A cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor attenuates atherosclerosis in rabbits

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a plasma protein that mediates the exchange of cholesteryl ester in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) for triglyceride in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). This process decreases the level of anti-atherogenic HDL cholesterol and increases pro-atherogenic VLDL and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, so CETP is potentially atherogenic. On the other hand, CETP could also be anti-atherogenic, because it participates in reverse cholesterol transport (transfer of cholesterol from peripheral cells through the plasma to the liver). Because the role of CETP in atherosclerosis remains unclear, we have attempted to develop a potent and specific CETP inhibitor. Here we describe CETP inhibitors that form a disulphide bond with CETP, and present one such inhibitor (JTT-705) that increases HDL cholesterol, decreases non-HDL cholesterol and inhibits the progression of atherosclerosis in rabbits. Our findings indicate that CETP may be atherogenic in vivo and that JTT-705 may be a potential anti-atherogenic drug.     

Silencing of microRNAs in vivo with 'antagomirs'

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of non-coding RNAs that are believed to be important in many biological processes through regulation of gene expression. The precise molecular function of miRNAs in mammals is largely unknown and a better understanding will require loss-of-function studies in vivo. Here we show that a novel class of chemically engineered oligonucleotides, termed 'antagomirs', are efficient and specific silencers of endogenous miRNAs in mice. Intravenous administration of antagomirs against miR-16, miR-122, miR-192 and miR-194 resulted in a marked reduction of corresponding miRNA levels in liver, lung, kidney, heart, intestine, fat, skin, bone marrow, muscle, ovaries and adrenals. The silencing of endogenous miRNAs by this novel method is specific, efficient and long-lasting. The biological significance of silencing miRNAs with the use of antagomirs was studied for miR-122, an abundant liver-specific miRNA. Gene expression and bioinformatic analysis of messenger RNA from antagomir-treated animals revealed that the 3' untranslated regions of upregulated genes are strongly enriched in miR-122 recognition motifs, whereas downregulated genes are depleted in these motifs. Analysis of the functional annotation of downregulated genes specifically predicted that cholesterol biosynthesis genes would be affected by miR-122, and plasma cholesterol measurements showed reduced levels in antagomir-122-treated mice. Our findings show that antagomirs are powerful tools to silence specific miRNAs in vivo and may represent a therapeutic strategy for silencing miRNAs in disease.     

MicroRNA及其靶基因在糖尿病肾病小鼠肾脏的表达

 验证与糖尿病肾病小鼠肾脏相关的microRNAs的表达并运用实时荧光定量PCR分析靶基因与糖尿病肾病的关系。以db/db小鼠为模型组（DN组）,db/m小鼠为正常组（NC组）,定期测量小鼠的体重、血糖、甘油三酯、总胆固醇及24 h尿蛋白排泄率。留取DN小鼠与NC小鼠肾脏组织,检测肾脏组织形态学染色及实时荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）。qRT-PCR验证差异表达的microRNAs及其靶基因的mRNA表达水平。血糖、24 h尿蛋白排泄率结果表明糖尿病肾病动物模型构建成功。与NC小鼠相比,DN小鼠肾脏miR-196a、miR-21、miR-200b表达明显升高,且差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。miR-196a、miR-200b、miR-21的表达水平与血糖、甘油三酯、总胆固醇、24 h尿蛋白排泄率存在正相关关系（P<0.05）。利用miRNAs数据库预测miR-196a的靶基因有ANX1、HOXB7、PTEN、FOXO1、HOXB8、HOXA5等。与NC组比较,DN组ANX1、FOXO1的mRNA表达水平降低,且差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。同时ANX1、FOXO1与24 h尿蛋白排泄率存在正相关（P<0.05）。MiR-196a可能通过调节ANX1、FOXO1的表达水平来参与糖尿病肾病的发生发展。     

