Cultivation and characterization of primary human parathyroid cells from patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To establish an cell model of hyperparathyroidism by isolation, in vitro culture, and identification of parathyroid cells from patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT).@*METHODS@#The parathyroid gland tissues obtained from 10 patients with SHPT were dissociated by collagenase digestion for primary culture of the parathyroid cells. Morphological changes and growth characteristics of the cells were assessed by microscopic imaging and cell counting. The mRNA and protein expression levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), and glial cells missing 2 (GCM2) in the primary and passaged cells were determined by immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#Primary cultures of parathyroid cells were successfully obtained. The cells exhibited a high expression of PTH shown by immunofluorescence assay and had a population doubling time of approximately 71.61 h. PTH secretion in the second-passage (P2) cells was significantly lower than that in the primary (P0) and first-passage (P1) cells (P < 0.001). Despite a significant downregulation of CaSR mRNA (P=0.017) and protein (P=0.006) in P1 cells as compared with P0 cells, no significant differences were found in mRNA and protein expressions of PTH or GCM2 between the two cell generations.@*CONCLUSION@#Primary cultures of parathyroid cells isolated from SHPT patients by collagenase digestion show similar biological properties to the cells in vivo.

VEGF121 como Mediador de Efeitos Cardioprotetores Pós-Hipóxia via CaSR e via da Protease Dependente de Mitocôndria / VEGF121 Mediates Post-Hypoxia Cardioprotective Effects Via CaSR and Mitochondria-Dependent Protease Pathway

Resumo Fundamento: A doença cardiovascular é a principal causa de morte em todo o mundo. A apoptose mediada por hipóxia em cardiomiócitos é uma das principais causas de distúrbios cardiovasculares. O tratamento com a proteína do fator de crescimento endotelial vascular (VEGF, do inglês vascular endothelial growth factor) foi testado, mas as dificuldades operacionais limitaram seu uso. Entretanto, com os avanços da terapia gênica, aumentou o interesse na terapia gênica baseada no VEGF em doenças cardiovasculares. No entanto, o mecanismo preciso pelo qual a reposição de VEGF resgata os danos pós-hipóxia em cardiomiócitos não é conhecido. Objetivos: Investigar o efeito da expressão de VEGF121 pós-hipóxia utilizando cardiomiócitos de ratos neonatos. Métodos: Cardiomiócitos isolados de ratos neonatos foram utilizados para estabelecer um modelo in vitro de lesão cardíaca induzida por hipóxia. O efeito da superexpressão de VEGF, isolado ou em conjunto com inibidores de moléculas pequenas que têm como alvo os canais de cálcio, receptores sensíveis ao cálcio (CaSR, do inglês calcium-sensitive receptors) e calpaína, no crescimento e proliferação celular em lesão de cardiomiócitos induzidos por hipóxia, foram determinados com ensaio de MTT, coloração TUNEL, coloração com Anexina V/PI, lactato desidrogenase e atividade da caspase. Para análise estatística, um valor de p<0,05 foi considerado significativo. Resultados: Verificou-se que o efeito do VEGF121 foi mediado por CaSR e calpaína, mas não foi dependente dos canais de cálcio. Conclusões: Nossos resultados, mesmo em um ambiente in vitro, estabelecem as bases para uma validação futura e testes pré-clínicos da terapia gênica baseada em VEGF em doenças cardiovasculares.

