Blocking VEGFR-3 suppresses angiogenic sprouting and vascular network formation

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is a key process in several pathological conditions, including tumour growth and age-related macular degeneration. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) stimulate angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis by activating VEGF receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinases in endothelial cells. VEGFR-3 (also known as FLT-4) is present in all endothelia during development, and in the adult it becomes restricted to the lymphatic endothelium. However, VEGFR-3 is upregulated in the microvasculature of tumours and wounds. Here we demonstrate that VEGFR-3 is highly expressed in angiogenic sprouts, and genetic targeting of VEGFR-3 or blocking of VEGFR-3 signalling with monoclonal antibodies results in decreased sprouting, vascular density, vessel branching and endothelial cell proliferation in mouse angiogenesis models. Stimulation of VEGFR-3 augmented VEGF-induced angiogenesis and sustained angiogenesis even in the presence of VEGFR-2 (also known as KDR or FLK-1) inhibitors, whereas antibodies against VEGFR-3 and VEGFR-2 in combination resulted in additive inhibition of angiogenesis and tumour growth. Furthermore, genetic or pharmacological disruption of the Notch signalling pathway led to widespread endothelial VEGFR-3 expression and excessive sprouting, which was inhibited by blocking VEGFR-3 signals. Our results implicate VEGFR-3 as a regulator of vascular network formation. Targeting VEGFR-3 may provide additional efficacy for anti-angiogenic therapies, especially towards vessels that are resistant to VEGF or VEGFR-2 inhibitors.     

Two forms of transforming growth factor-beta distinguished by multipotential haematopoietic progenitor cells

Type-beta transforming growth factors (TGF-beta s) are polypeptides that act hormonally to control proliferation and differentiation of many cell types. Two distinct homodimeric TGF-beta polypeptides, TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 have been identified which show approximately 70% amino-acid sequence similarity. Despite their structural differences, TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 are equally potent at inhibiting epithelial cell proliferation and adipogenic differentiation. The recent immunohistochemical localization of high levels of TGF-beta in the bone marrow and haematopoietic progenitors of the fetal liver has raised the possibility that TGF-beta s might be involved in the regulation of haematopoiesis. Here we show that TGF-beta 1, but not TGF-beta 2, is a potent inhibitor of haematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation. TGF-beta 1 inhibited colony formation by murine factor-dependent haematopoietic progenitor cells in response to interleukin-3 (IL-3) or granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), as well as colony formation by marrow progenitor cells responding to CSF-1 (M-CSF). The progenitor cell lines examined were approximately 100-fold more sensitive to TGF-beta 1 than TGF-beta 2, and displayed type-I TGF-beta receptors with affinity approximately 20-fold higher for TGF-beta 1 than TGF-beta 2. These results identify TGF-beta 1 as a novel regulator of haematopoiesis that acts through type-I TGF-beta receptors to modulate proliferation of progenitor cells in response to haematopoietic growth factors.     

Molecular cloning of cDNA for murine interleukin-3

The cDNA sequence for murine interleukin-3, one of the colony stimulating factors that regulate haematopoiesis, codes for a polypeptide of 166 amino acids including a putative signal peptide. The predicted amino acid sequence indicates that formation of mature interleukin-3 involves proteolytic removal of not only the signal peptide but additional amino-terminal amino acids.     

Effects of vascular endothelial growth factor on angiogenesis of the endothelial cells isolated from cavernous malformations

Human cerebral cavernous malformation （CM） is a common vascular malformation of the central nervous system. We have investigated the biological characteristics of CM endothelial cells and the cellular and molecular mechanisms of CM angiogenesis to offer new insights into exploring effective measures for treatment of this disease. The endothelial cells were isolated from CM tissue masses dissected during operation and expanded in vitro. Expression of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 was examined with immunocytochemical staining. Proliferation, migration and tube formation of CM endothelial cells were determined using MTT, wounding and transmigration assays, and three-dimensional collagen type I gel respectively. The endothelial cells were successfully isolated from the tissue specimens of 25 CMs dissected without dipolar electrocoagulation. The cells show the general characteristics of the vascular endothelial cells. Expression of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 on the cells is higher than that on the normal cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. After treatment with VEGF, numbers of the proliferated and migrated cells, the maximal distance of cell migration and the length and area of capillary-like structures formed in the three-dimensional collagen gel increase significantly. These results demonstrate that expression of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 on CM endothelial cells is up-regulated. By binding to receptors, VEGF may activate the downstream signaling pathways and promote proliferation, migration and tube formation of CM endothelial cells. VEGF/VEGFR signaling pathways play important regulating roles in CM angiogenesis.     

