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- Title
- BMP-7 Inhibits p38 and JNK Pathways and Increases M2 Macrophage Differentiation to Reduce Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-/- Mice.
- Creator
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Shoulders, Heidi, Singla, Dinender, Cheng, Zixi, Naser, Saleh, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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We have previously shown that treating atherosclerosis with bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) affects the presence of macrophage subtypes in vitro, however it remains unknown whether BMP-7 treatment affects development and progression of atherosclerosis in vivo at an early and mid-stage of the disease. We therefore performed a Day 5 (D5) and Day 28 (D28) study to examine BMP-7's potential to affect monocyte differentiation. Atherosclerotic plaque formation was developed using our standard...
Show moreWe have previously shown that treating atherosclerosis with bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) affects the presence of macrophage subtypes in vitro, however it remains unknown whether BMP-7 treatment affects development and progression of atherosclerosis in vivo at an early and mid-stage of the disease. We therefore performed a Day 5 (D5) and Day 28 (D28) study to examine BMP-7's potential to affect monocyte differentiation. Atherosclerotic plaque formation was developed using our standard method and ApoE-/- mice were sacrificed at D5 and D28 post-surgery. Treatment animals received intravenous injections of BMP-7 at 200(&)#181;g/kg of bodyweight. Hematoxylin and Eosin morphological stain shows that BMP-7 is capable of significantly reducing plaque accumulation at D28 post-surgery vs. PLCA group, p(<)0.05. At D5, plaque formation was reduced but not significant. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed to determine BMP-7's effect on monocytes (CD14), inflammatory M1 (iNOS) and anti-inflammatory M2 (CD206, Arginase-1) macrophages. Immunohistochemistry results show BMP-7 administration reduced pro-inflammatory monocytes and M1 macrophages at D5 and D28 compared to PLCA animals; however, monocytes were not statistically lower at D28. The anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage population was significantly less in PLCA animals compared to SHAM animals at D5 and D28. There was no significant difference in M2 macrophages between PLCA and PLCA + BMP7 animals at D5, however, by D28, PLCA + BMP7 animals showed a significant increase in M2 macrophages compared to PLCA animals. Western blot analysis confirms a significant increase in pro-survival kinase ERK and a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory kinases p38 and JNK in BMP-7 treated mice (D5 and D28, p(<)0.05). ELISA showed a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-? (D5 and D28, p(<)0.05) and a significant increase in anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in BMP-7 treated mice (D5 and D28, p(<)0.05). In summary, our data indicate BMP-7 treatment induces monocyte to M2 macrophage differentiation, increases anti-inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1ra and IL-10), and improves blow flow velocity (D5 and D28, p(<)0.05) compared to untreated animals. The mechanisms of monocyte to M2 macrophage differentiation appear to be mediated by the p38, JNK, and ERK pathways. This study suggests BMP-7 is capable of reducing inflammation and slowing progression of atherosclerosis at both an early and mid-stage of the disease.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006504, ucf:51388
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006504
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-9 ON CX3CL1 SHEDDING AND AXON RETRACTION.
- Creator
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Dobrie, Lauren A, Hawthorne, Alicia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to irreversible damage, and permanent paralysis inferior to the injury is common (Leibinger et al., 2013). Injury to the spinal cord occurs in two phases. In the first phase, components of the spinal cord are subject to mechanical trauma causing direct damage. In the second phase, damage spreads from the area of injury through molecular processes. Several studies have linked M1 "pro-inflammatory" macrophages to exacerbation of damage by inducing dieback of...
Show moreSpinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to irreversible damage, and permanent paralysis inferior to the injury is common (Leibinger et al., 2013). Injury to the spinal cord occurs in two phases. In the first phase, components of the spinal cord are subject to mechanical trauma causing direct damage. In the second phase, damage spreads from the area of injury through molecular processes. Several studies have linked M1 "pro-inflammatory" macrophages to exacerbation of damage by inducing dieback of dystrophic axons, but not healthy axons, through direct cellular contact. Several studies have identified the presence of macrophage subtypes at specific time. A literature review was conducted in order to summarize these findings (Busch, Horn, Silver, and Silver, 2009; Evans et al., 2014; Horn, Busch, Hawthorne, van Rooijen, and Silver, 2008; Kigerl et al., 2009; Shechter et al., 2013). Although the full mechanism behind the process of M1 macrophage-mediated dieback of dystrophic axons is unclear, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) produced by these macrophages has been shown to play a role. However, the specific interaction between MMP-9 and neurons is under investigation. The research described explores the relationship between MMP-9 and fractalkine (CX3CL1), a surface protein expressed by CNS neurons. SDS-PAGE and western blot were used to determine whether the presence of MMP-9 increases the cleavage of fractalkine at several time intervals. At a concentration of 300ng/ml, MMP-9 was not found to demonstrate cleavage of fractalkine.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFH2000506, ucf:45636
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000506
- Title
- Regulation of Extra-Pituitary Prolactin in Monocytes and Macrophages.
