Renal epithelial cells are exposed to mechanical forces due to flow-induced shear stress within the nephrons. Shear stress is altered in renal diseases caused by tubular dilation, obstruction, and hyperfiltration, which occur to compensate for lost nephrons. Fundamental in regulation of shear stress are primary cilia and other mechano-sensors, and defects in cilia formation and function have profound effects on development and physiology of kidneys and other organs. We applied RNA sequencing to get a comprehensive overview of fluid-shear regulated genes and pathways in renal epithelial cells. Functional enrichment-analysis revealed TGF-β, MAPK, and Wnt signaling as core signaling pathways up-regulated by shear. Inhibitors of TGF-β and MAPK/ERK signaling modulate a wide range of mechanosensitive genes, identifying these pathways as master regulators of shear-induced gene expression. However, the main down-regulated pathway, that is, JAK/STAT, is independent of TGF-β and MAPK/ERK. Other up-regulated cytokine pathways include FGF, HB-EGF, PDGF, and CXC. Cellular responses to shear are modified at several levels, indicated by altered expression of genes involved in cell-matrix, cytoskeleton, and glycocalyx remodeling, as well as glycolysis and cholesterol metabolism. Cilia ablation abolished shear induced expression of a subset of genes, but genes involved in TGF-β, MAPK, and Wnt signaling were hardly affected, suggesting that other mechano-sensors play a prominent role in the shear stress response of renal epithelial cells. Modulations in signaling due to variations in fluid shear stress are relevant for renal physiology and pathology, as suggested by elevated gene expression at pathological levels of shear stress compared to physiological shear.

Cervical cancer is a serious threat to women's health and is the third most common malignancy in women worldwide. Recent studies indicate that the long non-coding RNA CCAT1 plays a role in the malignant behavior of many tumors. However, the role of CCAT1 in cervical cancer is still unknown. Our aim is to evaluate the expression and investigate the regulatory role and potential mechanism of CCAT1 in cervical cancer. CCAT1 expression was measured by qRT-PCR. In addition, CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays, qRT-PCR assays, Transwell assays and xenograft experiments were performed to determine the role of CCAT1 in the proliferation and invasion in cervical cancer cells. The expression of CCAT1 in the cervical cancer tissues was higher than in the adjacent normal tissues. Overexpressing CCAT1 promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion in vitro. Elevated CCAT1 suppressed miR-181a expression, which was accompanied by an increased expression of MMP14 and HB-EGF. In contrast, knocking down CCAT1 resulted in increased expression of miR-181a, along with decreased expression of MMP14 and HB-EGF. Thus, CCAT1 is a key oncogenic lncRNA associated with cervical cancer and plays a role in promoting cervical cancer cell proliferation and invasion by regulating the miR-181a-5p/MMP14 axis.

A disintegrin and a metalloprotease (ADAM)-9 is a metzincin cell-surface protease with strongly elevated expression in solid tumors, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In this study, we performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) of a tissue microarray (TMA) to examine the expression of ADAM9 in a cohort of >100 clinically annotated PDAC cases. We report that ADAM9 is prominently expressed by PDAC tumor cells, and increased ADAM9 expression levels correlate with poor tumor grading (P = 0.027) and the presence of vasculature invasion (P = 0.017). We employed gene expression silencing to generate a loss-of-function system for ADAM9 in two established PDAC cell lines. In vitro analysis showed that loss of ADAM9 does not impede cellular proliferation and invasiveness in basement membrane. However, ADAM9 plays a crucial role in mediating cell migration and adhesion to extracellular matrix substrates such as fibronectin, tenascin, and vitronectin. This effect appears to depend on its catalytic activity. In addition, ADAM9 facilitates anchorage-independent growth. In AsPC1 cells, but not in MiaPaCa-2 cells, we noted a pronounced yet heterogeneous impact of ADAM9 on the abundance of various integrins, a process that we characterized as post-translational regulation. Sprout formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is promoted by ADAM9, as examined by transfer of cancer cell conditioned medium; this finding further supports a pro-angiogenic role of ADAM9 expressed by PDAC cancer cells. Immunoblotting analysis of cancer cell conditioned medium highlighted that ADAM9 regulates the levels of angiogenic factors, including shed heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF). Finally, we carried out orthotopic seeding of either wild-type AsPC-1 cells or AsPC-1 cells with silenced ADAM9 expression into murine pancreas. In this in vivo setting, ADAM9 was also found to foster angiogenesis without an impact on tumor cell proliferation. In summary, our results characterize ADAM9 as an important regulator in PDAC tumor biology with a strong pro-angiogenic impact.

