Deletion of miR-150 Exacerbates Retinal Vascular Overgrowth in High-Fat-Diet Induced Diabetic Mice

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness among American adults above 40 years old. The vascular complication in DR is a major cause of visual impairment, making finding therapeutic targets to block pathological angiogenesis a primary goal for developing DR treatments. MicroRNAs (miRs) have been proposed as diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for various ocular diseases including DR. In diabetic animals, the expression levels of several miRs, including miR-150, are altered. The expression of miR-150 is significantly suppressed in pathological neovascularization in mice with hyperoxia-induced retinopathy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional role of miR-150 in the development of retinal microvasculature complications in high-fat-diet (HFD) induced type 2 diabetic mice. Wild type (WT) and miR-150 null mutant (miR-150-/-) male mice were given a HFD (59% fat calories) or normal chow diet. Chronic HFD caused a decrease of serum miR-150 in WT mice. Mice on HFD for 7 months (both WT and miR-150-/-) had significant decreases in retinal light responses measured by electroretinograms (ERGs). The retinal neovascularization in miR-150-/--HFD mice was significantly higher compared to their age matched WT-HFD mice, which indicates that miR-150 null mutation exacerbates chronic HFD-induced neovascularization in the retina. Overexpression of miR-150 in cultured endothelial cells caused a significant reduction of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) protein levels. Hence, deletion of miR-150 significantly increased the retinal pathological angiogenesis in HFD induced type 2 diabetic mice, which was in part through VEGFR2

Activation of GPER Induces Differentiation and Inhibition of Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

BACKGROUND: Vascular pathology and dysfunction are direct life-threatening outcomes resulting from atherosclerosis or vascular injury, which are primarily attributed to contractile smooth muscle cells (SMCs) dedifferentiation and proliferation by re-entering cell cycle. Increasing evidence suggests potent protective effects of G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER) activation against cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanism underlying GPER function remains poorly understood, especially if it plays a potential role in modulating coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMCs). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The objective of our study was to understand the functional role of GPER in CASMC proliferation and differentiation in coronary arteries using from humans and swine models. We found that the GPER agonist, G-1, inhibited both human and porcine CASMC proliferation in a concentration- (10(−8) to 10(−5) M) and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry revealed that treatment with G-1 significantly decreased the proportion of S-phase and G2/M cells in the growing cell population, suggesting that G-1 inhibits cell proliferation by slowing progression of the cell cycle. Further, G-1-induced cell cycle retardation was associated with decreased expression of cyclin B, up-regulation of cyclin D1, and concomitant induction of p21, and partially mediated by suppressed ERK1/2 and Akt pathways. In addition, G-1 induces SMC differentiation evidenced by increased α-smooth muscle actin (α-actin) and smooth muscle protein 22α (SM22α) protein expressions and inhibits CASMC migration induced by growth medium. CONCLUSION: GPER activation inhibits CASMC proliferation by suppressing cell cycle progression via inhibition of ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation. GPER may constitute a novel mechanism to suppress intimal migration and/or synthetic phenotype of VSMC

Intracellular immune sensing promotes inflammation via gasdermin D–driven release of a lectin alarmin

Inflammatory caspase sensing of cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers pyroptosis and the concurrent release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Collectively, DAMPs are key determinants that shape the aftermath of inflammatory cell death. However, the identity and function of the individual DAMPs released are poorly defined. Our proteomics study revealed that cytosolic LPS sensing triggered the release of galectin-1, a β-galactoside-binding lectin. Galectin-1 release is a common feature of inflammatory cell death, including necroptosis. In vivo studies using galectin-1-deficient mice, recombinant galectin-1 and galectin-1-neutralizing antibody showed that galectin-1 promotes inflammation and plays a detrimental role in LPS-induced lethality. Mechanistically, galectin-1 inhibition of CD45 (Ptprc) underlies its unfavorable role in endotoxin shock. Finally, we found increased galectin-1 in sera from human patients with sepsis. Overall, we uncovered galectin-1 as a bona fide DAMP released as a consequence of cytosolic LPS sensing, identifying a new outcome of inflammatory cell death.Fil: Russo, Ashley J.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Vasudevan, Swathy O.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Mendez Huergo, Santiago Patricio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Kumari, Puja. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Menoret, Antoine. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Duduskar, Shivalee. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Wang, Chengliang. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Pérez Sáez, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Fettis, Margaret M.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Li, Chuan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Liu, Renjie. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Wanchoo, Arun. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Chandiran, Karthik. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Ruan, Jianbin. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Vanaja, Sivapriya Kailasan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Bauer, Michael. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Sponholz, Christoph. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Hudalla, Gregory A.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Vella, Anthony T.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Zhou, Beiyan. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Deshmukh, Sachin D.. Jena University Hospital; AlemaniaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rathinam, Vijay A.. UConn Health School of Medicine; Estados Unido

miR-150 regulates obesity-associated insulin resistance by controlling B cell functions

