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Deguan Li,
Yueying Wang,
Hongying Wu,
Lu Lu,
Xiaochun Wang,
Junling Zhang,
Heng Zhang,
Saijun Fan,
Feiyue Fan, Daohong Zhou,
Aimin Meng
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ABSTRACT: The acute and residual (or long-term) bone marrow (BM) injury induced by ionizing radiation (IR) is a major clinic concern for patients receiving conventional radiotherapy and victims accidentally exposed to a moderate-to-high dose of IR. In this study, we investigated the effects of the treatment with the p38 inhibitor SB203580 (SB) and/or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the hematoimmune damage induced by IR in a mouse model. Specifically, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a sublethal dose (6 Gy) of total body irradiation (TBI) and then treated with vehicle, G-CSF, SB, and G-CSF plus SB. G-CSF (1 µg/mouse) was administrated to mice by intraperitoneal (ip) injection twice a day for six successive days; SB (15 mg/kg) by ip injection every other day for 10 days. It was found that the treatment with SB and/or G-CSF significantly enhanced the recovery of various peripheral blood cell counts and the number of BM mononuclear cells 10 and 30 days after the mice were exposed to TBI compared with vehicle treatment. Moreover, SB and/or G-CSF treatment also increased the clonogenic function of BM hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and the frequency of BM lineage (-) Sca1(+)c-kit(+) cells (LSK cells) and short-term and long term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) 30 days after TBI, in comparison with vehicle treated controls. However, the recovery of peripheral blood B cells and CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells was not significantly affected by SB and/or G-CSF treatment. These results suggest that the treatment with SB and/or G-CSF can reduce IR-induced BM injury probably in part via promoting HSC and HPC regeneration.
PLoS ONE 01/2013; 8(4):e62921. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Our study was to elucidate the mechanisms whereby BMS-345541 (BMS, a specific IκB kinase β inhibitor) inhibits the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and evaluate whether BMS can sensitize MCF-7 breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cells) to ionizing radiation (IR) in an apoptosis-independent manner. In this study, MCF-7 cells were exposed to IR in vitro and in vivo with or without pretreatment of BMS. The effects of BMS on the repair of IR-induced DSBs by homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) were analyzed by the DR-GFP and EJ5-GFP reporter assays and IR-induced γ-H2AX, 53BP1, Brca1 and Rad51 foci assays. The mechanisms by which BMS inhibits HR were examined by microarray analysis and quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The effects of BMS on the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to IR were determined by MTT and clonogenic assays in vitro and tumor growth inhibition in vivo in a xenograft mouse model. The results showed that BMS selectively inhibited HR repair of DSBs in MCF-7 cells, most likely by down-regulation of several genes that participate in HR. This resulted in a significant increase in the DNA damage response that sensitizes MCF-7 cells to IR-induced cell death in an apoptosis-independent manner. Furthermore, BMS treatment sensitized MCF-7 xenograft tumors to radiation therapy in vivo in an association with a significant delay in the repair of IR-induced DSBs. These data suggest that BMS is a novel HR inhibitor that has the potential to be used as a radiosensitizer to increase the responsiveness of cancer to radiotherapy. © 2013 by Radiation Research Society.
Radiation Research 12/2012; · 2.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The mechanisms by which hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSC and HPC) from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) undergo ineffective production of blood cells and disease transformation into acute myeloid leukemia remain to be investigated. It has been confirmed that increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under various pathological conditions impairs HSC self-renewal and causes HSC premature exhaustion and BM suppression primarily via induction of HSC senescence, and oncogene induces accumulation of ROS and DNA damage and subsequently cellular senescence, which functions as an important barrier to prevent the growth of transformed cells to form a neoplasia. Here we investigated whether MDS CD34(+) cells enriched with HSC and HPC undergo senescence through accumulation of ROS and DNA damage and their action mechanisms. In this study, the percentages of SA-β-gal positive senescent CD34(+) cells increased in lower-risk MDS patients, but not in higher-risk MDS and AML patients, compared to that of healthy controls. The increases were associated with an elevated expression of p21 but not the activation of p38. Further study found that there were increased ROS and DNA damage in CD34(+)CD38(-) cells enriched with HSC progression from lower-risk MDS, higher-risk MDS to AML. Therefore, these data suggest that CD34(+) cells from patients with lower-risk MDS present p21 dependent premature senescence, increased accumulation of ROS and DNA damage in CD34(+)CD38(-) cells could contribute to this process; however, CD34(+) cells from patients with higher-risk MDS could develop some mechanisms to uncouple ROS and DNA damage induced senescence.
