OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether garlicin post-conditioning can attenuate myocardial ischemiareperfusion injury in a catheter-based porcine model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by affecting adhesion molecules integrin β1/CD29 and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1/CD31). METHODS: Twenty-two swine were devided into 3 groups: 6 in a sham-operation group, and 8 each in the model and garlicin groups. AMI porcine model was established in the model and garlicin groups. The distal parts of the left anterior descending coronary artery in the animals of the model and garlicin groups were occluded by dilated balloon for 2 h, followed by reperfusion for 3 h. Garlicin (1.88 mg/kg) was injected over a period of 1 h, beginning just before reperfusion, in the garlicin group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and Western blot were carried out to detect mRNA and protein expressions of CD29 and CD31 3 h after reperfusion. RESULTS: Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed a better myocardial structure in the garlicin group after reperfusion. Compared to the model group, garlicin inhibited both the mRNA and protein expression of CD29 and CD31 in reperfusion area and no-reflflow area (P<0.05 respectively). CONCLUSIONS Garlicin post-conditioning induced cardio-protection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in this catheter-based porcine model of AMI. The cardio-protective effect of garlicin is possibly owing to suppression of production of CD29 and CD31, by inhibition of the mRNA expression of CD29 and CD31.
Allyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Disulfides ; pharmacology ; Integrin beta1 ; analysis ; genetics ; physiology ; Ischemic Postconditioning ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Swine

PURPOSE: To compare the improving effects of diabetic erectile dysfunction with two anti-glycemic agents; phlorizin and insulin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n=15 in each group): normal control (C), untreated diabetic rats (D), and diabetic rats treated by phlorizin (P) or insulin (I). Ten weeks after the diabetic induction using an injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg), four weeks of diabetic control was conducted. Erectile response, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were assessed. RESULTS: During the experiment, the C-group showed continuous weight gain, while the other groups suffered from weight loss. After start of diabetic control, the body weight of I-group was increased; whereas, there was no meaningful change in the P-group. Meanwhile, comparable blood glucose levels were achieved in the P- and I-groups. The erectile response was markedly decreased in the D-group, whereas the P- and I-groups were similar as good as the C-group. In addition, D-group showed the significant decrease in the cavernosal smooth muscle content and increased apoptosis. Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 protein expression, phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 were significantly distorted in the D-group, while the P- and I-groups were comparable with the C-group. CONCLUSIONS: Phlorizin treatment resulted in the improvement of erectile function as same as insulin despite the lack of anabolic weight gains. These results suggest that control of blood glucose level rather than a type of anti-glycemic agents is more important for the prevention and treatment of diabetic erectile dysfunction
Animals ; Antigens, CD31 ; Apoptosis ; Blood Glucose ; Blotting, Western ; Body Weight ; Diabetes Complications ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulin ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Phlorhizin ; Phosphorylation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Streptozocin ; Weight Gain ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: Gene therapy, stem cell therapy, and low-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) have been investigated as treatments for refractory erectile dysfunction (ED), but inconclusive evidence has been obtained. We investigated the effect of a next-generation electromagnetic cylinder ESWT device on an animal model of ED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetes mellitus (DM)-induced rats were divided into 3 groups: group 1, control; group 2, DM; and group 3, DM+ESWT. Rats were treated with ESWT 3 times a week for 2 weeks. After the treatment course, intracavernous pressure was measured and the corpus cavernosum and cavernous nerve were evaluated. RESULTS: In the DM group, all parameters predicted to be significantly lower in the ED model had statistically significantly decreased (p < 0.01). As a measurement of erectile function, intracavernous pressure was evaluated. The DM+ESWT group exhibited significantly restored erectile function compared to the DM group (p < 0.05). Moreover, ESWT treatment restored smooth muscle content, as assessed by Masson's trichrome staining (p < 0.05). Finally, corporal tissue and the dorsal nerve were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and ELISA. After ESWT treatment, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, cyclic guanosine monophosphate, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression levels were restored to levels in the DM group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Electromagnetic cylinder ESWT device resulted in increased VEGF, nNOS, and eNOS expression; reduced smooth muscle atrophy; and increased endothelial cell regeneration in a DM-associated ED model. Our data suggest that safe and effective application could be possible in future clinical studies.
Animals* ; Antigens, CD31 ; Atrophy ; Blotting, Western ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Endothelial Cells ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Genetic Therapy ; Guanosine Monophosphate ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnets ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Rats ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Objective: To search for the methods of isolating, purifying and culturing corpus cavernosal endothelial cells (CCECs) from SD rats, observe their growth characteristics, and providing seed cells for the study of erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: The corpus cavernosal tissue from the SD rat was digested with 0.1% elastase, followed by purification of CCECs with immunomagnetic beads. After further amplification, monoclonal CCECs were sorted out with the cloning cylinder and their morphological and proliferative characteristics were observed. The von Willebrand factor (VWF) in the CCECs was identified by immunofluorescence staining, the CD31 molecule detected by immumohistochemistry, the purity of the CCECs determined by flow cytometry, and the proliferation of the cells measured with CCK-8 and growth curves. RESULTS: After 7 days of purification and culture, the CCECs were fused into a monolayer under the inverted phase-contrast microscope, arranged like flagstones. The growth curves showed that the CCECs were in latency with a low growth rate at 1－2 days, in the logarithmic growth phase with a rapid rate at 3－4 days, and into the platform phase around the 6th day. VWF was positively expressed in the CCECs with much green fluorescence, and so was CD31 with a large number of brownish particles. The positive rate of the CCECs which were labelled with the VWF purified with magnetic beads combined with cloning cylinders was up to (91.9±3.75)%. CONCLUSIONS High-purity rat CCECs can be cultured successfully using immunomagnetic beads combined with cloning cylinders, with stable proliferation and passage in the endothelial cell medium.
Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; chemistry ; cytology ; physiology ; Erectile Dysfunction ; pathology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunomagnetic Separation ; Male ; Penis ; cytology ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sincalide ; analysis ; von Willebrand Factor ; analysis

