induce expression by PCAFs of a novel GPCR,resulting in increased IL-6 production by PCAFs and promotion of PDAC cell proliferation.This PCAF-expressed GPCR thus contributes to PDAC cell-PCAF interaction and as such,may be a novel therapeutic target for PDAC tumors.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 11872298, 11602191,11532009,11621062)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation ( 2018M631141)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities ( Z201811336)
文摘This work identified the important role of matrix mechanical plasticity in mediating fibroblast activation.Many existing studies have highlighted the important effects of biochemical cues(e.g.,transforming growth factor-β1)and mechanicalstiffness on fibroblast activation.Our results indicated that self-assembled collagen hydrogels showed high plasticity and in which fibroblasts remain undifferentiated.However,when we decreased the plasticity of collagen hydrogels by increasing covalent crosslinking,fibroblasts showed a significant fibrotic response as reflected by the increasedα-SMA expression.Since the material systems we constructed have low and the same initial modulus,this process is stiffness independent.Although it has been reported that covalently crosslinked hydrogels are more difficult to degrade and matrix degradability has an important impact on cell behaviors,no significant changes of fibroblast activation were observed when proteases were broadly inhibited in our experiments.Importantly,the hydrogels we constructed showed similar plastic behaviors under creep and recovery tests compared to native normal and fibrotic tissues.These highlight the importance of matrix plasticity in mimicking the mechanical microenvironment of native fibrotic tissues.Mechanistically,we found that the enhanced fibroblast activation in low plastic matrix is mediated through integrin-actin pathway and nuclear localization of YAP.In high plastic collagen,matrix cannot provide effective resistance to actin contraction because of the rupture of weak crosslinks and the slippage of local fibers.On the contrary,in low plastic collagen,deformation energy can be stored in the network due to the existence of strong covalent crosslinks,thus enabling the build-up of cell traction and the formation of a robust cell-matrix interaction.Experiments of inhibiting or promoting cytoskeletal contractility and CGMD simulation both verified the above points.Our results clarify plasticity changes on the development of fibrotic diseases and highlight plasticity as an important mechanical cue in understanding cell-matrix interactions.
文摘Adipose tissue plays pivotal roles in the development of hypertension,including white and brown adipocytes.Immunity and inflammation provide a bridge between adipose dysfunction and hypertensive target organ damage.We firstly found that perivascular adipose tissue(PVAT)expressed abundant C3,which stimulated adventitial fibroblast migration and phenotype trans-differentiation.Subsequently,we showed that C5a regulated M1/M2 macrophage polarization and inhibited adiponectin production in the PVAT,which contributed to vascular inflammation in hypertension.
基金Supported by the Major Special Projects of New Product Taining of Transgenic Organisms(zx080072008-2008)
文摘Bax is a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family genes which regulate programmed cell death. To decrease the apoptosis of bovine fibroblast cells, we construsted specific short hairpin （shRNA） expression vector encoding shRNA targeting Bax gene to screen the most effective vector. Four shRNAs sequences based on the sequence of bovine Bax mRNA in the GenBank were designed, and one scrambled shRNA sequence was regarded as negative control. The designed and synthesised single-stranded primer were annealed to double-stranded oligo sequences and cloned into linear pRI-GFP vector digested by enzymes Xho I and Bgl II. Screening positive cloning after transformed into DH5a competent cells and identified by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Named the correct vectors as pRI-GFP-Bax-190, pRI-GFP-Bax-206, pRI-GFP-Bax-215, pRI -GFP-Bax-389, pRI-GFP- Bax-NC （the negative control） and seleced them by quantitative PCR after transfected after 24 h and 48 h. The results showed that pRI-GFP-Bax-190 was the highest efficiency （95.47%）, and significant difference （P〈0.01） after 48 h transfection. RNA interference （RNAi） mediated by shRNA expression vector could significantly down-regulate the expression of Bax gene in bovine fibroblast cells, which laid a foundation for further research.
文摘Studying the skin care efficacy of recombinant humanized collagen based on in vitro level.The stability of the recombinant humanized collagen was first analyzed by treating at different temperatures,then its skincare efficacy based on in vitro level was evaluated by detecting the inhibition rate of elastase,the inhibition rate of collagenase,the protein content of type I collagen in human fibroblasts,the inhibition of reactive oxygen species(ROS)with human keratinocytes,and the effects of the recombinant humanized collagen on the expression of hyaluronic acid(HA),filaggrin(FLG)and transglutaminase 1(TGM1)in keratinocytes.The results showed that recombinant humanized collagen was able to maintain stability at temperatures below 70℃.With regard to its skincare efficacy,recombinant humanized collagen could inhibit elastase and collagenase activities and promote the increase of type I collagen content in human fibroblasts.It also showed good inhibition of ROS in keratinocytes in vitro and could increase the expression of HA,FLG,and TGM1 in keratinocytes.In short,the recombinant humanized collagen exhibited a favourable skin care effect in vitro level.This study proved that it has potential firming,anti-wrinkle,moisturizing,and repairing efficacy,and is a valuable cosmetic raw material.
文摘The purpose of the present study was to determine protectivie effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on cochlear neurons and hair cells in vitro and in vivo. In experiment I, cultured spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) prepared from P3 mice were exposed to 20mM glutamate for 2 hours before the culture medium was replaced with fresh medium containing 0, 25, 50, and 100 ng/ml bFGF, respectively. Fourteen days later, all cultures were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde, and stained with 1% toluidine blue. The number of surviving SGNs were counted and the length of SGNs neurites were measured. Exposure to 20 mM glutamate for 24 hours resulted in an inhibition on neurite outgrowth of SGNs and elevated cell death. Treatment of the cultures with bFGF led to promotion of neurite outgrowth and elevated number of surviving SGNs. Effects of bFGF were dose dependent with the highest potency at 100 ng/ml. In experiment Ⅱ, in vivo studies were carried out with guinea pigs in which bFGF or artificial perilymph was perfused into the cochlea to assess possible protective effects of bFGF on cochlear hair cells and compound action potentials(CAP). The CAPs were measured before, immediatly and 48 hours after exposure to noise. Significant differences in CAP were observed (p＜0. 05 ) among the bFGF perfused group, control group(t =3. 896 ) and artificial perilymph perfused group (t =2. 520) at 48 hours after noise exposure, Cochleae were removed and hair cell Loss was analyzed in surface preparations prepared from all experimental animals. Acoustic trauma caused loss of 651 and 687 inner hair cells in the control and artificial perilymph perfused group, respectively. In sharp contrast, only 31 inner hair cells were lost in the bFGF perfused ears. Similarly, more outer hair cells died in the control and perilymph perfuesed group (41830 and 41968, respectively) than in the group treated with bFGF (34258). Our results demonstrate that bFGF protected SGNs against glutmate neurotoxicity in vitro. In addition, treatment with bFGF also protected hair cells from acoustic trauma.