Leukemia research 12/2012; · 2.36 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Sphingomyelin synthase (SMS) produces sphingomyelin (SM) while consuming ceramide (negative regulator of cell proliferation) and forming diacylglycerol (DAG) (a mitogenic factor). Therefore enhanced SMS activity could favor cell proliferation. To examine if dysregulated SMS contributes to leukemogenesis, we measured SMS activity in several leukemic cell lines and found that it is highly elevated in K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells. The increased SMS in K562 cells was caused by the presence of Bcr-abl, hallmark of CML, as stable expression of Bcr-abl elevated SMS activity in HL-60 cells while inhibition of the tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-abl with Imatinib mesylate, decreased SMS activity in K562 cells. The increased SMS activity was the result of up-regulation of the Sms1 isoform. Inhibition of SMS activity with D609 (a pharmacological SMS inhibitor) or down-regulation of SMS1 expression by siRNA, selectively inhibited the proliferation of Bcr-abl positive cells. The inhibition was associated with an increased production of ceramide and a decreased production of DAG, conditions that antagonize cell proliferation. A similar change in lipid profile was also observed upon pharmacological inhibition of Bcr-abl (K526 cells) and siRNA mediated down-regulation of BCR-ABL (HL-60/Bcr-abl cells). These findings indicate that Sms1 is a downstream target of Bcr-abl, involved in sustaining cell proliferation of Bcr-abl positive cells.
The Journal of Lipid Research 11/2012; · 5.56 Impact Factor
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Heng Zhang,
Zhibin Zhai,
Yueying Wang,
Junling Zhang,
Hongying Wu,
Yingying Wang,
Chengcheng Li,
Deguan Li,
Lu Lu,
Xiaochun Wang,
Jianhui Chang,
Qi Hou,
Zhenyu Ju, Daohong Zhou,
Aimin Meng
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ABSTRACT: Our recent studies showed that total body irradiation (TBI) induces long-term bone marrow (BM) suppression in part by induction of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) senescence through NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, in the present study we examined if resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a potent antioxidant and a putative activator of Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), can ameliorate TBI-induced long-term BM injury by inhibiting radiation-induced chronic oxidative stress and senescence in HSCs. Our results showed that pretreatment with resveratrol not only protected mice from TBI-induced acute BM syndrome and lethality but also ameliorated TBI-induced long-term BM injury. This later effect is likely attributed to resveratrol-mediated reduction of chronic oxidative stress in HSCs, because resveratrol treatment significantly inhibited TBI-induced increase in ROS production in HSCs and prevented mouse BM HSCs from TBI-induced senescence, leading to a significant improvement of HSC clonogenic function and long-term engraftment after transplantation. The inhibition of TBI-induced ROS production in HSCs is likely attributable to resveratrol-mediated down-regulation of NOX4 expression and up-regulation of Sirt1, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) expression. Furthermore, we showed that resveratrol increased Sirt1 deacetylase activity in BM hematopoietic cells; and Ex527, a potent Sirt1 inhibitor, can attenuate resveratrol-induced SOD2 expression and the radioprotective effect of resveratrol on HSCs. These findings demonstrate that resveratrol can protect HSCs from radiation at least in part via activation of Sirt1. Therefore, resveratrol has the potential to be used as an effective therapeutic agent to ameliorate TBI-induced long-term BM injury.
