Hypoxia is responsible for soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) but not for soluble endoglin induction in villous trophoblast

peer reviewedBACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy disorder characterized by a maternal endothelial cell dysfunction associated with low levels of circulating placental growth factor (PlGF) and increased levels of total vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1), and soluble endoglin, a transforming growth factor b1 and 3 coreceptor. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these altered levels of angiogenic cytokines and of the anti-angiogenic soluble forms of cytokine receptors could be the consequence of hypoxia. METHODS: Normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells, immortalized first trimester extravillous trophoblast cells (HTR8/SVneo) and first trimester placental villi explants (8–14 weeks) were used for culture under normoxia (20% O2) or hypoxia (1% O2). Culture media were collected for the measurement of cytokines by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Total RNA was extracted for RT-PCR analysis. RESULTS: Under hypoxia, villous trophoblast expressed higher levels of VEGF, VEGFR-1, sVEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 mRNAs (P < 0.001), and secreted more VEGF and sVEGFR-1 proteins (P < 0.05). In contrast, PlGF mRNA and protein were decreased in 1% O2 (P < 0.001), whereas endoglin (Eng) was not modulated. Additionally, sVEGFR-1 directly abolished VEGF/PlGF-induced angiogenesis in the rat aortic ring assay. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypotheses that, in pre-eclampsia, (i) overproduction of VEGF family factors by pre-eclamptic placenta is a consequence of induced hypoxia; (ii) overproduction of sVEGFR-1 by hypoxic villous trophoblast accounts for maternal free VEGF depletion; (iii) low circulating level of free PlGF is not only related to sVEGFR-1 overproduction, but also to hypoxia induced mRNA down-regulation; (iv) Eng is not modulated by hypoxia.

Utilisation de la microtomographie à rayons X pour suivre le séchage convectif de boues d'épuration

peer reviewedX-ray microtomography is proposed as a new tool to investigate the evolution of size, shape and texture of soft materials during a drying operation. This study is focused on the drying of mechanically dewatered sludges from a secondary wastewater treatment. The shrinkage phenomenon is shown to play a crucial role in the control of the drying process. The shrinkage curves are determined by analysing the shape and size of cross sectional microtomographic images of sludge extrudates at different levels of drying. The observation of drying and shrinkage curves allows us to determine 3 critical water content values, which define different drying zones where extragranular, intragranular or mixed limitations prevail. When drying is externally controlled. the decrease of the drying rate observed during experiments can be related to the reduction of the external area of the sample, i.e., to shrinkage. When drying is internally controlled, resistances inside the solid govern the process. Between these two extreme situations, the drying rate reduction is the result of both the external area decrease and the development of internal resistances limiting drying. A multizone model is proposed to describe quantitatively these observations. The analysis of the internal texture of the Sludge extrudates reveal, crack formation at the end of the drying process. The onset of crack formation is clearly related to the appearance of internal transfer limitations. i.e., humidity and temperature gradients inside the material

Characterization of the porous structure of biodegradable scaffolds obtained with supercritical CO2 as foaming agent

Poly(ε-caprolactone) foams were prepared, via a batch process, by using supercritical CO2 as foaming agent. Their porous structure was characterized through mercury porosimetry, helium and mercury pycnometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray microtomography observations coupled with image analysis. The pore size distributions obtained by these two latter techniques show that the pore structure is more homogeneous when the foaming process is performed under a high CO2 saturation pressure (higher than 250 bars)

Comparison of Estradiol and Estetrol on Estrogen Receptor alpha signaling

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Dynamics of Internalization and Recycling of the Pro-Metastatic Membrane Type 4-Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT4-MMP) in Breast Cancer Cells

MT4-MMP (MMP17) is a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored membrane-type MMP expressed on the cell surface of human breast cancer cells. In triple negative breast cancer cells, MT4-MMP promotes primary tumor growth and lung metastases. Although trafficking and internalization of the transmembrane MT1-MMP have been extensively investigated, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of the GPI-anchored MT4-MMP. Here, we investigated the fate and cellular trafficking of MT4-MMP by analyzing its homophilic complex interactions, internalization and recycling dynamics compared to an inert form, MT4-MMP-E249A. Oligomeric and dimeric complexes were analyzed by co-transfection of cells with FLAG- or Myc-tagged MT4-MMP by reducing and non-reducing immunoblots and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. The trafficking of MT4-MMP was studied using an antibody feeding assay and confocal microscopy analysis or cell surface protein biotinylation and Western blot analysis. We demonstrate that MT4-MMP forms homophilic complexes at the cell surface, internalizes in early endosomes, and some of the enzyme is either auto-degraded or recycled to the cell surface. Our data indicate that MT4-MMP is internalized by the CLIC/GEEC pathway, a mechanism that differs from other MT-MMP members. Although MT4-MMP localizes with caveolin-1, MT4-MMP internalization was not affected by inhibitors of caveolin-1 or clathrin endocytosis pathways but was reduced by cdc42 or RhoA silencing with siRNA. We provide a new mechanistic insight into the regulatory mechanisms of MT4-MMP, which may have implications in the design of novel therapeutic strategies for metastatic breast cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Towards Lipidomics of Low-Abundant Species for Exploring Tumor Heterogeneity Guided by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Many studies have evidenced the main role of lipids in physiological and also pathological processes such as cancer, diabetes or neurodegenerative diseases. The identification and the in situ localization of specific low-abundant lipid species involved in cancer biology are still challenging for both fundamental studies and lipid marker discovery. In this paper, we report the identification and the localization of specific isobaric minor phospholipids in human breast cancer xenografts by FTICR MALDI imaging supported by histochemistry. These potential candidates can be further confirmed by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) after extraction from the region of interest defined by MALDI imaging. Finally, this study highlights the importance of characterizing the heterogeneous distribution of low-abundant lipid species, relevant in complex histological samples for biological purposes.Peer reviewe

Influence of mouse strain on ovarian tissue recovery after engraftment with angiogenic factor.