PTEN maintains haematopoietic stem cells and acts in lineage choice and leukaemia prevention

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) must achieve a balance between quiescence and activation that fulfils immediate demands for haematopoiesis without compromising long-term stem cell maintenance, yet little is known about the molecular events governing this balance. Phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) functions as a negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K)-Akt pathway, which has crucial roles in cell proliferation, survival, differentiation and migration. Here we show that inactivation of PTEN in bone marrow HSCs causes their short-term expansion, but long-term decline, primarily owing to an enhanced level of HSC activation. PTEN-deficient HSCs engraft normally in recipient mice, but have an impaired ability to sustain haematopoietic reconstitution, reflecting the dysregulation of their cell cycle and decreased retention in the bone marrow niche. Mice with PTEN-mutant bone marrow also have an increased representation of myeloid and T-lymphoid lineages and develop myeloproliferative disorder (MPD). Notably, the cell populations that expand in PTEN mutants match those that become dominant in the acute myeloid/lymphoid leukaemia that develops in the later stages of MPD. Thus, PTEN has essential roles in restricting the activation of HSCs, in lineage fate determination, and in the prevention of leukaemogenesis.     

A somitic Wnt16/Notch pathway specifies haematopoietic stem cells

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a self-renewing population of cells that continuously replenish all blood and immune cells during the lifetime of an individual. HSCs are used clinically to treat a wide array of diseases, including acute leukaemias and congenital blood disorders, but obtaining suitable numbers of cells and finding immune-compatible donors remain serious problems. These difficulties have led to an interest in the conversion of embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells into HSCs, which is not possible using current methodologies. To accomplish this goal, it is critical to understand the native mechanisms involved in the specification of HSCs during embryonic development. Here we demonstrate in zebrafish that Wnt16 controls a novel genetic regulatory network required for HSC specification. Non-canonical signalling by Wnt16 is required for somitic expression of the Notch ligands deltaC (dlc) and deltaD (dld), and these ligands are, in turn, required for the establishment of definitive haematopoiesis. Notch signalling downstream of Dlc and Dld is earlier than, and distinct from, known cell-autonomous requirements for Notch, strongly suggesting that novel Notch-dependent relay signal(s) induce the first HSCs in parallel to other established pathways. Our results demonstrate that somite-specific gene expression is required for the production of haemogenic endothelium.     

Stem cell engraftment at the endosteal niche is specified by the calcium-sensing receptor

During mammalian ontogeny, haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) translocate from the fetal liver to the bone marrow, where haematopoiesis occurs throughout adulthood. Unique features of bone that contribute to a microenvironmental niche for stem cells might include the known high concentration of calcium ions at the HSC-enriched endosteal surface. Cells respond to extracellular ionic calcium concentrations through the seven-transmembrane-spanning calcium-sensing receptor (CaR), which we identified as being expressed on HSCs. Here we show that, through the CaR, the simple ionic mineral content of the niche may dictate the preferential localization of adult mammalian haematopoiesis in bone. Antenatal mice deficient in CaR had primitive haematopoietic cells in the circulation and spleen, whereas few were found in bone marrow. CaR-/- HSCs from fetal liver were normal in number, in proliferative and differentiative function, and in migration and homing to the bone marrow. Yet they were highly defective in localizing anatomically to the endosteal niche, behaviour that correlated with defective adhesion to the extracellular matrix protein, collagen I. CaR has a function in retaining HSCs in close physical proximity to the endosteal surface and the regulatory niche components associated with it.     

Lkb1 regulates cell cycle and energy metabolism in haematopoietic stem cells

Little is known about metabolic regulation in stem cells and how this modulates tissue regeneration or tumour suppression. We studied the Lkb1 tumour suppressor and its substrate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), kinases that coordinate metabolism with cell growth. Deletion of the Lkb1 (also called Stk11) gene in mice caused increased haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) division, rapid HSC depletion and pancytopenia. HSCs depended more acutely on Lkb1 for cell-cycle regulation and survival than many other haematopoietic cells. HSC depletion did not depend on mTOR activation or oxidative stress. Lkb1-deficient HSCs, but not myeloid progenitors, had reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels. HSCs deficient for two catalytic α-subunits of AMPK (AMPK-deficient HSCs) showed similar changes in mitochondrial function but remained able to reconstitute irradiated mice. Lkb1-deficient HSCs, but not AMPK-deficient HSCs, exhibited defects in centrosomes and mitotic spindles in culture, and became aneuploid. Lkb1 is therefore required for HSC maintenance through AMPK-dependent and AMPK-independent mechanisms, revealing differences in metabolic and cell-cycle regulation between HSCs and some other haematopoietic progenitors.     