Free radical biology & medicine 10/2012; · 5.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The inhibitor of nuclear factor κB kinase (IKK)-nuclear factor κB (NFκB) pathway is one of the most important cellular signal transduction pathways. It can be activated by diverse stimuli, resulting in liberation of cytoplasmic NFκB from inhibition by inhibitors of NFκB (IκB) after IκB are phosphorylated by IKKβ and IKKα via the canonical and non-canonical pathways, respectively. Activated NFκB then translocates into the nucleus to regulate various NFκB target genes. Through regulation of its target genes, NFκB can regulate various physiologic processes such as cell proliferation, migration and survival. More importantly, activation of the IKK-NFκB pathway has been implicated in carcinogenesis, tumor development, progression and metastasis, and cancer resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, molecularly targeted inhibition of the different components of this pathway has been widely explored for treatment of cancer either alone or in combination with other cancer therapies. A growing body of evidence suggests that IKKβ may be a better cancer treatment target in this pathway, because several novel NFκB-independent functions of IKKβ have been identified recently, including promotion of DNA double strand break repair to increase tumor cell resistance to ionizing radiation and chemotherapy in an apoptosis-independent manner. In this review, we highlight some of these new findings and discuss the therapeutic potential of IKKβ specific inhibitors as a novel tumor sensitizer.
Translational cancer research. 08/2012; 1(2):100-108.
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ABSTRACT: The oxidized glutathione mimetic NOV-002 is a unique anti-tumor agent that not only has the ability to inhibit tumor cell proliferation, survival, and invasion, but in some settings can also ameliorate cytotoxic chemotherapy-induced hematopoietic and immune suppression. However, the mechanisms by which NOV-002 protects the hematopoietic and immune systems against the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy are not known. Therefore, in this study we investigated the mechanisms of action of NOV-002 using a mouse model in which hematopoietic and immune suppression was induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment. We found that NOV-002 treatment in a clinically comparable dose regimen attenuated CTX-induced reduction in bone marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and reversed the immunosuppressive activity of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which led to a significant improvement in hematopoietic and immune functions. These effects of NOV-002 may be attributable to its ability to modulate cellular redox. This suggestion is supported by the finding that NOV-002 treatment upregulated the expression of superoxide dismutase 3 and glutathione peroxidase 2 in HSPCs, inhibited CTX-induced increases in reactive oxygen species production in HSPCs and MDSCs, and attenuated CTX-induced reduction of the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione in splenocytes. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms whereby NOV-002 modulates chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression and immune dysfunction and a stronger rationale for clinical utilization of NOV-002 to reduce chemotherapy-induced hematopoietic and immune suppression.
Free radical biology & medicine 02/2012; 52(9):1560-8. · 5.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) depends on HSC self-renewing proliferation and functional maintenance, which can be negatively affected by HSC differentiation, apoptosis, and senescence. Therefore, inhibition of HSC senescence may promote HSC expansion. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) on the expansion of human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) CD133(+) cells because activation of p38 has been implicated in the induction of HSC senescence under various physiological and pathological conditions. Our results showed that ex vivo expansion of hUCB CD133(+) cells activated p38, which was abrogated by the p38 specific inhibitor SB203580 (SB). Inhibition of p38 activity with SB promoted the expansion of CD133(+) cells and CD133(+)CD38(-) cells. In addition, hUCB CD133(+) cells expanded in the presence of SB for 7 days showed about threefold increase in the clonogenic function of HSCs and engraftment in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice after transplantation compared to the input cells. In contrast, the cells expanded without SB exhibited a significant reduction in these HSC functions. The enhancement of ex vivo expansion of hUCB HSCs is primarily attributable to SB-mediated inhibition of HSC senescence. In addition, inhibition of HSC apoptosis and upregulation of CXCR4 may also contribute to the enhancement. However, p38 inhibition had no significant effect on HSC differentiation and proliferation. These findings suggest that inhibition of p38 activation may represent a novel strategy to promote ex vivo expansion of hUCB HSCs.
