Expression of the peptide hormone hepcidin increases in cardiomyocytes under myocarditis and myocardial infarction.

The micronutrient iron is an essential component that plays a role in many crucial metabolic reactions. The peptide hormone hepcidin is thought to play a central role in iron homeostasis and its expression is induced by iron overloading and inflammation. Recently, hepcidin has been reported to be expressed also in the heart; however, the kinetics of altered hepcidin expression in diseases of the heart remain unknown. In this study, we examined cardiac expression of hepcidin in rat experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), human myocarditis and rat acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In rat EAM and AMI hearts, hepcidin was expressed in cardiomyocytes; ferroportin, which is a cellular iron exporter bound by hepcidin, was also expressed in various cells. Analysis of the time course of the hepcidin to cytochrome oxidase subunit 6a (Cox6a)2 expression ratio showed that it abruptly increased more than 100-fold in hearts in the very early phase of EAM and in infarcted areas 1 day after MI. The hepcidin/Cox6a2 expression ratio correlated significantly with that of interleukin-6/gamma-actin in both EAM and AMI hearts (r=0.781, P<.0001 and r=0.563, P=.0003). In human hearts with histological myocarditis, the ratio was significantly higher than in those without myocarditis (0.0400+/-0.0195 versus 0.0032+/-0.0017, P=.0045). Hepcidin is strongly induced in cardiomyocytes under myocarditis and MI, conditions in which inflammatory cytokine levels increase and may play an important role in iron homeostasis and free radical generation.

Gene expression profiles of cardiomyocytes in rat autoimmune myocarditis by DNA microarray and increase of regenerating gene family.

Cardiomyocytes with myocarditis compared with the normal state are thought to change the expressions of various genes greatly, some of which may be new biomarkers or new biologic medicinal products. However, until now, little comprehensive analysis has been made of gene-expression changes in cardiomyocytes with myocarditis. In this study, we performed a DNA microarray analysis by using cardiomyocytes from rat experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). On day 0, rats were immunized with porcine cardiac myosin and cardiomyocytes were isolated and purified from EAM hearts and normal hearts by a method that is hardly thought to change gene expressions in cardiomyocytes. RNA from normal cardiomyocytes and cardiomyocytes of EAM on day 18 was analyzed for 7711 gene expressions by DNA microarray. Some gene expressions showed over 10-fold changes. In particular, the regenerated gene (Reg)2/pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP)1 messenger RNA (mRNA) level most markedly increased in the genes, which were clearly expressed in cardiomyocytes rather than in noncardiomyocytes, and it was approximately 2000-fold greater in cardiomyocytes under active myocarditis than normal by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. Moreover, we demonstrated that Reg2/PAP1 proteins determined by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry and other Reg/PAP family gene expressions were remarkably increased in EAM hearts; in addition, interleukin (IL)-6 expression was significantly related to Reg2/PAP1. It seemed that these data were useful as a reference database of gene-expression changes in cardiomyocytes with myocarditis. The Reg/PAP family, which was found to show dramatically increasing gene expressions by DNA microarray analysis, was suspected to play an important role in myocarditis.

Imatinib mesilate inhibits neointimal hyperplasia via growth inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cells in a rat model of balloon injury.

Restenosis is a major problem in percutaneous catheter intervention (PCI) for coronary artery stenosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Coronary restenosis arises from intimal hyperplasia, i.e., hyperplasia of the vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) caused by endothelial cell (EC) damage due to PCI. Drug eluting stent (DES), a novel stent coated with a cell-growth inhibitor, such as rapamycin, has been utilized to block SMC proliferation, but DES also blocks EC repair and thus requires the administration of anti-platelets for a long time to prevent thrombus formation after PCI. Moreover, insufficient prevention of platelet aggregation sometimes induces restenosis after PCI. One of the signal transduction inhibitors, imatinib mesilate, blocks tyrosine kinase activity of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), and therefore it may block the development of neointima through growth inhibition of SMCs without the obstructive effect on EC-repair. We therefore studied the effects of imatinib on neointimal hyperplasia in a balloon injury model of rat carotid arteries. Rats were orally administered with imatinib for 14 days after balloon injury, and sacrificed to analyze the neointimal formation. Intimal hyperplasia was inhibited by imatinib in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore imatinib presumably obstructed the growth of SMCs via interception on growth-signaling of PDGFR. The administration of imatinib after coronary stenting or the use of an imatinib-eluting stent may further reduce the risk of restenosis in patients.