小鼠造血干细胞的分离、培养及重组慢病毒载体介导的离体hFⅨ基因表达

造血干细胞是基因治疗理想的靶细胞之一,尤其适用于遗传性血液病.而重组慢病毒载体能高效感染造血干细胞,成为造血干细胞途径基因治疗的理想载体.从小鼠骨髓细胞中分离出单个核细胞(MNCs)进行体外悬浮培养,并用免疫磁珠法分离得到高纯度的小鼠Lin-CD117+造血干细胞(HSCs).体外悬浮培养期间,添加细胞因子的造血干细胞的细胞数和集落数逐渐增加,而未添加细胞因子的对照组的细胞数量无明显增加,细胞集落递减.用磷酸钙介导的共转染法制备了携带FⅨ基因的FUXW重组慢病毒,用慢病毒载体分别感染从ICR小鼠和C57小鼠中分离得到的MNCs,7d后测得细胞上清中hFⅨ的表达量分别为41.7±4.2和34.5±6.6ng/mL,而慢病毒感染C57小鼠造血干细胞,添加细胞因子组上清中hFⅨ的表达量为46.6±5.7ng/mL,不添加细胞因子组为33.3±4.8ng/mL.实验结果表明,重组FUXW慢病毒载体可有效感染小鼠单个核细胞和Lin-CD117+造血干细胞,添加细胞因子可提高转移基因的表达量.     

HERG1 K+ channels on the leukemic cells mediated angiogenesis in vitro

Human ether-a-go-go-related gene （HERG1） K^＋ channels are overexpressed in leukemia, which contributes to neoangiogene- sis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of HERG1 K^＋ channels on leukemia angiogenesis. We cultured human umbili- cal vein endothelial cells （HUVECs） in conditioned media, which were derived from leukemic cells with or without E-4031, a HERG1 K^＋ channel special inhibitor. The HUVECs proliferation was mea- sured using CCK-8 assay and migration by a Trans-well. Endothelial tube formation was investigated using Matrigel. Vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） levels were tested by ELISA and VEGF mRNA expression using RT-PCR. Our results revealed that blocking HERG1 K^＋ channels could inhibit leukemia-induced HUVECs pro- liferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. The results sug- gested that HERG1 K~ channels could increase leukemia angio- genesis. Furthermore, blockage of HERG1 K^＋ channels could also decrease leukemic cells secreting VEGF and expressing VEGF mRNA. HERG1 K^＋ channels have a promoting effect on leukemia angiogenesis, and the possible mechanism may be that HERG1 K^＋ channels enhance VEGF expression. Thus, HERG1 K4 channel is a potential target of antiangiogenesis in leukemia.     

联用型水合物抑制剂在循环管路内抑制性能研究

水合物造成的流动安全问题长期以来困扰着油气生产和运输部门。低剂量水合物抑制剂包括动力学抑制剂和水合物阻聚剂,因其用量小、经济环保等优点逐渐受到油气工业界重视;但二者单独使用均有其局限性,而关于二者联用时对油水体系内水合物抑制性能方面的研究则鲜有报道。采用自行设计搭建的水合物循环管路,系统研究了动力学抑制剂与水合物阻聚剂联用时的抑制性能;并与单独加入水合物阻聚剂体系进行了对比分析。实验结果表明,与单独加入水合物阻聚剂体系相比,动力学抑制剂的加入可有效抑制水合物的成核和生长,延长水合物形成的诱导时间和生长时间;二者联用后导致水合物形成初始阶段易发生颗粒间的相互聚积,随着水合物持续形成,水合物环路发生了严重的沉积堵塞现象。最后分析了二者联用时在多相混输管道内的抑制机理。     

VEGF165过表达对小鼠乳腺癌及肿瘤周边皮肤血管生成模式的影响研究

已证实乳腺癌细胞表达有VEGF165的第3个受体NRP1,但目前在乳腺癌细胞中过表达VEGF165对肿瘤周围血管生成模式的影响尚未有人研究.通过脂质体转染的方法得到稳定转染过表达VEGF165的细胞克隆,皮内接种研究其对周围皮肤生血管模式的影响.结果显示VEGF165在乳腺癌中过表达可使肿瘤周围皮肤产生树状血管生成模式,且会诱导不成熟的血管生成并致出血.稳定过表达VEGF165的乳腺癌克隆的建立,为进一步研究过表达VEGF165对乳腺癌的影响奠定了基础.     