Annals of Hematology 01/2012; 91(6):813-23. · 2.62 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are responsible for sustaining hematopoietic homeostasis and regeneration after injury for the entire lifespan of an organism. Maintenance of genomic stability is crucial for the preservation of HSCs, which depends on their efficient repair of DNA damage, particularly DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Because of the paucity of HSCs and lack of sensitive assays, directly measuring the ability of HSCs to repair DSBs has been difficult. Therefore, we developed a sensitive and quantitative cell free in vitro non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) assay using linearized plasmids as the substrates and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique. This assay can sensitively detect DSB repair via NHEJ in less than 1 µg 293T cell nuclear proteins or nuclear extracts from about 5,000 to 10,000 human BM CD34(+) hematopoietic cells. Using this assay, we confirmed that human bone marrow HSCs (CD34(+)CD38(-) cells) are less proficient in the repair of DSBs by NHEJ than HPCs (CD34(+)CD38(+) cells). In contrast, mouse quiescent HSCs (Pyronin-Y(low) LKS(+) cells) and cycling HSCs (Pyronin-Y(hi) LKS(+) cells) repaired the damage more efficiently than HPCs (LKS(-) cells). The difference in the abilities of human and mouse HSCs and HPCs to repair DSBs through NHEJ is likely attributed to their differential expression of key NHEJ DNA damage repair genes such as LIG4. These findings suggest that the qPCR-based cell free in vitro NHEJ assay can be used to sensitively measure the ability of human and mouse HSCs to repair DSBs.
PLoS ONE 01/2012; 7(3):e33499. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Exposure to a moderate or high total-body dose of radiation induces not only acute bone marrow suppression but also residual (or long-term) bone marrow injury. The induction of residual bone marrow injury is primarily attributed to the induction of hematopoietic cell senescence by ionizing radiation. However, the mechanisms underlying radiation-induced hematopoietic cell senescence are not known and thus were investigated in the present study. Using a well-established long-term bone marrow cell culture system, we found that radiation induced hematopoietic cell senescence at least in part via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38). This suggestion is supported by the finding that exposure to radiation selectively activated p38 in bone marrow hematopoietic cells. The activation was associated with a significant reduction in hematopoietic cell clonogenic function, an increased expression of p16(INK4a) (p16), and an elevated senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity. All these changes were attenuated by p38 inhibition with a specific p38 inhibitor, SB203580 (SB). Selective activation of p38 was also observed in bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) after mice were exposed to a sublethal total-body dose (6.5 Gy) of radiation. Treatment of the irradiated mice with SB after total-body irradiation (TBI) increased the frequencies of HSCs and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in their bone marrow and the clonogenic functions of the irradiated HSCs and HPCs. These findings suggest that activation of p38 plays a role in mediating radiation-induced hematopoietic cell senescence and residual bone marrow suppression.
Radiation Research 12/2011; 176(6):743-52. · 2.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Oxidative stress induces not only senescence but also autophagy in a variety of mammalian cells. However, the relationship between these two has not been well established and thus, was investigated in the present study using WI38 human diploid fibroblasts (WI38 cells) as a model system. Our results showed that exposure of WI38 cells to H2O2 induced both senescence and autophagy. Downregulation of autophagy protein 5 (Atg5) with Atg5 siRNA inhibited not only autophagy but also senescence induced by H2O2. Further studies showed that Atg5 regulates H2O2-induced senescence primarily by up-regulating the expression of p21 at the level of post-transcription. In addition, we examined the mechanisms by which H2O2 induces autophagy in WI38 cells. Our results revealed that H2O2 increases autophagy independent of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) negative feedback pathway. Instead, the induction of autophagy by H2O2 depends on the induction of intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase α (p38 MAPKα) pathway.
Experimental gerontology 07/2011; 46(11):860-7. · 3.34 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Our recent studies showed that total body irradiation (TBI) induces long-term bone marrow (BM) suppression in part by induction of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) senescence through reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we examined if Mn(III) meso-tetrakis-(N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl) porphyrin (MnTE), a superoxide dismutase mimetic and potent antioxidant, can mitigate TBI-induced long-term BM injury in a mouse model. Our results showed that post-TBI treatment with MnTE significantly inhibited the increases in ROS production and DNA damage in HSCs and the reduction in HSC frequency and clonogenic function induced by TBI. In fact, the clonogenic function of HSCs from irradiated mice after MnTE treatment was comparable to that of HSCs from normal controls on a per-HSC basis, suggesting that MnTE treatment inhibited the induction of HSC senescence by TBI. This suggestion is supported by the finding that MnTE treatment also reduced the expression of p16(Ink4a) (p16) mRNA in HSCs induced by TBI and improved the long-term and multilineage engraftment of irradiated HSCs after transplantation. Therefore, the results from this study demonstrate that MnTE has the potential to be used as a therapeutic agent to mitigate TBI-induced long-term BM suppression by inhibiting ionizing radiation-induced HSC senescence through the ROS-p16 pathway.
