AMP-activated protein kinase controls liposaccharide-induced hyperpermeability

Organ dysfunction determines the severity of sepsis and is correlated to mortality. Endothelial increased permeability contributes to the development of organ failure. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to modulate cytoskeleton and could mediate endothelial permeability. Our hypothesis is that AMPK controls sepsis-induced hyperpermeability in the heart and is involved in septic cardiomyopathy. Sepsis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of liposaccharide, 10 mg/kg (LPS). Alpha-1 AMPK knockout mice (α1KO) were compared with wild-type. Vascular permeability was characterized by Evans blue extravasation. Inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression was determined by qPCR analysis. Left ventricular mass was assessed by echocardiography. In addition, to emphasize the beneficial role of AMPK on heart vascular permeability, AMPK activator (acadesine) was administered to C57Bl6 mice before LPS injection. The ANOVA test with Bonferroni's post hoc test and the log-rank test were used. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Increased cardiac vascular permeability was observed in the LPS group in comparison to untreated animals (2.5% vs. 16%; P < 0.05). The α1KO mice exhibited an increase vascular permeability after LPS injection in comparison to wild-type mice (41.5% vs. 16%; P < 0.05). α1KO animals had a significant mortality increase after LPS injection (70% vs. 10%; P < 0.05). LPS markedly induced the production of proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6) that were significantly higher in the α1KO animals. More importantly, LPS treatment leads to an increased left ventricular mass in the α1KO mice within 24 hours, suggesting the onset of edema. Finally LPS-induced vascular hyperpermeability was greatly reduced after AMPK activation by acadesine (13.2% vs. 40%; P < 0.05). AMPK importantly regulates cardiac vascular permeability and could control the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy. AMPK could represent a new pharmacological target of sepsis

Non-Invasive Molecular Imaging of Fibrosis Using a Collagen-Targeted Peptidomimetic of the Platelet Collagen Receptor Glycoprotein VI

Background: Fibrosis, which is characterized by the pathological accumulation of collagen, is recognized as an important feature of many chronic diseases, and as such, constitutes an enormous health burden. We need non-invasive specific methods for the early diagnosis and follow-up of fibrosis in various disorders. Collagen targeting molecules are therefore of interest for potential in vivo imaging of fibrosis. In this study, we developed a collagen-specific probe using a new approach that takes advantage of the inherent specificity of Glycoprotein VI (GPVI), the main platelet receptor for collagens I and III. Methodology/Principal: Findings An anti-GPVI antibody that neutralizes collagen-binding was used to screen a bacterial random peptide library. A cyclic motif was identified, and the corresponding peptide (designated collagelin) was synthesized. Solid-phase binding assays and histochemical analysis showed that collagelin specifically bound to collagen (Kd 10−7 M) in vitro, and labelled collagen fibers ex vivo on sections of rat aorta and rat tail. Collagelin is therefore a new specific probe for collagen. The suitability of collagelin as an in vivo probe was tested in a rat model of healed myocardial infarctions (MI). Injecting Tc-99m-labelled collagelin and scintigraphic imaging showed that uptake of the probe occurred in the cardiac area of rats with MI, but not in controls. Post mortem autoradiography and histological analysis of heart sections showed that the labeled areas coincided with fibrosis. Scintigraphic molecular imaging with collagelin provides high resolution, and good contrast between the fibrotic scars and healthy tissues. The capacity of collagelin to image fibrosis in vivo was confirmed in a mouse model of lung fibrosis. Conclusion/Significance: Collagelin is a new collagen-targeting agent which may be useful for non-invasive detection of fibrosis in a broad spectrum of diseases.Psycholog

Purinergic signalling and immune cells

This review article provides a historical perspective on the role of purinergic signalling in the regulation of various subsets of immune cells from early discoveries to current understanding. It is now recognised that adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and other nucleotides are released from cells following stress or injury. They can act on virtually all subsets of immune cells through a spectrum of P2X ligand-gated ion channels and G protein-coupled P2Y receptors. Furthermore, ATP is rapidly degraded into adenosine by ectonucleotidases such as CD39 and CD73, and adenosine exerts additional regulatory effects through its own receptors. The resulting effect ranges from stimulation to tolerance depending on the amount and time courses of nucleotides released, and the balance between ATP and adenosine. This review identifies the various receptors involved in the different subsets of immune cells and their effects on the function of these cells

IBD risk loci are enriched in multigenic regulatory modules encompassing putative causative genes.