Neamine, a non-toxic derivative of neomycin, has recently been shown to have antitumor activities in various types of cancers. However, its effect on pancreatic cancer is still unknown. The study aimed to investigate its antitumor activity on pancreatic cancer and the underlying mechanisms. MTT assay was used to observe the effect of neamine on angiogenin (ANG)-induced AsPC-1 cell proliferation. Tissue microassay and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression of ANG and its nuclear translocation, respectively. Tumor xenografts were established by subcutaneous inoculation of AsPC-1 pancreatic cancer cells into the right flanks of nude mice, and neamine was injected subcutaneously. Immunohistochemistry was done to observe the expression of ANG, CD31 and Ki-67 in tumor xenografts. It was found that neamine blocked the nuclear translocation of ANG effectively and inhibited ANG-induced AsPC-1 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Neamine had anti-tumor effects on AsPC-1 xenograft models. Consistently, neamine reduced the expression levels of ANG, Ki-67 and CD31 in tumor xenografts. It was concluded that neamine may be a promising agent for treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Adult ; Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma ; drug therapy ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Framycetin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ribonuclease, Pancreatic ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway on the endothelial differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC).

METHODSHuman PDLSC was cultured in the medium with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) to induce endothelial differentiation. Endothelial inducing cells was incubated with U0126, a specific p-ERK1/2 inhibitor. PDLSC from one person were randomly divided into four groups: control group, endothelial induced group, endothelial induced+DMSO group and endothelial induced+U0126 group. The protein expression of the p-EKR1/2 was analyzed by Western blotting at 0, 1, 3, 6 and 12 hours during endonthelial induction. The mRNA expressions of CD31, VE-cadherin, and VEGF were detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) after a 7-day induction. The proportion of CD31(+) to VE-cadherin(+) cells was identified by flow cytometry, and the ability of capillary-like tubes formation was detected by Matrigel assay after a 14-day induction. The measurement data were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSPhosphorylated ERK1/2 protein level in PDLSC was increased to 1.24±0.12 and 1.03±0.24 at 1 h and 3 h respectively, during the endothelial induction (P<0.01). The mRNA expressions of CD31 and VEGF in induced+U0126 group were decreased to 0.09±0.18 and 0.49±0.17, which were both significantly different with those in induced group (P<0.05). The proportion of CD31(+) to VE-cadherin(+) cells of induced+U0126 group were decreased to 5.22±0.85 and 3.56±0.87, which were both significantly different with those in induced group (P<0.05). In Matrigel assay, the branching points, tube number and tube length were decreased to 7.0±2.7, 33.5±6.4, and (15 951.0±758.1) pixels, which were all significantly different with those in induced group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe endothelial differentiation of PDLSC is positively regulated by ERK signaling pathway. Inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation could suppress endothelial differentiation of PDLSC.

Antigens, CD ; genetics ; metabolism ; Butadienes ; pharmacology ; Cadherins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; physiology ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; physiology ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Nitriles ; pharmacology ; Periodontal Ligament ; cytology ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Signal Transduction ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; physiology ; Time Factors ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecules-1 (PECAM-1) in human coronary artery endothelial cells induced with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle (ZnO-NPs).

METHODSMTT assay was used to determine the cell viability of ZnO-NPs. Levels of HO-1 and PECAM-1 protein in culture supernatants were measured using ELISA after human coronary artery endothelial cells were treated with different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 40µg/ml) of ZnO-NPs for 24 h.