Free radical biology & medicine 07/2011; 51(1):30-7. · 5.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are responsible for sustaining hematopoietic homeostasis and regeneration after injury for the entire lifespan of an organism through self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, and mobilization. Their functions can be affected by reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are produced endogenously through cellular metabolism or after exposure to exogenous stress. At physiological levels, ROS function as signal molecules which can regulate a variety of cellular functions, including HSC proliferation, differentiation, and mobilization. However, an abnormal increase in ROS production occurs under various pathological conditions, which can inhibit HSC self-renewal and induce HSC senescence, resulting in premature exhaustion of HSCs and hematopoietic dysfunction. This review aims to provide a summary of a number of recent findings regarding the cellular sources of ROS in HSCs and the mechanisms of action whereby ROS induce HSC senescence. In particular, we highlight the roles of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38)-p16(Ink4a) (p16) pathway in mediating ROS-induced HSC senescence.
International journal of hematology 05/2011; 94(1):24-32. · 1.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Ionising radiation (IR) is a known carcinogen and poses a significant risk to the haematopoietic system for the development of leukaemia in part by induction of genomic instability. Induction of chronic oxidative stress has been assumed to play an important role in mediating the effect of IR on the haematopoietic system. However, there was no direct evidence to support this hypothesis prior to our studies. In our recent studies, we showed that exposure of mice to total body irradiation (TBI) induces persistent oxidative stress selectively in haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) at least in part via up-regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX) 4. Now, we found that post-TBI treatment with diphenylene iodonium (DPI), a pan NOX inhibitor, not only significantly reduces TBI-induced increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative DNA damage and DNA double-strand breaks in HSCs but also dramatically decreases the number of cells with unstable chromosomal aberrations in the clonal progeny of irradiated HSCs. The effects of DPI are comparable to Mn (III) meso-tetrakis (N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl) porphyrin, a superoxide dismutase mimetic and a potent antioxidant. These findings demonstrate that increased production of ROS by NOX in HSCs mediates the induction of haematopoietic genomic instability by IR and that NOX may represent a novel molecular target to inhibit TBI-induced genomic instability.
Mutagenesis 03/2011; 26(3):431-5. · 3.18 Impact Factor
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Deguan Li,
Yueying Wang,
Hongying Wu,
Lu Lu,
Heng Zhang,
Jianhui Chang,
Zhibin Zhai,
Junling Zhang,
Yong Wang, Daohong Zhou,
Aimin Meng
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ABSTRACT: p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38) has been shown to be activated in hematopoietic stem and progenitors cells after exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) and its activation has been implicated in bone marrow (BM) suppression under various pathological conditions. Therefore, in the present study we investigated whether inhibition of p38 activity alone with SB203580 (SB, a specific p38 inhibitor) or in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) can mitigate total body irradiation (TBI)-induced BM damage and lethality. Our results showed that p38 inhibition with SB had no significant effect on the 30-day survival rates of the mice exposed to 7.2 Gy TBI when it was used alone but increased the survival of the mice when it was combined with G-CSF. This combined effect may be attributable to a better preservation or stimulation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, because BM cells from SB and G-CSF-treated mice produced more colony forming units-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and 4-week cobblestone area forming cells (CAFCs) than the cells from either SB or G-CSF-treated mice after TBI in a colony forming cell assay and a CAFC assay, respectively. These findings suggest that the combined therapy with SB and G-GSF is more effective in mitigating TBI-induced acute BM injury than either agent alone.