Adipose tissue resident B cells account for more than 20% of stromal cells within visceral adipose tissues; however, their functions in the adipose tissue niche are poorly elucidated. Here we report that miR-150 modulates adipose tissue function by controlling activation of B cells and their interactions with other immune cells. miR-150KO mice displayed exacerbated obesity-associated tissue inflammation and systemic insulin resistance, which is recapitulated by adoptive transfer of B cells, but not purified immunoglobulin, into obese B(null) mice. Using purified cell populations, we found that enhanced proinflammatory activation of adipose tissue T cells and macrophages was due to miR-150KO B cells action but not cell-autologous mechanisms. miR-150KO B cells displayed significantly enhanced antigen presentation upon stimulation, ultimately leading to elevated inflammation and insulin resistance, compared to wild type B cells. Knockdown of identified miR-150 target genes, Elk1, Etf1 or Myb attenuated B cell action by altering B cell receptor pathways and MHCII cell surface presentation. Our results demonstrate a critical role for miR-150 in regulating B cell functions in adipose tissue which ultimately regulate both metabolic and immunologic homeostasis in the adipose tissue niche

Interferon Tau Alleviates Obesity-Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Insulin Resistance by Regulating Macrophage Polarization

Chronic adipose tissue inflammation is a hallmark of obesity-induced insulin resistance and anti-inflammatory agents can benefit patients with obesity-associated syndromes. Currently available type I interferons for therapeutic immunomodulation are accompanied by high cytotoxicity and therefore in this study we have examined anti-inflammatory effects of interferon tau (IFNT), a member of the type I interferon family with low cellular toxicity even at high doses. Using a diet-induced obesity mouse model, we observed enhanced insulin sensitivity in obese mice administered IFNT compared to control mice, which was accompanied by a significant decrease in secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and elevated anti-inflammatory macrophages (M2) in adipose tissue. Further investigations revealed that IFNT is a potent regulator of macrophage activation that favors anti-inflammatory responses as evidenced by activation of associated surface antigens, production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and activation of selective cell signaling pathways. Thus, our study demonstrates, for the first time, that IFNT can significantly mitigate obesity-associated systemic insulin resistance and tissue inflammation by controlling macrophage polarization, and thus IFNT can be a novel bio-therapeutic agent for treating obesity-associated syndromes and type 2 diabetes

Energieeffizient vernetzen. Energiemanagement

Die durch Beleuchtung, Heizung und Klimatisierung entstehenden Energiekosten werden bei Effizienzinitiativen oft vernachlässigt. Die Vernetzung von Produktionssystemen und Gebäudeautomation eröffnet dabei neue Wege für energieeffiziente Produktionsstätten. In dem vom Bundesforschungsministerium (BMBF) geförderten Projekt 'Big' arbeitet das Fraunhofer IPT mit zwei Industriepartnern an einer adaptiven Steuerung für besonders relevante automatisierbare Komponenten

Produktionsstätte - kommunikativ und smart

Aktuelle Systemlösungen für die automatisierte Temperatursteuerung, Luftfilterung und Beleuchtung von Produktionsstätten orientieren sich jedoch lediglich an Sollwertüberschreitung und arbeiten dementsprechend reaktiv. Die Abwärme von Fertigungstätigkeiten oder Witterungseinflüsse werden meistens nicht für die Gebäudeautomatisierung genutzt. Aus dieser Motivation heraus entwickelt das Fraunhofer IPT zusammen mit Industriepartnern eine sowohl bedarfsgerechte als auch prädiktive Gebäudeautomation durch die Einbindung der Kommunikation des Gebäudes mit Produktionsplanung und -steuerung (PPS) sowie Wetter-Forecasts. Dies resultiert in mehr Komfort für den Mitarbeiter und in Energieeffizienz für die Produktionsstätte

Energy efficiency through a load-adaptive building automation in production

The research project BIG, which is funded by the German federal ministry of education and research, aims to develop a load-adaptive building automation system connected with the production planning and control system as well as weather forecasts. It intends to reduce energy consumption of supporting processes during the production, such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation and lighting. Compared with current building automation systems, BIG pursuers a software solution to derive actual requirements for indoor climate under consideration of internal and external thermal and light conditions, which controls corresponding building infrastructure adaptively. According to the connection with production planning and control systems (PPC), the information such as shift plans, the number of employees and the allocation of employees is derived and interpreted into actual indoor climate demand for different areas of the whole production hall. According to the plan of machine utilization as well as their power outputs from PPC, it is feasible to define future thermal influence as a result of production activities. Simultaneously, external thermal and light effects from the environment can be predicted and utilized by the integration of weather forecasts