LNA-mediated microRNA silencing in non-human primates

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that are important in development and disease and therefore represent a potential new class of targets for therapeutic intervention. Despite recent progress in silencing of miRNAs in rodents, the development of effective and safe approaches for sequence-specific antagonism of miRNAs in vivo remains a significant scientific and therapeutic challenge. Moreover, there are no reports of miRNA antagonism in primates. Here we show that the simple systemic delivery of a unconjugated, PBS-formulated locked-nucleic-acid-modified oligonucleotide (LNA-antimiR) effectively antagonizes the liver-expressed miR-122 in non-human primates. Acute administration by intravenous injections of 3 or 10 mg kg(-1) LNA-antimiR to African green monkeys resulted in uptake of the LNA-antimiR in the cytoplasm of primate hepatocytes and formation of stable heteroduplexes between the LNA-antimiR and miR-122. This was accompanied by depletion of mature miR-122 and dose-dependent lowering of plasma cholesterol. Efficient silencing of miR-122 was achieved in primates by three doses of 10 mg kg(-1) LNA-antimiR, leading to a long-lasting and reversible decrease in total plasma cholesterol without any evidence for LNA-associated toxicities or histopathological changes in the study animals. Our findings demonstrate the utility of systemically administered LNA-antimiRs in exploring miRNA function in rodents and primates, and support the potential of these compounds as a new class of therapeutics for disease-associated miRNAs.     

载脂蛋白E-基因敲除鼠VLDL和IDL在动脉硬化中的作用

探讨载脂蛋白Ｅ（ａｐｏＥ）－基因敲除鼠极低密度脂蛋白（ＶＬＤＬ）和中间密度脂蛋白（ＩＤＬ）组分（ａｐｏＥｋｏ－ＶＬＤＬ／ＩＤＬ）致动脉硬化作用．采用超离法从ａｐｏＥ－基因敲除鼠血浆中分离ＶＬＤＬ和ＩＤＬ组分,与鼠腹腔巨噬细胞共育,观察ａｐｏＥｋｏ－ＶＬＤＬ／ＩＤＬ与巨噬细胞的相互作用．ＡｐｏＥｋｏ－ＶＬＤＬ／ＩＤＬ导致细胞胆固醇酯含量显著增加．其诱导的细胞［３Ｈ］胆固醇油酸脂量高达１５．１ｎｍｏｌ／ｍｇ细胞蛋白,是天然低密度脂蛋白的８．４倍．形态学观察显示,经ａｐｏＥｋｏ－ＶＬＤＬ／ＩＤＬ处理的巨噬细胞与苏丹黑Ｂ呈阳性染色．细胞结合实验表明,１２５Ｉ－ａｐｏＥｋｏ－ＶＬＤＬ／ＩＤＬ与巨噬细胞的总结合可被非标记配基取代８０％以上,特异结合呈一饱和图形．同时细胞缔合和细胞内降解实验也显示相似结果．非修饰的ａｐｏＥｋｏ－ＶＬＤＬ／ＩＤＬ可通过一特异而不依赖于ａｐｏＥ的途径导致巨噬细胞胆固醇酯的显著蓄积     

以极低密度脂蛋白为指标选育低胆固醇蛋鸡品系

以血浆极低密度脂蛋白(VLDL)为间接选择指标,对蛋鸡血浆VLDL浓度进行双向选择.经过两个世代的选择,在测定第一和第二世代母鸡血浆VLDL浓度及各相关性状值的基础上,估计了部分性状间的相关系数.结果为：血浆高VLDL浓度组母鸡的腹脂重、腹脂含量、蛋黄重、蛋黄比例、全蛋胆固醇总量和全蛋胆固醇含量等虽略高于血浆低VLDL浓度组,但不同处理之间的差异未达到显著水平（p>0.05）.而血浆低VLDL浓度组母鸡的体重、蛋白重和蛋重则相应提高,其中蛋黄比例的差异在第一、第二世代分别达到显著（p<0.05）和极显著水平（p<0.01）.血浆VLDL浓度与蛋重、蛋白重呈负遗传相关,而与体重、腹脂重、蛋黄重、蛋黄比例、全蛋胆固醇总量和全蛋胆固醇含量呈正遗传相关.实验结果表明,血浆VLDL浓度作为间接性状对全蛋胆固醇含量进行选择,来培育生产低胆固醇蛋的蛋鸡品系具有可行性.     