GWAS have identified >200 risk loci for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The majority of disease associations are known to be driven by regulatory variants. To identify the putative causative genes that are perturbed by these variants, we generate a large transcriptome data set (nine disease-relevant cell types) and identify 23,650 cis-eQTL. We show that these are determined by ∼9720 regulatory modules, of which ∼3000 operate in multiple tissues and ∼970 on multiple genes. We identify regulatory modules that drive the disease association for 63 of the 200 risk loci, and show that these are enriched in multigenic modules. Based on these analyses, we resequence 45 of the corresponding 100 candidate genes in 6600 Crohn disease (CD) cases and 5500 controls, and show with burden tests that they include likely causative genes. Our analyses indicate that ≥10-fold larger sample sizes will be required to demonstrate the causality of individual genes using this approach

Principal role of glycoprotein VI in alpha2beta1 and alphaIIbbeta3 activation during collagen-induced thrombus formation

OBJECTIVE: High-shear perfusion of blood over collagen results in rapid platelet adhesion, aggregation, and procoagulant activity. We studied regulation of alpha2beta1 and alphaIIbbeta3 integrin activation during thrombus formation on collagen. METHODS AND RESULTS: Blockade of glycoprotein (GP) VI by 9O12 antibody or of P2Y purinergic receptors permitted platelet adhesion but reduced aggregate formation, fibrinogen binding, and activation of alpha2beta1 and alphaIIbbeta3, as detected with antibodies IAC-1 and PAC1 directed against activation-dependent epitopes of these integrins. Combined blockade of GPVI and P2Y receptors and thromboxane formation abolished integrin activation but still allowed adhesion of morphologically unstimulated, nonprocoagulant platelets. Exogenous ADP partly restored the suppressive effect of GPVI blockade on integrin alpha2beta1 and alphaIIbbeta3 activation. Adhesion was fully inhibited only with simultaneous blocking of GPVI and alpha2beta1, indicating that the integrin can support platelet-collagen binding in the absence of its activation. Blockade or absence of GPIbalpha only moderately influenced integrin activation and adhesion unless GPVI was inhibited. CONCLUSIONS

Connection between cardiac vascular permeability, myocardial oedema and inflammation during sepsis: role of the alpha1AMPK isoform

peer reviewedObjective: Since AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) both controls cytoskeletonorganization in endothelial cells (ECs) and exerts anti-inflammatory effects, we here postulated that it could influence vascular permeability and inflammation, thereby counteracting cardiac wall oedema during sepsis. Design: Controlled animal study Settings: University research laboratory Subjects: C57BL/6J, α1AMPK-/- and α1AMPK+/+ mice Intervention: Sepsis was triggered in vivo using a sub-lethal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, O55B5, 10 mg.kg-1), inducing systolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. LV function, oedema, vascular permeability and inflammation were assessed in vivo in both wild type (WT) mice (α1AMPK+/+) and α1AMPK-deficient mice (α1AMPK-/-). 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAr) served to study the impact of AMPK activation on vascular permeability in vivo. The integrity of EC monolayers was also examined in vitro after LPS challenge in the presence of AICAr and/or after α1AMPK silencing. Measurements and main results: α1AMPK-deficiency dramatically impaired tolerance to LPS challenge. Indeed, α1AMPK-/- exhibited heightened cardiac vascular permeability after LPS challenge compared to α1AMPK+/+. Consequently, an increase in LV mass corresponding to exaggerated wall oedema occurred in α1AMPK-/-, without any further decrease in systolic function. Mechanistically, the LPS-induced α1AMPK-/- cardiac phenotype could not be attributed to major changes in the systemic inflammatory response, but was due to an increased disruption of interendothelial tight junctions. Accordingly, AMPK activation by AICAr counteracted LPS-induced hyperpermeability in WT mice in vivo as well as in ECs in vitro. This effect was associated with a potent protection of ZO-1 linear border pattern in ECs. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate, for the first time the involvement of a signalling pathway in the control of LV wall oedema during sepsis. AMPK exerts a protective action through the preservation of interendothelial tight junctions. Interestingly, exaggerated LV wall oedema was not coupled with aggravated systolic dysfunction. However, it could contribute to diastolic dysfunction in septic patients