- Creator
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Barrett, Richard, Parthasarathy, Sampath, McKinstry, Karl, Masternak, Michal, Zhao, Jihe, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Recently it has been shown that leukocytes are capable of producing prolactin (PRL). Evidence of extra-pituitary PRL (ePRL) production is so far been limited to primates and is not shared across other mammal species such as mice and rats. While ePRL is characterized as an identical protein to traditional pituitary PRL, it is controlled under an alternative promoter and is thus regulated differently from pituitary PRL. Little is known about what regulates ePRL or its direct role in human...
Show moreRecently it has been shown that leukocytes are capable of producing prolactin (PRL). Evidence of extra-pituitary PRL (ePRL) production is so far been limited to primates and is not shared across other mammal species such as mice and rats. While ePRL is characterized as an identical protein to traditional pituitary PRL, it is controlled under an alternative promoter and is thus regulated differently from pituitary PRL. Little is known about what regulates ePRL or its direct role in human physiology, but given that PRL has well over 300 described functions, it is likely that the autocrine and paracrine effects of this hormone could have far reaching implications in overall physiology. This work takes some of the first steps in understanding how leukocyte ePRL is regulated. Our results show that, adrenergic hormones are one key stimulus in ePRL expression in monocytes/macrophages. This is particularly intriguing considering the opposing role of these two signals in settings such as adipose tissue where adipose tissue macrophages are constantly exposed to pro-lipolytic adrenergic hormones that would in turn stimulate production of an anti-lipolytic hormone, PRL. Further, our work shows that the inflammatory phenotype of the leukocytes influences basal expression of PRL and overall ePRL expression increases significantly as monocytes differentiate into macrophages, as is a common occurrence in adipose tissue. The final portion of our work shows how monocytes/macrophages also respond to preadipocytes directly. These stem cell precursors to mature adipose cells release an unknown factor that stimulates ePRL production in monocytes/macrophages. Analysis of our gene array shows many of the genes stimulated by adipose stem cells alongside PRL are important genes in tissue regeneration and remodeling, a possible role that fits well with known effects of PRL. Understanding such primate specific interactions between the immune system and major metabolic tissues such as adipose fills vital gaps in knowledge that may explain why so many treatments fail when transitioning from mouse models to humans.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007309, ucf:52164
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007309
- Title
- Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (BMP-7) Polarizes Monocytes into M2 Macrophages.
- Creator
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Rocher, Crystal, Singla, Dinender, Siddiqi, Shadab, Sugaya, Kiminobu, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which an accumulation of fatty acids and cholesterol occurs to form a plaque in small and large arteries. Monocyte polarization to classic M1 macrophages or alternative M2 macrophages is an important area of research that can determine the severity of disease progression. BMP-7 is a key growth factor responsible for directing differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into brown fat cells, suggesting a role of BMP-7 in cellular plasticity; however,...
Show moreAtherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which an accumulation of fatty acids and cholesterol occurs to form a plaque in small and large arteries. Monocyte polarization to classic M1 macrophages or alternative M2 macrophages is an important area of research that can determine the severity of disease progression. BMP-7 is a key growth factor responsible for directing differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into brown fat cells, suggesting a role of BMP-7 in cellular plasticity; however, its role in monocyte polarization is yet to be revealed. In the current study, we hypothesize that monocyte treatment with BMP-7 will significantly result in increased polarization of monocytes into M2 macrophages and increased expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines. To that effect, we have established a stress induced cell culture system with monocytes (THP-1 cells) and apoptotic conditioned medium (ACM), simulating injury, to understand the effects of BMP-7 on M2 macrophage polarization from monocytes. Our data demonstrates that the BMP type 2 receptor (BMPR2) is found on monocytes and its activation is significantly (p(<)0.05) increased in both monocytes and M2 macrophages following treatment with BMP-7. Furthermore, a significant (p(<)0.05) increase of M2 macrophages in the BMP-7 treated group was shown following immunostaining with CD206 and arginase-1, two M2 macrophage markers, whereas a significant (p(<)0.05) decrease of iNOS expression, an M1 macrophage marker, was shown. Moreover, treatment with BMP-7 resulted in significantly (p(<)0.05) increased expression of IL-10 and IL-1ra, two anti-inflammatory cytokines, but significantly (p(<)0.05) decreased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, MCP-1, IL-6 and TNF-?. We also hypothesize that polarization of monocytes to M2 macrophages occurs through activation of SMAD1/5/8 and PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathways. Upon BMP-7 binding to its receptor, BMPR2, activation of SMAD1/5/8 occurs which then activates the p85 subunit of PI3K resulting in downstream activation of Akt and mTOR. Our data shows that following treatment with BMP-7, expression of p-SMAD1/5/8, p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR is significantly (p(<)0.05) increased compared to controls whereas p-PTEN, an inhibitor of the PI3K pathway, is significantly (p(<)0.05) decreased in the BMP-7 treated group compared to controls. In conclusion, our data reveals that BMP-7 polarizes monocytes into M2 macrophages and it achieves this through activation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway, which will have significant applications for atherosclerosis treatment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004922, ucf:49617
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004922
- Title
- UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A HEMERYTHRIN-LIKE PROTEIN IN MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS.