Complete protein sequence and identification of structural domains of human apolipoprotein B

Epidemiological, pathological and genetic studies show a strong positive correlation between elevated plasma concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the risk of premature coronary heart disease. Apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 is the sole protein component of LDL and is the ligand responsible for the receptor-mediated uptake and clearance of LDL from the circulation. Apo B-100 is made by the liver and is essential for the assembly of triglyceride-rich very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) in the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum and for their secretion into the plasma. VLDL transports triglyceride to peripheral muscle and adipose tissue, where the triglyceride is hydrolysed by lipoprotein lipase. The resultant particle, relatively enriched in cholesteryl ester, constitutes LDL. LDL delivers cholesterol to peripheral tissues where it is used for membrane and steroid hormone biosynthesis and to the liver, the only organ which can catabolize and excrete cholesterol. Plasma LDL levels are therefore determined by the balance between their rate of production from VLDL and clearance by the hepatic LDL (apo B/E) receptor pathway. Here we report the complete 4,563-amino-acid sequence of apo B-100 precursor (relative molecular mass (Mr) 514,000 (514K] determined from complementary DNA clones. Numerous lipid-binding structures are distributed throughout the extraordinary length of apo B-100 and must underlie its special functions as a nucleus for lipoprotein assembly and maintenance of plasma lipoprotein integrity. A domain enriched in basic amino-acid residues has been identified as important for the cellular uptake of cholesterol by the LDL receptor pathway.     

Correlation of microRNAs responding to high dose γ-irradiation with predicted target mRNAs in HeLa cells using microarray analyses

An increasing data indicates that altered microRNAs （miRNAs） participate in the radiation-induced DNA damage response. However, a correlation of mRNA and miRNA profiles across the entire genome and in response to irradiation has not been thor- oughly assessed. We analyzed miRNA microarray data collected from HeLa cells after ionizing radiation （IR）, quantified the ex- pression profiles of mRNAs and performed comparative analysis of the data sets using target prediction algorithms, Gene Ontol- ogy （GO） analysis, pathway analysis, and gene network construction. The results showed that the altered miRNAs were involved in regulation of various cellular functions, miRNA-gene network analyses revealed that miR- 186, miR- 106b, miR- 15 a/b, CCND 1 and CDK6 played vital role in the cellular radiation response. Using qRT-PCR, we confirmed that twenty-two miRNAs showed differential expression in HeLa cells treated with IR and some of these miRNAs affected cell cycle progression. This study demonstrated that miRNAs influence gene expression in the entire genome during the cellular radiation response and suggested vital pathways for further research.     

Direct evidence that reverse cholesterol transport is mediated by high-density lipoprotein in rabbit

Mammalian cells obtain cholesterol for membrane synthesis mostly via the receptor-mediated endocytosis of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Macrophages and vascular endothelium additionally have receptors that recognize certain modified forms of LDL (for example, acetyl-LDL). The process by which cholesterol returns from peripheral cells to hepatocytes (reverse cholesterol transport) has not been established; although tissue culture studies have favoured high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as the principal vehicle, the in vivo evidence for this is meagre. When cholesterol-loaded macrophages are incubated in medium containing plasma, cholesterol moves from the cells to HDL and is then esterified by lecithin/cholesterol acyltransferase. The accumulation of cholesteryl esters in the particles increases their size and decreases their density; enrichment with apoprotein E (apo E) also occurs, producing a decrease in electrophoretic mobility. We now report that similar changes occur in the circulating HDL of rabbits, when their peripheral tissues are loaded with cholesterol by intravenous (i.v.) injection of acetylated or native human LDL. This result suggests that HDL is involved in reverse cholesterol transport in vivo.     