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death worldwide. Hypoxia-mediated apoptosis in cardiomyocytes is a major cause of cardiovascular disorders. Treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein has been tested but operational difficulties have limited its use. However, with the advancements of gene therapy, interest has risen in VEGF-based gene therapy in cardiovascular disorders. However, the precise mechanism by which VEGF replenishment rescues post-hypoxia damage in cardiomyocytes is not known. Objectives: To investigate the effect of post-hypoxia VEGF121 expression using neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Methods: Cardiomyocytes isolated from neonatal rats were used to establish an in vitro model of hypoxia-induced cardiac injury. The effect of VEGF overexpression, alone or in combination with small-molecule inhibitors targeting calcium channel, calcium sensitive receptors (CaSR), and calpain on cell growth and proliferation on hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury were determined using an MTT assay, TUNEL staining, Annexin V/PI staining, lactate dehydrogenase and caspase activity. For statistical analysis, a value of P<0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: The effect of VEGF121 was found to be mediated by CaSR and calpain but was not dependent on calcium channels. Conclusions: Our findings, even though using an in vitro setting, lay the foundation for future validation and pre-clinical testing of VEGF-based gene therapy in cardiovascular diseases.

Apical acidity decreases inhibitory effect of omeprazole on Mg2+ absorption and claudin-7 and -12 expression in Caco-2 monolayers

Clinical studies reported hypomagnesaemia in long-term omeprazole usage that was probably due to intestinal Mg2+ wasting. Our previous report demonstrated the inhibitory effect of omeprazole on passive Mg2+ transport across Caco-2 monolayers. The present study aimed to identify the underlying mechanism of omeprazole suppression of passive Mg2+ absorption. By using Caco-2 monolayers, we demonstrated a potent inhibitory effect of omeprazole on passive Mg2+, but not Ca2+, transport across Caco-2 monolayers. Omeprazole shifted the %maximum passive Mg2+ transport-Mg2+ concentration curves to the right, and increased the half maximal effective concentration of those dose-response curves, indicating a lower Mg2+ affinity of the paracellular channel. By continually monitoring the apical pH, we showed that omeprazole suppressed apical acid accumulation. Neomycin and spermine had no effect on passive Mg2+ transport of either control or omeprazole treated monolayers, indicating that omeprazole suppressed passive Mg2+ transport in a calcium sensing receptor (CaSR)-independent manner. The results of western blot analysis showed that omeprazole significantly suppressed claudin (Cldn)-7 and -12, but not Cldn-2, expression in Caco-2 cells. By using apical solution of pH 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0, we found that apical acidity markedly increased passive Mg2+ transport, Mg2+ affinity of the paracellular channel, and Cldn-7 and -12 expression in Caco-2 monolayers. Apical acidity abolished the inhibitory effect of omeprazole on passive Mg2+ transport and Cldn-7 and -12 expression. Our results provided the evidence for the regulation of intestinal passive Mg2+ absorption by luminal acidity-induced increase in Cldn-7 and -12 expression.

Discovery of a small-molecule inhibitor for kidney ADP-ribosyl cyclase: Implication for intracellular calcium signal mediated by cyclic ADP-ribose

ADP-ribosyl cyclase (ADPR-cyclase) produces a Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger, cyclic ADP- ribose (cADPR), from beta-NAD+. A prototype of mammalian ADPR-cyclases is a lymphocyte antigen CD38. Accumulating evidence indicates that ADPR-cyclases other than CD38 are expressed in various cells and organs. In this study, we discovered a small molecule inhibitor of kidney ADPR-cyclase. This compound inhibited kidney ADPR-cyclase activity but not CD38, spleen, heart or brain ADPR-cyclase activity in vitro. Characterization of the compound in a cell-based system revealed that an extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR)- mediated cADPR production and a later long-lasting increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in mouse mesangial cells were inhibited by the pre-treatment with this compound. In contrast, the compound did not block CD3/TCR-induced cADPR production and the increase of [Ca2+]i in Jurkat T cells, which express CD38 exclusively. The long-lasting Ca2+ signal generated by both receptors was inhibited by pre-treatment with an antagonistic cADPR derivative, 8-Br-cADPR, indicating that the Ca2+ signal is mediated by the ADPR-cyclse metabolite, cADPR. Moreover, among structurally similar compounds tested, the compound inhibited most potently the cADPR production and Ca2+ signal induced by CaSR. These findings provide evidence for existence of a distinct ADPR-cyclase in the kidney and basis for the development of tissue specific inhibitors.