- Creator
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Herndon, Caitlyn, Rohde, Kyle, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 8 million people each year are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) leading to 1.5 million deaths annually. This staggering number calls for advancements in understanding this bacterium so progress can be made in treating and preventing the disease. It is particularly important to understand mechanisms by which TB survives inside hostile host immune cells known as macrophages and within hypoxic granuloma lesions of...
Show moreAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 8 million people each year are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) leading to 1.5 million deaths annually. This staggering number calls for advancements in understanding this bacterium so progress can be made in treating and preventing the disease. It is particularly important to understand mechanisms by which TB survives inside hostile host immune cells known as macrophages and within hypoxic granuloma lesions of the lung. Preliminary microarray data has shown that a TB gene known as Rv2633c is induced upon macrophage invasion. Bioinformatic analysis of Rv2633c coding sequence shows the product of Rv2633c has homology with hemerythrin-like proteins. Hemerythrins are a class of proteins commonly used to bind oxygen and sense nitric oxide and iron, leading us to hypothesize a role for Rv2633c in surviving hypoxic or nitrosative stress encountered within macrophages and granulomas. My first aim will be to generate a reporter strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) expressing the mCherry fluorescent protein driven by the Rv2633c promoter. This tool will allow us to determine the stress conditions (i.e. hypoxia, nitric oxide treatment, acid pH) that activate expression of this gene by measuring the change in fluorescence. Linking the regulation of Rv2633c to specific environmental cues relevant to infections in vivo will provide insight into the role of this unique protein. Secondly, a knockout mutant of Rv2633c in the attenuated M. bovis BCG will be constructed and characterized to determine the importance and function of this protein during TB infections.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004647, ucf:45291
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004647
- Title
- Validation of a novel hypothesis of generating foam cells by its use to study reverse cholesterol transport.
- Creator
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Sengupta, Bhaswati, Parthasarathy, Sampath, Singla, Dinender, Jewett, Mollie, Rohde, Kyle, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Generation of foam cells, an essential step for reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) studies, uses the technique of receptor dependent macrophage loading with radiolabeled acetylated Low Density Lipoprotein (Ac-LDL). In this study, we used the ability of a biologically relevant detergent molecule, Lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso PtdCho), to form mixed micelles with cholesterol or cholesteryl ester (CE) to generate macrophage foam cells. Fluorescent or radiolabelled cholesterol / Lyso PtdCho...
Show moreGeneration of foam cells, an essential step for reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) studies, uses the technique of receptor dependent macrophage loading with radiolabeled acetylated Low Density Lipoprotein (Ac-LDL). In this study, we used the ability of a biologically relevant detergent molecule, Lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso PtdCho), to form mixed micelles with cholesterol or cholesteryl ester (CE) to generate macrophage foam cells. Fluorescent or radiolabelled cholesterol / Lyso PtdCho mixed micelles were prepared and incubated with RAW 264.7 or mouse peritoneal macrophages. Results showed that such micelles were quite stable at 4(&)deg;C and retained the solubilized cholesterol during one month storage. Macrophages incubated with cholesterol or CE (unlabeled, fluorescently labeled or radiolabeled) / Lyso PtdCho mixed micelles accumulated CE as documented by microscopy, lipid staining, labeled oleate incorporation, and by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Such foam cells unloaded cholesterol when incubated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) and not with oxidized HDL (Ox-HDL). We propose that stable cholesterol or CE / Lyso PtdCho micelles would offer advantages over existing methods.Oxidative stress is associated with heart failure (HF). Previously our research group observed that the patients with low left-ventricular ejection fraction showed accumulation of high level of oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) when compared with the heart failure patients with normal range of ejection fraction (EF). HDL is known to be atheroprotective and one of its important antioxidative functions is to protect LDL from oxidative modifications. However, HDL itself undergoes oxidation and Ox-HDL becomes functionally poor. It is expected to have a diminished ability to promote reverse cholesterol transport. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the quality of HDL present in the patients with EF would more compromised than those present in the patients with normal EF. Functionality of HDL was evaluated by measuring its cholesterol efflux capacity from foam cells generated in vitro. Functionality of HDL, which is strongly related to the oxidative modifications of HDL was further estimated by measuring paraoxonase 1 (PON1) enzyme activity associated with HDL. Higher the PON1 activity and RCT ability, better is the functionality of HDL.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005250, ucf:50596
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005250