循环血miR-21-3p作为脓毒症心肌病的标记物

已有研究发现微小RNA(microRNAs, miRNAs) 可由细胞分泌并释放进入循环系统, 在血清、血浆、尿液和其他体液中稳定存在, 并可作为非损伤性生物标记物对多种疾病进行早期诊断、鉴别分期、预后判断和疗效监测等. 与健康对照者相比, miR-21-3p 在22 例脓毒症心衰患者血浆中显著升高. 通过绘制受试者工作特征(receiver operating characteristic, ROC)曲线, 并分析其与临床参数的相关性发现, miR-21-3p 在鉴别脓毒症心衰和健康人群时, 曲线下面积(area under the curve, AUC)为0.949. 相关性分析结果显示, 血浆miR-21-3p水平与B 型脑钠肽(brain natriuretic peptide, BNP)(r = 0.968, P < 0.001)、心肌肌钙蛋白T (cardiac troponin T, cTNT)(r = 0.257, P = 0.002)水平呈正相关. 因此, 外周血中的miR-21-3p有作为脓毒症心肌病的生物标记物的潜力.     

高脂血症食蟹猴模型的建立及分析

目的 建立高脂血症食蟹猴模型。方法 采用高脂膳食饲料诱导食蟹猴,分别在4、8、12、18个月检测血清总胆固醇(TC)、高密度脂蛋白(HDL)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL)、甘油三脂(TG)指标,对其血脂指标的变化趋势进行分析。结果 模型组在饲喂高脂膳食饲料4个月后,TC、HDL、LDL与实验前相比差异极显著(P<0.01);TG在饲喂高脂膳食饲料8个月后明显升高,与实验前相比差异极显著(P<0.01);造模后,高脂饲料组与正常对照组比较,TC、HDL、LDL、TG均高于对照组,差异极显著(P<0.01)。结论 在本实验中,模型组TC、HDL、LDL、TG均呈现递增趋势,尤其是TC、LDL明显高于食蟹猴正常参考值水平,说明模型组食蟹猴具有高胆固醇和高、低密度脂蛋白血症的特征,初步建立了食蟹猴高脂血症动物模型。     

Clinical and pathological features of miR-10b and RHOC gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Aberrant expression of microRNAs （miRNAs） was reported frequently in different human cancers. The major role of miRNA is targeting 31-UTR of coding gene and causing translational repression or mRNA degradation. miR-10b overexpression was reported to promote breast cancer metastasis by up-regulating RHOC expression. But its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） remains unclear. Our study indicated that the expression of miR-10b was different in HCC and adjacent tissue samples, and reduced expression of miR-10b in HCC was related tovein invasion. High-level expression of RHOC was also related to vein invasion in HCC. But no correlation was found between miR-10b and RHOC expression. These results suggest that miR-10b and RHOC are independent predictors of HCC invasion and metastasis.     

血清miR-25、miR-223和miR-373作为食管鳞癌生物标志物的评价

为了探讨血清miRNA作为诊断标志物的可行性,利用茎环引物进行qRT-PCR,检测了miR-25、miR-223和miR-373在正常人血清、食管鳞癌患者术前和术后第7 d血清、癌组织和癌旁组织的相对表达量.实验结果表明:术前食管鳞癌病人的3种血清miRNA相对表达量高于正常人和手术后第7 d病人,AUC分别为0.794、0.839和0.873,癌组织的这3种miRNA相对表达量高于癌旁组织.这3种miRNA在食管癌患者癌组织的高表达导致血清的这3种miRNA含量增高,因此这3种血清miRNA可以作为候选诊断标志物.     