BACKGROUND: For women facing gonadotoxic treatment, cryopreservation of ovarian tissue with subsequent retransplantation during remission is a promising technique for fertility preservation. However, follicle loss within grafted ovarian tissue can be caused by ischemia and progressive revascularization. Several xenograft models using different immunodeficient rodent lines are suitable for studying ovarian tissue survival and follicular viability after frozen-thawed ovarian cortex transplantation. SCID mice, which are deficient for functional B and T cells, are the most commonly used mice for ovarian xenograft studies. However, due to incomplete immunosuppression, NOD-SCID mice displaying low NK cell function and an absence of circulating complement might be more appropriate. The present study aims to define the most appropriate immunodeficient mouse strain for ovarian tissue xenotransplantation by comparing ovarian graft recovery in SCID and NOD-SCID mice following engraftment in the presence of isoform 111 of vascular endothelial growth factor. METHODS: Sheep ovarian cortex fragments were embedded in a collagen matrix, with or without VEGF111, before being stitched onto the ovaries of SCID and NOD-SCID mice. Transplants were recovered after 3 days to study early revascularization or after 3 weeks to evaluate follicle preservation and tissue fibrosis through histological analyses. RESULTS: At day 3, vessels were largely reorganized in the ovarian grafts of both mouse strains. After 3 weeks, the cortical tissue was clearly identifiable in SCID mice but not in NOD-SCID mice. Upon VEGF111 treatment, vascularization was significantly improved 3 days after transplantation in SCID mice. This increase in vessel density was correlated with better follicular preservation in SCID mice 3 weeks after transplantation. Fibrosis was not decreased by VEGF treatment in either mouse strain. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue architecture and follicular morphology were better preserved in ovarian tissues grafted in SCID mice in comparison with NOD-SCID mice. Moreover, tissue revascularization was improved in SCID mice by VEGF111 graft treatment. Thus, we consider SCID mice to be the best murine model for studying ovarian tissue xenografts

Modeling pre-metastatic lymphvascular niche in the mouse ear sponge assay.

Lymphangiogenesis, the formation of new lymphatic vessels, occurs in primary tumors and in draining lymph nodes leading to pre-metastatic niche formation. Reliable in vivo models are becoming instrumental for investigating alterations occurring in lymph nodes before tumor cell arrival. In this study, we demonstrate that B16F10 melanoma cell encapsulation in a biomaterial, and implantation in the mouse ear, prevents their rapid lymphatic spread observed when cells are directly injected in the ear. Vascular remodeling in lymph nodes was detected two weeks after sponge implantation, while their colonization by tumor cells occurred two weeks later. In this model, a huge lymphangiogenic response was induced in primary tumors and in pre-metastatic and metastatic lymph nodes. In control lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels were confined to the cortex. In contrast, an enlargement and expansion of lymphatic vessels towards paracortical and medullar areas occurred in pre-metastatic lymph nodes. We designed an original computerized-assisted quantification method to examine the lymphatic vessel structure and the spatial distribution. This new reliable and accurate model is suitable for in vivo studies of lymphangiogenesis, holds promise for unraveling the mechanisms underlying lymphatic metastases and pre-metastatic niche formation in lymph nodes, and will provide new tools for drug testing

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells drive lymphangiogenesis.

It is now well accepted that multipotent Bone-Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSC) contribute to cancer progression through several mechanisms including angiogenesis. However, their involvement during the lymphangiogenic process is poorly described. Using BM-MSC isolated from mice of two different backgrounds, we demonstrate a paracrine lymphangiogenic action of BM-MSC both in vivo and in vitro. Co-injection of BM-MSC and tumor cells in mice increased the in vivo tumor growth and intratumoral lymphatic vessel density. In addition, BM-MSC or their conditioned medium stimulated the recruitment of lymphatic vessels in vivo in an ear sponge assay, and ex vivo in the lymphatic ring assay (LRA). In vitro, MSC conditioned medium also increased the proliferation rate and the migration of both primary lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) and an immortalized lymphatic endothelial cell line. Mechanistically, these pro-lymphangiogenic effects relied on the secretion of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-A by BM-MSC that activates VEGF Receptor (VEGFR)-2 pathway on LEC. Indeed, the trapping of VEGF-A in MSC conditioned medium by soluble VEGF Receptors (sVEGFR)-1, -2 or the inhibition of VEGFR-2 activity by a specific inhibitor (ZM 323881) both decreased LEC proliferation, migration and the phosphorylation of their main downstream target ERK1/2. This study provides direct unprecedented evidence for a paracrine lymphangiogenic action of BM-MSC via the production of VEGF-A which acts on LEC VEGFR-2

Abnormal vascular architecture at the placental-maternal interface in preeclampsia

peer reviewedBackground and purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize the vascular architecture in the placental bed in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and in normal pregnancies. Methods: Vessel numbers and cross-section area density in 11 preeclamptic placental beds were compared with 10 normal placental beds using computer-assisted image analysis of whole-slide CD31-immunolabeled sections. Results: The total surface occupied by vessels was significantly reduced in preeclamptic placental beds compared with controls beds. However, the number of vessels/section and average surface were similar in all cases. Vessel size distribution differed between the two groups: more smaller vessels were found in preeclamptic placental beds. Conclusions: Using a whole slide scanning and computer-assisted analysis method, we demonstrated a different morphological architecture of vessels in the placental beds of preeclamptic patients which might reflect the previously reported findings of insufficient trophoblast invasion and incomplete vascular remodeling