A role for Wnt signalling in self-renewal of haematopoietic stem cells

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the ability to renew themselves and to give rise to all lineages of the blood; however, the signals that regulate HSC self-renewal remain unclear. Here we show that the Wnt signalling pathway has an important role in this process. Overexpression of activated beta-catenin expands the pool of HSCs in long-term cultures by both phenotype and function. Furthermore, HSCs in their normal microenvironment activate a LEF-1/TCF reporter, which indicates that HCSs respond to Wnt signalling in vivo. To demonstrate the physiological significance of this pathway for HSC proliferation we show that the ectopic expression of axin or a frizzled ligand-binding domain, inhibitors of the Wnt signalling pathway, leads to inhibition of HSC growth in vitro and reduced reconstitution in vivo. Furthermore, activation of Wnt signalling in HSCs induces increased expression of HoxB4 and Notch1, genes previously implicated in self-renewal of HSCs. We conclude that the Wnt signalling pathway is critical for normal HSC homeostasis in vitro and in vivo, and provide insight into a potential molecular hierarchy of regulation of HSC development.     

Long-term haematopoietic reconstitution by Trp53-/-p16Ink4a-/-p19Arf-/- multipotent progenitors

Haematopoiesis is maintained by a hierarchical system where haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) give rise to multipotent progenitors, which in turn differentiate into all types of mature blood cells. HSCs maintain themselves for the lifetime of the organism because of their ability to self-renew. However, multipotent progenitors lack the ability to self-renew, therefore their mitotic capacity and expansion potential are limited and they are destined to eventually stop proliferating after a finite number of cell divisions. The molecular mechanisms that limit the proliferation capacity of multipotent progenitors and other more mature progenitors are not fully understood. Here we show that bone marrow cells from mice deficient in three genes genetically downstream of Bmi1--p16Ink4a, p19Arf and Trp53 (triple mutant mice; p16Ink4a and p19Arf are alternative reading frames of the same gene (also called Cdkn2a) that encode different proteins)--have an approximately 10-fold increase in cells able to reconstitute the blood long term. This increase is associated with the acquisition of long-term reconstitution capacity by cells of the phenotype c-kit+Sca-1+Flt3+CD150-CD48-Lin-, which defines multipotent progenitors in wild-type mice. The pattern of triple mutant multipotent progenitor response to growth factors resembles that of wild-type multipotent progenitors but not wild-type HSCs. These results demonstrate that p16Ink4a/p19Arf and Trp53 have a central role in limiting the expansion potential of multipotent progenitors. These pathways are commonly repressed in cancer, suggesting a mechanism by which early progenitor cells could gain the ability to self-renew and become malignant with further oncogenic mutations.     

cdx4 mutants fail to specify blood progenitors and can be rescued by multiple hox genes

Organogenesis is dependent on the formation of distinct cell types within the embryo. Important to this process are the hox genes, which are believed to confer positional identities to cells along the anteroposterior axis. Here, we have identified the caudal-related gene cdx4 as the locus mutated in kugelig (kgg), a zebrafish mutant with an early defect in haematopoiesis that is associated with abnormal anteroposterior patterning and aberrant hox gene expression. The blood deficiency in kgg embryos can be rescued by overexpressing hoxb7a or hoxa9a but not hoxb8a, indicating that the haematopoietic defect results from perturbations in specific hox genes. Furthermore, the haematopoietic defect in kgg mutants is not rescued by scl overexpression, suggesting that cdx4 and hox genes act to make the posterior mesoderm competent for blood development. Overexpression of cdx4 during zebrafish development or in mouse embryonic stem cells induces blood formation and alters hox gene expression. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that cdx4 regulates hox genes and is necessary for the specification of haematopoietic cell fate during vertebrate embryogenesis.     

干扰长链非编码RNA Z38表达对鼻咽癌细胞增殖的影响

新型的长链非编码RNA Z38已证实高表达于肿瘤组织,低表达于癌旁组织,属于癌基因,但其功能和作用机制尚需深入分析。研究目的在于探讨稳定干扰长非编码RNA Z38对鼻咽癌细胞HNE1、5-8F功能和机制的影响。采用慢病毒包埋Z38-shRNA转染进人鼻咽癌细胞HNE1与5-8F,用嘌呤霉素筛选出稳定的干扰细胞系,利用相对实时荧光定量的方法检测干扰效率;使用MTT、和平板克隆集落形成实验验证其对HNE1、5-8F细胞增殖的抑制作用;Transwell检测细胞迁移的能力;采用Western Blot检测干扰Z38表达对抑癌因子P~(53)、P~(21)表达水平的影响。结果表明,慢病毒干扰鼻咽癌细胞显著降低了Z38基因表达水平,并且干扰Z38基因表达后使细胞增殖能力、细胞集落形成能力降低,穿过Transwell小室的细胞数降低,抑癌因子P~(53)、P~(21)表达量上调。由此推测,Z38基因可能为鼻咽癌细胞的癌基因之一。