A viral microRNA functions as an orthologue of cellular miR-155

All metazoan eukaryotes express microRNAs (miRNAs), roughly 22-nucleotide regulatory RNAs that can repress the expression of messenger RNAs bearing complementary sequences. Several DNA viruses also express miRNAs in infected cells, suggesting a role in viral replication and pathogenesis. Although specific viral miRNAs have been shown to autoregulate viral mRNAs or downregulate cellular mRNAs, the function of most viral miRNAs remains unknown. Here we report that the miR-K12-11 miRNA encoded by Kaposi's-sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) shows significant homology to cellular miR-155, including the entire miRNA 'seed' region. Using a range of assays, we show that expression of physiological levels of miR-K12-11 or miR-155 results in the downregulation of an extensive set of common mRNA targets, including genes with known roles in cell growth regulation. Our findings indicate that viral miR-K12-11 functions as an orthologue of cellular miR-155 and probably evolved to exploit a pre-existing gene regulatory pathway in B cells. Moreover, the known aetiological role of miR-155 in B-cell transformation suggests that miR-K12-11 may contribute to the induction of KSHV-positive B-cell tumours in infected patients.     

高脂饮食对法尼醇受体(FXR)敲除小鼠糖脂代谢及肝脏脂肪变性的影响研究

目的探讨高脂饮食对法尼醇受体（farnesoid X receptor,FXR）敲除小鼠糖脂代谢及肝脏脂肪变性的影响。方法正常饮食（normal diet,ND）组:C57BL/6（wild type,WT）小鼠（n=6）和FXR -/- 小鼠（n=6）给予辐照灭菌维持饲料喂养12周。高脂饮食（high fat diet,HFD）组:C57BL/6小鼠（n=6）和FXR -/- 小鼠（n=6）给予45%高脂饲料喂养12周。小鼠处死后全自动生化分析仪检测血清总胆固醇（total cholesterol,TC）、甘油三酯（triglyceride,TG）、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（low density lipoprotein cholesterol,LDL-C）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（High density lipoprotein cholesterol,HDL-C）、谷丙转氨酶（alanine aminotransferase,ALT）、谷草转氨酶（aspartate aminotransferase,AST）和总胆汁酸（total bile acid,TBA）指标; RT-PCR检测肝脏炎症因子TNF-α、TLR4和FXR下游基因小分子异源二聚体（small heterodimer partner,SHP）、胆固醇7α-羟化酶（cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase,CYP7A1）的相对表达量; HE染色观察肝脏脂肪变性情况。结果高脂饮食喂养条件下,C57BL/6小鼠和FXR -/- 小鼠体质量变化无差异,但相比C57BL/6小鼠,FXR -/- 小鼠表现出更为严重糖耐量受损（P <0. 01）、脂质代谢紊乱（P <0. 01）、血清胆汁酸增高（P <0. 01）、肝脏炎症（P <0. 01）和肝脏脂肪变性。结论 FXR的缺失引起小鼠糖脂代谢紊乱、胆汁酸代谢异常、肝脏脂肪变性,但这种改变需要高脂饮食的诱导。     

Vascular respiratory uncoupling increases blood pressure and atherosclerosis

The observations that atherosclerosis often occurs in non-smokers without elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and that most atherosclerosis loci so far identified in mice do not affect systemic risk factors associated with atherosclerosis, suggest that as-yet-unidentified mechanisms must contribute to vascular disease. Arterial walls undergo regional disturbances of metabolism that include the uncoupling of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, a process that occurs to some extent in all cells and may be characteristic of blood vessels being predisposed to the development of atherosclerosis. To test the hypothesis that inefficient metabolism in blood vessels promotes vascular disease, we generated mice with doxycycline-inducible expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) in the artery wall. Here we show that UCP1 expression in aortic smooth muscle cells causes hypertension and increases dietary atherosclerosis without affecting cholesterol levels. UCP1 expression also increases superoxide production and decreases the availability of nitric oxide, evidence of oxidative stress. These results provide proof of principle that inefficient metabolism in blood vessels can cause vascular disease.