BackgroundTumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF receptor superfamily (TNFR)-mediated immune response play an essential role in the pathogenesis of severe sepsis. Studies examining associations of TNF and lymphotoxin-α (LTA) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with severe sepsis have produced conflicting results. The objective of this study was to investigate whether genetic variation in TNF, LTA, TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B was associated with susceptibility to or death from severe sepsis in Chinese Han population.Methodology/Principal FindingsTen SNPs in TNF, LTA, TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B were genotyped in samples of patients with severe sepsis (n = 432), sepsis (n = 384) and healthy controls (n = 624). Our results showed that rs1800629, a SNP in the promoter region of TNF, was significantly associated with risk for severe sepsis. The minor allele frequency of rs1800629 was significantly higher in severe sepsis patients than that in both healthy controls (Padj = 0.00046, odds ratio (OR)adj = 1.92) and sepsis patients (Padj = 0.002, ORadj = 1.56). Further, we investigated the correlation between rs1800629 genotypes and TNF-α concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy volunteers exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) ex vivo, and the association between rs1800629 and TNF-α serum levels in severe sepsis patients. After exposure to LPS, the TNF-α concentration in culture supernatants of PBMCs was significantly higher in the subjects with AA+AG genotypes than that with GG genotype (P = 0.007). Moreover, in patients with severe sepsis, individuals with AA+AG genotypes had significantly higher TNF-α serum concentrations than those with GG genotype (Padj = 0.02). However, there were no significant associations between SNPs in the four candidate genes and 30 day mortality for patients with severe sepsis.Conclusions/SignificanceOur findings suggested that the functional TNF gene SNP rs1800629 was strongly associated with susceptibility to severe sepsis, but not with lethality in Chinese Han population.
Regulation of the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is critical in the control of fibrin deposition. While several plasminogen activators have been described, soluble plasma cofactors that stimulate fibrinolysis have not been characterized. Here, we report that the abundant plasma glycoprotein, β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI), stimulates t-PA–dependent plasminogen activation in the fluid phase and within a fibrin gel. The region within β2GPI responsible for stimulating t-PA activity is at least partially contained within β2GPI domain V. β2GPI bound t-PA with high affinity (Kd ~ 20 nM), stimulated t-PA amidolytic activity, and caused an overall 20-fold increase in the catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of t-PA–mediated conversion of Glu-plasminogen to plasmin. Moreover, depletion of β2GPI from plasma led to diminished rates of clot lysis, with restoration of normal lysis rates following β2GPI repletion. Finally, stimulation of t-PA–mediated plasminogen activity by β2GPI was inhibited by monoclonal anti-β2GPI antibodies, as well as by anti-β2GPI antibodies from patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). These findings suggest that β2GPI may be an endogenous regulator of fibrinolysis. Impairment of β2GPI-stimulated fibrinolysis by anti-β2GPI antibodies may contribute to the development of thrombosis in patients with APS.
The effect on bone tissue of b b-ecdysterone, a type of ecdysteroid found in many plants, has not been previously investigated. In this study, we found that b b-ecdysterone treatment significantly induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in mesenchymal stem cells in a dose-dependent manner. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that Runx2, osteocalcin, and type I collagen expression also increased. ICI182780, a specific estrogen receptor antagonist, inhibited the upregulation of ALP activity. Moreover, b b-ecdysterone promoted estrogen receptor (ER) reporter gene activity; however, ICI182780 reversed its effect, suggesting that b b-ecdysterone has stimulatory effects on osteogenic differentiation via the ER. Furthermore, b b-ecdysterone alleviated osteoporosis symptoms in a mouse model without obvious side effects. Therefore b b-ecdysterone may be a promising candidate drug for the treatment of osteoporosis.
High altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) severely affects non-acclimatized individuals and is characterized by alveolar flooding with protein-rich oedema as a consequence of blood-gas barrier disruption. Limited choice for prophylactic treatment warrants effective therapy against HAPE. Keratinocyte growth factor-2 (KGF-2) has shown efficiency in preventing alveolar epithelial cell DNA damages in vitro. In the current study, the effects of KGF-2 intratracheal instillation on mortality, lung liquid balance and lung histology were evaluated in our previously developed rat model of HAPE. We found that pre-treatment with KGF-2 (5 mg/kg) significantly decreased mortality, improved oxygenation and reduced lung wet-to-dry weight ratio by preventing alveolar-capillary barrier disruption demonstrated by histological examination and increasing alveolar fluid clearance up to 150%. In addition, KGF-2 significantly inhibited decrease of transendothelial permeability after exposure to hypoxia, accompanied by a 10-fold increase of Akt activity and inhibited apoptosis in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, demonstrating attenuated endothelial apoptosis might contribute to reduction of endothelial permeability. These results showed the efficacy of KGF-2 on inhibition of endothelial cell apoptosis, preservation of alveolar-capillary barrier integrity and promotion of pulmonary oedema absorption in HAPE. Thus, KGF-2 may represent a potential drug candidate for the prevention of HAPE.Keywords: high altitude pulmonary oedema keratinocyte growth factor-2 alveolar-capillary barrier alveolar fluid clearance apoptosis
Obesity is a chronic, costly disease, and flavonoids such as quercetin have been proven to play protective roles against it. This study investigated the suppressive effect of quercetin-3-O-(6″-feruloyl)-β-D-galactopyranoside (QFG) on adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Quercetin-3-O-(6″-feruloyl)-β-D-galactopyranoside and quercetin were both extracted from Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae, commonly known as guava) leaves and were evaluated for their suppressive effect on adipogenesis by means of oil red O staining and triglyceride assay. It was shown that QFG inhibited adipogenesis in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and it exerted a stronger effect than did quercetin at the same concentration. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were conducted to further examine the differentiation expression of marker genes and transcriptional factors. Both mRNA and protein expression of the key adipogenic transcriptional factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT (cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine)/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), were inhibited by QFG. Moreover, the mRNA expression patterns of key participants in the Wnt-β-catenin pathway were not altered during the QFG-induced adipogenesis inhibition. These results suggest that QFG effectively suppresses adipogenesis and that it exerts its role mainly through the significant down-regulation of PPARγ and C/EBPα and, probably, via a Wnt-β-catenin independent pathway.
The -catenin-lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF) protein complex is the key mediator of canonical Wnt signaling and initiates target gene transcription upon ligand stimulation. In addition to -catenin and LEF themselves, many other proteins have been identified as necessary cofactors. Here we report that the evolutionally conserved splicing factor and transcriptional co-regulator, SKIP/SNW/NcoA62, forms a ternary complex with LEF1 and HDAC1 and mediates the repression of target genes. Lossof-function studies showed that SKIP is obligatory for Wnt signaling-induced target gene transactivation, suggesting an important role of SKIP in the canonical Wnt signaling. Consistent with its involvement in -catenin signaling, the C-terminally truncated forms of SKIP are able to stabilize -catenin and enhance Wnt signaling. In Xenopus embryos, both overexpression and knockdown of Skip lead to reduced neural crest induction, consistent with down-regulated Wnt signaling in both cases. Our results indicate that SKIP is a novel component of the -catenin transcriptional complex.
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