Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are anuclear particles composed of lipid bilayers that contain nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and organelles. EVs act as an important mediator of cell-to-cell communication by transmitting biological signals or components, including lipids, proteins, messenger RNAs, DNA, microRNAs, organelles, etc, to nearby or distant target cells to activate and regulate the function and phenotype of target cells. Under physiological conditions, EVs play an essential role in maintaining the homeostasis of the pulmonary milieu but they can also be involved in promoting the pathogenesis and progression of various respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and pulmonary artery hypertension. In addition, in multiple preclinical studies, EVs derived from mesenchymal stem cells (EVs) have shown promising therapeutic effects on reducing and repairing lung injuries. Furthermore, in recent years, researchers have explored different methods for modifying EVs or enhancing EVs-mediated drug delivery to produce more targeted and beneficial effects. This article will review the characteristics and biogenesis of EVs and their role in lung homeostasis and various acute and chronic lung diseases and the potential therapeutic application of EVs in the field of clinical medicine.
DNA/metabolism* ; Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism* ; Humans ; Lipid Bilayers/metabolism* ; Lung Diseases/therapy* ; Lung Injury/metabolism* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Proteins/metabolism* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Sulfogalactosylglycerolipid (SGG) is the main glycolipid in male mammalian germ cells, which is selectively and highly expressed in mammalian testes and helps form the lipid bilayer of cell membrane. In the process of spermatogenesis, SGG is involved in the meiosis of spermiocytes. Either deficiency or accumulation of SGG will lead to male infertility. SGG homeostasis in the testis is the premise of normal spermatogenesis. In the process of sperm-zona binding, SGG becomes a component of lipid raft and provides a platform for signal transduction. The SGG binding protein plays a role in sperm-egg recognition and membrane fusion. SGG has a great research value and application prospect in male reproduction.
Animals ; Cell Membrane ; Galactolipids ; physiology ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Lipid Bilayers ; metabolism ; Male ; Signal Transduction ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; physiology ; Spermatogenesis ; physiology ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism ; Testis ; physiology

Escherichia coli ; enzymology ; Fluorine Radioisotopes ; analysis ; Lipid Bilayers ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Maleates ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Phosphorylation ; Polystyrenes ; chemistry ; Protein Conformation ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Tyrosine ; metabolism

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glutamic Acid ; genetics ; metabolism ; Histidine ; genetics ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ion Channel Gating ; genetics ; Lipid Bilayers ; metabolism ; Mutant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mutation ; Porins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

The ryanodine receptor/channel (RyR) mediates the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in both skeletal and cardiac muscle cells. There are three isoforms of the RyR: RyR1, RyR2, and RyR3. RyR1 is specifically expressed in skeletal muscles and RyR2 in cardiac muscles. RyR3 is yet another isoform found in non-muscle cells such as neuronal cells. Single channel recordings of RyR1 and RyR2 reconstituted in artificial lipid bilayer show that the characteristics of two isoforms are very distinct. RyR1 has a shorter mean open time and is activated at a higher concentration of Ca2+ than RyR2. In this study, we isolated the heavy SR membranes from canine latissimus dorsi muscles and investigated the single channel activities from the heavy SR membrane fraction using Cs+ as a charge carrier. Two different types of activities were observed. The fast-gating type (FG) with the mean open time of 0.9 ms was more frequently recorded (n = 12) than the slow-gating type (SG) with the mean open time of 269.2 ms. From the I-V relation, the slope conductance of the FG was calculated to be 514.7 pS and the SG, to 625.6 pS. The activity of the fast gating type increased by raising the concentration of Ca2+ in the cis-solution up to 100 microM. The appearance of the SG in the canine heavy SR membrane fraction suggests a possibility that two types of RyR isoform are co-expressed in mammalian skeletal muscle as well as in avian, amphibian and piscine fast twitch muscles.
Animal ; Calcium Channels/*metabolism ; Dogs ; *Ion Channel Gating ; Lipid Bilayers ; Microsomes/metabolism ; Muscle Proteins/*metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal/*metabolism ; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum/*metabolism ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Thorax ; Time Factors

AIMTo target for hepatocytic cell, liposomes was modified by special ligand.

METHODSSterically stabilized liposomes (SSL) was conjugated with asialofeticin (AF), the ligand of asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) of hepatocyte. ASGP-R-BLM is the ASGP-R reconstructed on bilayer lipid membrane (BLM). The recognition reaction between AF-SSL and ASGP-R-BLM can be monitored by the varieties of membrane electrical parameters. The targetability of AF-SSL mediated to hepatocyte was detected by radioisotopic labeled in vitro and in vivo. The therapeutic effect of antihepatocarcinoma was observed also.

RESULTSThe lifetime of ASGP-R-BLM decreased with the added amount of AF-SSL. It was demonstrated that there was recognition reaction between AF-SSL and ASGP-R-BLM. The combination of AF-SSL with hepatocyte was significantly higher than that of SSL without AF-modified in vitro and in vivo. The survival time of rat for AF-SSL carriered ADM (adriamycin) group was much longer and the toxicities on heart, kidney and lung were lower than those SSL carried ADM group.

CONCLUSIONIt is possible to actively target the cell with specific receptor by ligand modified liposomes. The result prvide scientific basis of hepatocyte targeted liposomes.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Asialoglycoprotein Receptor ; Asialoglycoproteins ; chemistry ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Fetuins ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; Ligands ; Lipid Bilayers ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; chemistry