Journal of Radiation Research 01/2011; 52(6):712-6. · 1.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Activation of the IKK-NFκB pathway increases the resistance of cancer cells to ionizing radiation (IR). This effect has been largely attributed to the induction of anti-apoptotic proteins by NFκB. Since efficient repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) is required for the clonogenic survival of irradiated cells, we investigated if activation of the IKK-NFκB pathway also regulates DSB repair to promote cell survival after IR. We found that inhibition of the IKK-NFκB pathway with a specific IKKβ inhibitor significantly reduced the repair of IR-induced DSBs in MCF-7 cells. The repair of DSBs was also significantly inhibited by silencing IKKβ expression with IKKβ shRNA. However, down-regulation of IKKα expression with IKKα shRNA had no significant effect on the repair of IR-induced DSBs. Similar findings were also observed in IKKα and/or IKKβ knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). More importantly, inhibition of IKKβ with an inhibitor or down-regulation of IKKβ with IKKβ shRNA sensitized MCF-7 cells to IR-induced clonogenic cell death. DSB repair function and resistance to IR were completely restored by IKKβ reconstitution in IKKβ-knockdown MCF-7 cells. These findings demonstrate that IKKβ can regulate the repair of DSBs, a previously undescribed and important IKKβ kinase function; and inhibition of DSB repair may contribute to cance cell radiosensitization induced by IKKβ inhibition. As such, specific inhibition of IKKβ may represents a more effective approach to sensitize cancer cells to radiotherapy.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(4):e18447. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal is tightly regulated by a complex crosstalk between many cell-intrinsic regulators and a variety of extrinsic signals from the stem cell niche. In this study, we examined whether the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) is one of the intrinsic regulators that can negatively regulate HSC self-renewal in vitro and whether inhibition of p38 activity with a small molecule inhibitor can promote HSC expansion ex vivo. The results from this study showed that sorted mouse bone marrow Lin(-)Sca1(+)c-kit(+) cells (LSK(+) cells) exhibited selective activation of p38 after culture in a serum-free medium supplemented with 100 ng/mL stem cell factor, thrombopoietin, and Flt3 ligand. The activation of p38 was associated with a significant reduction in HSCs and induction of apoptosis and cellular senescence in LSK(+) cells and their progeny. Addition of the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 (SB, 5 μM) to the culture inhibited the activation of p38 in LSK(+) cells, which led to increase in HSC self-renewal and ex vivo expansion as shown by the cobblestone area forming cell assay, competitive repopulation, and serial transplantation. The increase in HSC expansion is likely attributable to SB-mediated inhibition of HSC apoptosis and senescence and upregulation of HoxB4 and CXCR4. These findings suggest that p38 plays an important role in the regulation of HSC self-renewal in vitro and inhibition of p38 activation with a small molecule inhibitor may represent a novel approach to promote ex vivo expansion of HSCs.
Stem cells and development 01/2011; 20(7):1143-52. · 4.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of many cellular pathways. Ionizing radiation (IR) exposure causes DNA damage and induces premature senescence. However, the role of miRNAs in IR-induced senescence has not been well defined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify and characterize senescence-associated miRNAs (SA-miRNAs) and to investigate the role of SA-miRNAs in IR-induced senescence.
In human lung (WI-38) fibroblasts, premature senescence was induced either by IR or busulfan (BU) treatment, and replicative senescence was accomplished by serial passaging. MiRNA microarray were used to identify SA-miRNAs, and real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR validated the expression profiles of SA-miRNAs in various senescent cells. The role of SA-miRNAs in IR-induced senescence was characterized by knockdown of miRNA expression, using anti-miRNA oligonucleotides or by miRNA overexpression through the transfection of pre-miRNA mimics.