RESULTSThe cell viability of human coronary artery endothelial cells in each group was 89.76%, 83.61%, 63.10%, 53.20%, 48.11%, 42.35%, 38.06%, 25.44% respectively when treated with different concentrations of ZnO-NPs (12.5, 25, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200µg/ml). Protein levels of HO-1 (ng/L) in each group were 0.041±0.011, 0.512±0.076, 0.906±0.059, 1.062±0.089 respectively after the stimulation of different concentrations of ZnO-NPs (0, 10, 20, 40µg/ml). Comparisons in each group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Protein levels of PECAM-1 (µg/L) in each group were 7.966 ± 0.046, 7.993 ± 0.036, 8.629 ± 0.052, 8.811 ± 0.039 respectively after the stimulation of different concentrations of ZnO-NPs (0, 10, 20, 40 µg/ml). Compared with the control group, protein levels of PECAM-1 increased (P < 0.05) when the concentration of ZnO-NPs was 20µg/ml or 40 µg/ml.

CONCLUSIONZnO-NPs stimulation could inhibit the viability of human coronary artery endothelial cells and upregulate the protein expression of HO-1 and PECAM-1.

Blood Platelets ; Cell Survival ; Coronary Vessels ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; toxicity ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Zinc Oxide ; toxicity

Hemangioma of the esophagus is a rare form of benign esophageal tumor. It usually presents as a single lesion located in the lower third of the esophagus and is mostly asymptomatic. However, it may occasionally cause hematemesis and/or obstruction. Surgical resection is the conventional treatment modality for managing esophageal hemangioma, but less invasive approaches such as endoscopic therapy are recently becoming more widely employed. Herein, we report a case of a 54-year-old man who presented with an esophageal hemangioma that was successfully treated by endoscopic mucosal resection without any complications.
Antigens, CD31/metabolism ; Esophageal Diseases/*diagnosis/surgery ; Esophagoscopy ; Esophagus/diagnostic imaging/metabolism/pathology ; Hemangioma/*diagnosis/surgery ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Neutrophils play an essential role in the innate immune response to infection. Neutrophils migrate from the vasculature into the tissue in response to infection. Recently, a neutrophil cell surface receptor, CD177, was shown to help mediate neutrophil migration across the endothelium through interactions with PECAM1. We examined a publicly available gene array dataset of CD177 expression from human neutrophils following pulmonary endotoxin instillation. Among all 22,214 genes examined, CD177 mRNA was the most upregulated following endotoxin exposure. The high level of CD177 expression is also maintained in airspace neutrophils, suggesting a potential involvement of CD177 in neutrophil infiltration under infectious diseases. To determine the role of CD177 in neutrophils in vivo, we constructed a CD177-genetic knockout mouse model. The mice with homozygous deletion of CD177 have no discernible phenotype and no significant change in immune cells, other than decreased neutrophil counts in peripheral blood. We examined the role of CD177 in neutrophil accumulation using a skin infection model with Staphylococcus aureus. CD177 deletion reduced neutrophil counts in inflammatory skin caused by S. aureus. Mechanistically we found that CD177 deletion in mouse neutrophils has no significant impact in CXCL1/KC- or fMLP-induced migration, but led to significant cell death. Herein we established a novel genetic mouse model to study the role of CD177 and found that CD177 plays an important role in neutrophils.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; GPI-Linked Proteins ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; genetics ; Inflammation ; genetics ; microbiology ; pathology ; Isoantigens ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Neutrophils ; metabolism ; pathology ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; genetics ; Staphylococcus aureus ; pathogenicity ; Transcriptional Activation

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) recipe on the fenestration of capillarization in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs).
 METHODS: Ten Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were fed with 0.46 g/kg FZHY powder by intragastric administration. Two hours later, a second gavage were given to the rats. The serum from rat heart at 1 hour after second gavage was collected (FZHY group, n=10). Another ten SD rats was administrated with distilled water through the same process and served as the control (control group, n=10). The serum from both groups were separately diluted with Dulbecco minimum essential medium (DMEM) for 10% and served as the culture medium for LSECs. At the different conditions, the vWF and CD31 expressions were detected by immunocytochemistry and Western blot, while the changes of LSECs fenestrae structure were observed under scanning electron microscopy.
 RESULTS: 1) Immunocytochemistry and Western blot showed that the vWF and CD31 protein levels were lower in LSECs in the FZHY group than those in the control group. The gray levels of vWF and CD31 protein were 0.548±0.020 and 0.262±0.010 in the FZHY group, and 0.845±0.090 and 0.383±0.010 in the control group respectively, with statistical significant difference (t=5.18, 9.61, both P<0.05). 2) The results from scanning electron microscopy showed that the fenestration of LSECs was closed and almost lost in the control group, but many fenestra appeared in the LSECs in the FZHY group.
 CONCLUSION FZHY recipe can suppress the expression of vWF and CD31, increase the fenestrae on the LSECs surface and reverse the capillarization of LSECs.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Liver ; cytology ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; von Willebrand Factor ; chemistry