Serum erythropoietin level as a marker of limb ischemia.

Bone marrow implantation (BMI) has been utilized for the treatment of limb ischemia, however, serum markers have not yet been reported to express the degree of limb ischemia. We analyzed the serum levels of several cytokines including erythropoietin (EPO) in the treated legs and the contralateral ones in 11 patients with limb ischemia treated with BMI. The EPO level in the pre-treated legs in the 5 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans revealed a good correlation with ankle-brachial pressure index. The EPO level, but not the levels of TNF-alpha, VEGF, and bFGF in the pre-treated legs was significantly higher than that in the contralateral legs in the 11 patients, and the EPO level decreased in 4 weeks after BMI. The serum EPO level may express the degree of limb ischemia presumably through the reactive production of EPO in ischemic tissue.

[Prognostic factors for critical limb ischemia after autologous bone marrow implantation].

OBJECTIVES: Autologous bone marrow implantation (BMI) is effective to treat critical limb ischemia, but the long-term prognosis is not clear. The outcome of BMI treatment for ischemic legs was investigated related to the clinical background of the patient, and short-term effects of BMI. The end event was defined as unexpected lower limb amputation. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included 21 consecutive patients (mean age 60.0 +/- 13.6 years) with peripheral arterial disease who underwent BMI between December 2001 and March 2005. Twelve patients had arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), 5 had Buerger disease (thromboangiitis obliterans), 3 had thromboembolism, and 1 had hypereosinophilic syndrome. The patients with ASO had severe complications such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The total number of transplanted CD34-positive cells, ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI), and tissue oxygen pressure (TcO2) were lower in ASO patients than non-ASO patients. Significant risk factors for the event were diagnosis of ASO and low TcO2 (< 30 mmHg) according to the Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log rank test. All 6 patients who required limb amputation had ASO simultaneously with low TcO2 (6 of 9, 67%). In contrast, there was no correlation between the end event and short-term effect of BMI such as improvements in ABI and TcO2. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with BMI could not save legs in some patients with ASO associated with severe leg ischemia.

Erythroid cells play essential roles in angiogenesis by bone marrow cell implantation.

Bone marrow cell implantation (BMI) has been utilized to treat patients with limb and heart ischemia. BMI provides angiogenic precursors and angiogenic cytokine-producing cells, especially erythroid cells. In this study, we induced in vitro angiogenesis cultures and in vivo BMI simulation using a murine limb ischemia model to examine the role of erythroid cells and the effect of erythropoietin (EPO). Human erythroid colonies (BFU-e) induced capillary networks around the colonies in vitro. Erythroid cells in human bone marrow produced vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor. The angiogenic effects of erythroid cells were further amplified in the presence of EPO. Limb-ischemic mice were treated with BMI +/- EPO, and limb survival, blood flow recovery, and muscle histology were analyzed. Treatment with whole bone marrow cells + EPO significantly improved limb survival and blood flow. The cumulative effects of EPO on BMI induced and increase in capillary number and artery enlargement. Erythroid cells were essential for the in vivo effects of BMI, and CD14-positive cells supported the biological effects. In addition to the direct effect of EPO on angiogenesis, EPO showed indirect effect on angiogenesis through amplifying the angiogenic effects by erythroid cells supported by CD14-positive cells.

Primary mediastinal lymph node malignancy with features suggestive of dendritic cell sarcoma.

A 56-year-old man underwent preoperative chest computed tomography to further evaluate a well defined mass in the middle lobe with subcarinal lymph node swelling. There was no pathological diagnosis established by either bronchoscopic biopsy specimens or computed tomography-guided percutaneous needle biopsy. The middle lobe and mediastinal lymph nodes were excised, then postoperative radiotherapy (60 Gy) was administered to the mediastinum. Results of histological and immunohistochemical study showed that the lung mass consisted of completely necrotic tissue and that the subcarinal lymph node was involved by malignant cells suggestive of dendritic cell sarcoma. Primary dendritic cell sarcoma of the mediastinal lymph node is extremely rare. Dendritic cell sarcoma is a neoplasm of reticular dendritic origin and includes both follicular dendritic cell sarcoma and interdigitating reticulum (or dendritic) cell sarcoma. These rare neoplasms may pose difficulty in pathologic diagnosis and treatment. Although our patient died of hepatic rupture due to dendritic cell sarcoma or gastric cancer metastases one year after surgery, complete surgical resection with or without postoperative radiotherapy may be an acceptable therapeutic option for localized dendritic cell sarcoma.