We identified eight SA-miRNAs, four of which were up-regulated (miR-152, -410, -431, and -493) and four which were down-regulated (miR-155, -20a, -25, and -15a), that are differentially expressed in both prematurely senescent (induced by IR or BU) and replicatively senescent WI-38 cells. Validation of the expression of these SA-miRNAs indicated that down-regulation of miR-155, -20a, -25, and -15a is a characteristic miRNA expression signature of cellular senescence. Functional analyses revealed that knockdown of miR-155 or miR-20a, but not miR-25 or miR-15a, markedly enhanced IR-induced senescence, whereas ectopic overexpression of miR-155 or miR-20a significantly inhibited senescence induction. Furthermore, our studies indicate that miR-155 modulates IR-induced senescence by acting downstream of the p53 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and in part via regulating tumor protein 53-induced nuclear protein 1 (TP53INP1) expression.
Our results suggest that SA-miRNAs are involved in the regulation of IR-induced senescence, so targeting these miRNAs may be a novel approach for modulating cellular response to radiation exposure.
International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 11/2010; 81(3):839-48. · 4.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The vitamin E analog γ-tocotrienol (GT3) is a powerful radioprotector. GT3 reduces postradiation vascular peroxynitrite production, an effect dependent on inhibition of hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase. Hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors mediate their pleiotropic effects via endothelial nitric oxide synthase that requires the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). This study investigated the effects of radiation on BH4 bioavailability and of GT3 on BH4 metabolism.
Mice were exposed to 8.5 Gy of total body irradiation (TBI). Lung BH4 and total biopterin concentrations were measured 0, 3.5, 7, 14, and 21 days after TBI by use of differential oxidation followed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The effect of exogenous GT3 and BH4 treatment on postradiation vascular oxidative stress and bone marrow colony-forming units were assessed in vivo. The effect of GT3 on endothelial cell apoptosis and endothelial expression of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH), GTPCH feedback regulatory protein (GFRP), GFRP transcription, GFRP protein levels, and GFRP-GTPCH protein binding was determined in vitro.
Compared with baseline levels, lung BH4 concentrations decreased by 24% at 3.5 days after TBI, an effect that was reversed by GT3. At 14 and 21 days after TBI, compensatory increases in BH4 (58% and 80%, respectively) were observed. Relative to vehicle-treated controls, both GT3 and BH4 supplementation reduced postirradiation vascular peroxynitrite production at 3.5 days (by 66% and 33%, respectively), and BH4 resulted in a 68% increase in bone marrow colony-forming units. GT3 ameliorated endothelial cell apoptosis and reduced endothelial GFRP protein levels and GFRP-GTPCH binding by decreasing transcription of the GFRP gene.
BH4 bioavailability is reduced in the early postradiation phase. Exogenous administration of BH4 reduces postirradiation vascular oxidative stress. GT3 potently reduces the expression of GFRP, one of the key regulatory proteins in the BH4 pathway, and may thus exert some of its beneficial effects on postradiation free radical production partly by counteracting the decrease in BH4.
International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics 10/2010; 79(3):884-91. · 4.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: With the exception of humans, the somata of type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) of most mammalian species are heavily myelinated. In an earlier study, we used Ly5.1 congenic mice as transplant recipients to investigate the role of hematopoietic stem cells in the adult mouse inner ear. An unanticipated finding was that a large percentage of the SGNs in this strain were unmyelinated. Further characterization of the auditory phenotype of young adult Ly5.1 mice in the present study revealed several unusual characteristics, including 1) large aggregates of unmyelinated SGNs in the apical and middle turns, 2) symmetrical junction-like contacts between the unmyelinated neurons, 3) abnormal expression patterns for CNPase and connexin 29 in the SGN clusters, 4) reduced SGN density in the basal cochlea without a corresponding loss of sensory hair cells, 5) significantly delayed auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I latencies at low and middle frequencies compared with control mice with similar ABR threshold, and 6) elevated ABR thresholds and deceased wave I amplitudes at high frequencies. Taken together, these data suggest a defect in Schwann cells that leads to incomplete myelinization of SGNs during cochlear development. The Ly5.1 mouse strain appears to be the only rodent model so far identified with a high degree of the "human-like" feature of unmyelinated SGNs that aggregate into neural clusters. Thus, this strain may provide a suitable animal platform for modeling human auditory information processing such as synchronous neural activity and other auditory response properties.
The Journal of Comparative Neurology 08/2010; 518(16):3254-71. · 3.81 Impact Factor
