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HDGF (hepatoma-derived growth factor) stimulates cell proliferation by functioning on both sides of the plasma membrane as a ligand for membrane receptor binding to trigger cell signalling and as a stimulator for DNA synthesis in the nucleus. Although HDGF was initially identified as a secretory heparin-binding protein, the biological significance of its heparin-binding ability remains to be determined. In the present study we demonstrate that cells devoid of surface HS (heparan sulfate) were unable to internalize HDGF, HATH (N-terminal domain of HDGF consisting of amino acid residues 1-100, including the PWWP motif) and HATH(K96A) (single-site mutant form of HATH devoid of receptor binding activity), suggesting that the binding of HATH to surface HS is important for HDGF internalization. We further demonstrate that both HATH and HATH(K96A) could be internalized through macropinocytosis after binding to the cell surface HS. Interestingly, HS-mediated HATH(K96A) internalization is found to exhibit an inhibitory effect on cell migration and proliferation in contrast with that observed for HATH action on NIH 3T3 cells, suggesting that HDGF exploits the innate properties of both cell surface HS and membrane receptor via the HATH domain to affect related cell signalling processes. The present study indicates that MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signalling pathways could be affected by the HS-mediated HATH internalization to regulate cell migration in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, as judged from the differential effect of HATH and HATH(K96A) treatment on the expression level of matrix metalloproteases.

Severe tissue necrosis with a retarded wound healing process is a major symptom of a cobra snakebite. Cardiotoxins (CTXs) are major components of cobra venoms that belong to the Ly-6 protein family and are implicated in tissue damage. The interaction of the major CTX from Taiwan cobra, i.e. CTX A3, with sulfatides in the cell membrane has recently been shown to induce pore formation and cell internalization and to be responsible for cytotoxicity in cardiomyocytes (Wang, C.-H., Liu, J.-H., Lee, S.-C., Hsiao, C.-D., and Wu, W.-g. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281, 656 -667). We show here that one of the non-cytotoxic CTXs, i.e. CTX A5 or cardiotoxin-like basic polypeptide, from Taiwan cobra specifically bound to ␣v␤3 integrin and inhibited bone resorption activity. We found that both membrane-bound and recombinant soluble ␣v␤3 integrins bound specifically to CTX A5 in a dose-dependent manner. Surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that human soluble ␣v␤3 bound to CTX A5 with an apparent affinity of ϳ0.3 M. Calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells, which constitutively express ␣v␤3, showed a CTX A5 binding profile similar to that of membrane-bound and soluble ␣v␤3 integrins, suggesting that endothelial cells are a potential target for CTX action. We tested whether CTX A5 inhibits osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption, a process known to be involved in ␣v␤3 binding and inhibited by RGD-containing peptides. We demonstrate that CTX A5 inhibited both activities at a micromolar range by binding to murine ␣v␤3 integrin in osteoclasts and that CTX A5 co-localized with ␤3 integrin. Finally, after comparing the integrin binding affinity among CTX homologs, we propose that the amino acid residues near the two loops of CTX A5 are involved in integrin binding. These results identify CTX A5 as a non-RGD integrin-binding protein with therapeutic potential as an integrin antagonist.Severe tissue necrosis and inflammation with a retarded wound healing process are the major symptoms of a victim surviving from a cobra bite (1-4). Cobra cardiotoxins (CTXs) 3 are the major toxin peptides and constitute ϳ50% of the weight of cobra venom. CTXs are believed to play a critical role in cobra venom toxicity (5). We have shown that CTXs bind to glycosaminoglycans with specificity and are retained on the membrane surface for action (6 -8). Interestingly, one of the CTXs, CTX A3, interacts with sulfatide to form a pore and becomes internalized to further target mitochondria in cardiomyocytes and H9C2 myoblasts (9 -12). The mechanisms for CTX-induced perturbation of the wound healing process and severe tissue damage are unknown. It is not clear whether there are cellular receptors for CTXs, although other cobra venom components such as secretory phospholipase A 2 are known to have diverse targets for their actions by involving glycosaminoglycans, protein receptors, and membrane lipids (13,14). CTXs are all ␤-sheet basic polypeptides of 60 -62 amino acid residues with a three-fingered loop-folding topology and are members of the Ly-6 protei...

CO2 AFR successfully removes cosmetic tattoos.

The mechanisms responsible for variable responses of cosmetic tattoos to Q-switched laser removal treatment remain unclear. We sought to investigate the properties of tattoo inks that may affect the efficacy of laser-assisted tattoo removal. The absorption of white, brown, and black inks before and after Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser irradiation were analyzed by a reflectance measurement system. Rats were tattooed using the three inks and treated with the same laser for two sessions. Skin biopsies were taken from the treated and untreated sites. Black ink showed strong absorption, reduced after laser irradiation, over the entire spectrum. White ink had low absorption over the visible light spectrum, and brown ink had strong absorption at 400-550 nm wavelengths. White and brown inks turned dark after laser exposure, and the absorption of laser-darkened inks were intermediate between their original color and black ink. White, brown, and black tattoos in rat skin achieved poor, fair to good, and excellent responses to laser treatment, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy showed that white tattoo particles were the largest, brown were intermediate, and black were the smallest before laser. After laser treatment, white and brown tattoo particles were mixtures of large and small particles, while black particles showed overall reduction in number and size. Black tattoo ink's excellent response to Q-switched lasers was associated with its strong absorption and small particle size. White tattoo ink's poor response was associated with its poor absorption, even after laser darkening, and large particle size.

Nonablative fractional lasers (NAFLs) successfully remove cosmetic tattoos by transepidermal elimination of tattoo pigments through the disrupted dermal-epidermal junction. This action is facilitated by the wound healing process.