Tenascin-C is a member of the matricellular protein family, and its expression level is correlated to poor prognosis in cancer, including glioblastoma, whereas its substantial role in tumor formation and malignant progression remains controversial. We reported previously that peptide TNIIIA2 derived from the cancer-associated alternative splicing domain of tenascin-C molecule has an ability to activate b1-integrin strongly and to maintain it for a long time. Here, we demonstrate that b1-integrin activation by TNIIIA2 causes acquisition of aggressive behavior, dysregulated proliferation, and migration, characteristic of glioblastoma cells. TNIIIA2 hyperstimulated the platelet-derived growth factor-dependent cell survival and proliferation in an anchorage-independent as well as-dependent manner in glioblastoma cells. TNIIIA2 also strongly promoted glioblastoma multiforme cell migration, which was accompanied by an epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like morphologic change on the fibronectin substrate. Notably, acquisition of these aggressive properties by TNIIIA2 in glioblastoma cells was abrogated by peptide FNIII14 that is capable of inducing inactivation in b1-integrin activation. Moreover, FNIII14 significantly inhibited tumor growth in a mouse xenograft glioblastoma model. More importantly, FNIII14 sensitized glioblastoma cells to temozolomide via downregulation of O 6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase expression. Consequently, FNIII14 augmented the antitumor activity of temozolomide in a mouse xenograft glioblastoma model. Taken altogether, the present study provides not only an interpretation for the critical role of tenascin-C/TNIIIA2 in aggressive behavior of glioblastoma cells, but also an important strategy for glioblastoma chemotherapy. Inhibition of the tenascin-C/b1-integrin axis may be a therapeutic target for glioblastoma, and peptide FNIII14 may represent a new approach for glioblastoma chemotherapy. Significance: These findings provide a proposal of new strategy for glioblastoma chemotherapy based on integrin inactivation.

Background:The tenascin-C-derived peptide TNIIIA2 is capable of activating ␤1-integrins. Results: TNIIIA2 greatly enhanced cell survival and PDGF-dependent proliferation through potentiated and sustained activation of integrin ␣5␤1, resulting in continuous proliferation even after reaching confluency. Conclusion: TNIIIA2-induced integrin ␣5␤1 activation causes deregulated cell growth. Significance: These results offer a new insight into the physiological/pathological role of tenascin-C in tissues where it is highly expressed.

Background:The intracellular signaling pathway leading to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-induced Egr-1 expression has been largely unknown. Results: PKC␦-mediated activation of ERK and JNK is required for LPA-induced Egr-1 expression. Conclusion:This study provides the first evidence of PKC␦ regulation of ERK and JNK activation in LPA signaling and the role of PKC␦/ERK/JNK in LPA-induced gene expression. Significance: Identified intracellular molecules may serve as therapeutic targets.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has been known to play an important role in wound healing process. However, the effect of molecular weight (MW) of exogenously administered HA on the wound healing process has not been fully understood. In this study, we investigated HA with different MWs on wound healing process using human epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts. Cell proliferation and migration ability were assessed by water soluble tetrazolium (WST) assay and wound scratch assay. We examined the effect of HA addition in a full-thickness wound model in mice and the gene expression related to wound healing. Proliferation and migration of HaCaT cells increased with the increase of MW and concentration of HA. Interleukin (IL-1β), IL-8 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as well as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-13 were significantly upregulated by high molecular weight (HMW) HA in keratinocytes. Together with VEGF upregulation and the observed promotion of HaCaT migration, HA with the MW of 2290 kDa may hold potential to improve re-epithelialization, a critical obstacle to heal chronic wounds.

Apoptotic cells are cleared by phagocytes, such as macrophages, as soon as they appear in vivo. If apoptosis occurs acutely, however, macrophages may be outnumbered by apoptotic cells, which causes late apoptosis. We previously showed that injection of late apoptotic cells into the peritoneal cavity led to transient infiltration of neutrophils. In this study, we examined the involvement of MIP-2 and CXCR2 in the neutrophil infiltration. We first produced a recombinant MIP-2 protein, and a fusion protein between CXCR2 and GST in E. coli, and then generated anti-MIP-2 antibodies and anti-CXCR2 antibodies in rabbits. We then confirmed their specificity by Western blotting analysis and flow cytometry. Injection of late apoptotic cells, such as P388 cells treated with etoposide for 24 hours and CTLL-2 cells cultured in IL-2-free medium for 28 hours, induced neutrophil infiltration into the peritoneal cavity, as expected. The antibodies, but not control antibodies against GST, suppressed the neutrophil infiltration to the level caused by injection of normal (viable) cells, suggesting that MIP-2 and CXCR2 are mainly involved in the neutrophil infiltration caused by late apoptotic cells.

Background: Fibronectin harbors a cryptic antiadhesive site that is able to inactivate ␤-1 integrins. Results: Spontaneous anoikis of nontransformed fibroblasts was caused by exposure of this antiadhesive site and its recognition by membrane-resident eEF1A. Conclusion: eEF1A functions as a membrane receptor triggering cell detachment, resulting in anoikis.Significance: The results demonstrate a new function of eEF1A that contributes to cell regulation, including anoikis.

Abstract. Cardiac hypertrophy is an increase in the muscle volume of the ventricle due to the enlargement of cardiac cells. Physiological cardiac hypertrophy is the normal response to healthy exercise, and pathological hypertrophy is the response to increased stress such as hypertension. Intracellular and extracellular aniosmotic conditions also change cell volume. Since persistent cell swelling or cell shrinkage during aniosmotic conditions results in cell death, the ability to regulate cell volume is important for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Cell swelling activates a regulatory volume decrease (RVD) response in which solute leakage pathways are stimulated and solute with water exits cells, reducing the cell volume towards the original value. In cardiac cells, one of the essential factors for cell-volume regulation is the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). However, the relationship between cardiac hypertrophy and cell-volume regulation is not clear. In this review, we introduce our recent findings showing that the impairment of VRAC current is exhibited in ventricular cells from mice with cardiac hypertrophy induced by transverse aortic constriction. Similar results were shown in caveolin-3-deficient mice, which develop cardiac hypertrophy without pressure overload. These results suggest that VRAC will be a new target for protection from the development of cardiac hypertrophy.

It is generally believed that the clearance of apoptotic cells does not lead to inflammation. In contrast, we previously found that injection of apoptotic cells into the peritoneal cavity induced the expression of an inflammatory chemokine, MIP-2, and infiltration of neutrophils, and that anti-MIP-2 Abs suppressed the infiltration significantly. Because our previous study showed that whole-body x-irradiation caused neutrophil infiltration into the thymus along with T cell apoptosis, we examined the role of neutrophils in apoptotic cell clearance. Neutrophil infiltration reached a peak 12 h after irradiation with 1 Gy of x-rays. Immunohistological analysis revealed that apoptotic cells disappeared dramatically from 10.5 to 12 h after x-irradiation. As neutrophils moved from an inner area of the cortex to the periphery, apoptotic cells disappeared concomitantly. Either anti-MIP-2 or anti-CXCR2 Abs suppressed neutrophil infiltration significantly, and the suppression of neutrophil infiltration by anti-MIP-2 Abs delayed the disappearance of apoptotic cells. Moreover, macrophage-mediated digestion of apoptotic thymocytes was accelerated in vitro on coculturing with neutrophils, even if neutrophils were separated from macrophages. These results suggest that neutrophils are recruited to the thymus mainly by MIP-2 after whole-body x-irradiation and that such neutrophils may not induce inflammation but rather accelerate complete digestion of apoptotic cells by macrophages.