Changes in expression levels of various cytokines, growth factors, and related genes were examined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in a normal human fibroblast cell strain, TIG-3, along with in vitro aging. The expression levels of KGF and IGF-II were decreased with proliferative aging but not by growth arrest of young cells. In telomere-elongated cells prepared by transfection with human telomerase reverse transcriptase cDNA, high expression levels of these two genes were maintained, suggesting a causal relation between telomere shortening and reduced expression of KGF and IGF-II. The expression level of HGF was high in both growing and growth-arrested young cells but low in both senescent and telomere-elongated cells. The expression levels of follistatin and HB-EGF were high in both young growing and telomere-elongated cells but low in both senescent and growth-arrested young cells, indicating a growth-dependent expression. Expression levels of FGF-1, FGF-2, VEGF, BMP-3, and amphiregulin did not change with proliferative aging, growth arrest of young cells, or telomere elongation and life-span extension.

Most studies in this journal describe recent patents. The present study only has one such reference. Instead, we hope that its contents will trigger investigation of antidepressant drugs along the suggested lines and lead to ensuing patent applications - first and foremost by more focus on astrocytes. Clinical research has already pointed towards the importance of these cells, which account for one quarter of brain cortical volume and at least as much of its oxidative metabolism. Astrocytes express a multitude of receptors, including 5-HT(2B) receptors. In cultured astrocytes acute treatment with any of the five SSRIs, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, paroxetine, and citalopram, stimulates equipotently and with sufficient affinity to be therapeutically relevant, the 5-HT(2B) receptor. Following EGF receptor transactivation and a resultant autocrine HB-EGF stimulation, these drugs activate two interdependent signal pathways i) the Ras-Raf-Mek-ERK phosphorylation pathway and ii) the PI3K-AKT-GSK-3β pathway, eventually altering gene expression. Chronic treatment with fluoxetine upregulates gene expression of cPLA₂, ADAR2, GluK2 and 5-HT(2B) receptors, and RNA editing of the later two in cultured astrocytes and in astrocytes obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting of cells from fluoxetinetreated mice. Chronic treatment also down-regulates the Gq-protein-coupled receptor-induced increase of intracellular Ca²⁺ by inhibiting TRPC function, compromising astrocytic Ca²⁺ re-filling. This affects glycogenolysis and several steps in the signal pathways. Since astrocytes in the mature brain and in our cultures do not express SERT, both acute and chronic effects in cultured astrocytes must be directly mediated by 5-HT(2B) receptor activation.

OBJECTIVE

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) plays a role in blastocyst implantation and is down-regulated in preeclampsia and in hypertensive pregnancy disorders associated with defective extravillous trophoblast invasion. Defective placentation and severe preeclampsia are also features of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether abnormal HB-EGF expression plays a pathogenic role in antiphospholipid antibody (aPL)-mediated defective placentation.

METHODS

HB-EGF expression in placental tissue was evaluated by Western blotting and messenger RNA analysis in normal and APS placentae. Polyclonal IgG fractions or monoclonal beta(2)-glycoprotein I-dependent aPL and their respective controls were investigated for the following 4 features: their binding to human trophoblast monolayers, as determined by cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); their effect on HB-EGF expression by Western blotting in trophoblast cell extracts as well as by ELISA as a protein secreted in the culture supernatants; their inhibitory effect on in vitro trophoblast invasiveness, as evaluated by Matrigel assay; and their inhibitory effect on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels, as measured by gelatin zymography. Experiments were also performed in the presence of serial concentrations of heparin or recombinant HB-EGF.

RESULTS

Placental APS tissue displayed reduced expression of HB-EGF. Polyclonal and monoclonal aPL bound to trophoblast monolayers and significantly reduced the in vitro synthesis and secretion of HB-EGF. Heparin inhibited aPL binding and restored HB-EGF expression in a dose-dependent manner. Addition of recombinant HB-EGF reduced the in vitro aPL-induced inhibition of Matrigel invasiveness as well as MMP-2 levels.

CONCLUSIONS

These preliminary findings suggest that the reduction of aPL-mediated HB-EGF represents an additional mechanism that is responsible for the defective placentation associated with APS and that heparin protects from aPL-induced damage by inhibiting antibody binding.

The pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is unknown. Ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury have been considered to be major contributing factors. More recent reports have noted that apoptosis is a significant and perhaps the principal contributor to cell death after I/R injury. Recent studies have revealed that activator protein 1 (AP-1) family proteins including c-Fos and c-Jun potentially induce either the proliferation or apoptosis of the cells in the brain, heart, kidney, and liver. c-Fos and c-Jun expression has also been reported to be upregulated in postischemic intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a potent cytoprotective factor in various pathologic conditions and plays a pivotal role in mediating the earliest cellular responses to injury. This study aims to examine whether HB-EGF, a proven intestinal cytoprotective molecule, exerts its protective effects through modulation of AP-1 transcription factor after intestinal I/R injury. Thirty rats were randomly divided into the following 5 groups: (1) normal control group; (2) ischemia group; (3) I/R group; (4) ischemia group with HB-EGF (400 μg/kg), and (5) I/R group with HG-EGF (400 μg/kg). c-Fos and c-Jun messenger RNAs and protein levels were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western analyses, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA with Dunn's test. The messenger RNA levels of the c-Fos and c-Jun increased after intestinal ischemia or the intestinal reperfusion phase. HB-EGF pretreatment significantly decreased c-Fos and c-Jun messenger RNAs. The expression of protein levels of c-Fos and c-Jun were correlation with the expression of messenger RNA level. HB-EGF intestinal cytoprotection is mediated, in part, by downregulation of the expression of AP-1 transcription factor after intestinal I/R injury.

BACKGROUND

We have accumulated multiple lines of evidence supporting the ability of HB-EGF to protect the intestines from injury and to augment the healing of partial-thickness scald burns of the skin. The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) in intestinal anastomotic wound healing.

METHODS

HB-EGF (-/-) knockout (KO) mice (n=42) and their HB-EGF (+/+) wild type (WT) counterparts (n=33), as well as HB-EGF transgenic (TG) mice (n=26) and their (WT) counterparts (n=27), underwent division and reanastomosis of the terminal ileum. In addition, WT mice (n=21) that received enteral HB-EGF (800 μg/kg) underwent the same operative procedure. Anastomotic bursting pressure was measured at 3 and 6 d postoperatively. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to assess anastomotic healing, and Picrosirus red to assess collagen deposition. Immunohistochemistry using anti-von Willebrand factor antibodies was performed to assess angiogenesis. Complications and mortality were also recorded.

RESULTS

HB-EGF KO mice had significantly lower bursting pressures, lower healing scores, higher mortality, and higher complication rates postoperatively compared with WT mice. Collagen deposition and angiogenesis were significantly decreased in KO mice compared with WT mice. Conversely, HB-EGF TG mice had increased anastomotic bursting pressure, higher healing scores, lower mortality, lower complication rates, increased collagen deposition, and increased angiogenesis postoperatively compared with WT mice. WT mice that received HB-EGF had increased bursting pressures compared with non-HB-EGF treated mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that HB-EGF is an important factor involved in the healing of intestinal anastomoses.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) belongs to the EGF family of growth factors which are ligands of the ErbB receptors. Studies in animals suggest the role of HB-EGF in several pathogenic processes such as atherosclerosis and heart hypertrophy. Here, we set up an assay to measure HB-EGF in human serum. Our ELISA determined serum HB-EGF in the range of 0.03-3 nM. It did not cross-react with EGF or with transforming growth factor-alpha. The mean serum HB-EGF was 0.26 nM (confidence interval: 0.13-0.39) in women and 0.28 nM (confidence interval: 0.09-0.47) in men. In a cohort of 121 healthy volunteers, we identified nine individuals with high serum HB-EGF (above 0.47 nM). These individuals had higher left ventricle mass (determined by Colour Doppler echocardiography) and greater total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol than control. On the basis of our results, we propose that increased serum HB-EGF is associated with heart hypertrophy and elevated blood cholesterol.

BACKGROUND

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), betacellulin (BTC) and epiregulin (EPR) are members of the EGF system and involved in the cell growth of various epithelial malignancies. There have been no reports on the HB-EGF, BTC and EPR expression in mesenchymal malignancies of fibrohistiocytic origin including malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH).

METHODS

We investigated the expression of HB-EGF, BTC, EPR and EGF-receptor (EGF-R) in 43 human MFH tissue samples using immunohistochemical techniques.

RESULTS

Positive immuno-reactivity for HB-EGF, BTC, EPR and EGF-R was identified in 28 (65%), 7 (16%), 43 (100%) and 36 (84%) out of the 43 MFH cases analyzed, respectively. Coexpression of HB-EGF/BTC, BTC/EPR and HB-EGF/EPR was observed in 6 (14%), 7 (16%) and 28 (65%) of the MFHs, respectively. Coexpression of HB-EGF/EGF-R, BTC/EGF-R and EPR/EGF-R was observed in 25 (58%), 6 (14%) and 36 (84%) of the MFHs, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These results revealed that HB-EGF, BTC and EPR are expressed not only by epithelial tumor cells, but also by MFH cells. It is suggested that HB-EGF and EPR might be more important tumor growth regulators of MFH through autocrine or paracrine pathways, when compared with BTC.

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to investigate the comparative effects of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) on the growth of cultured human leiomyoma cells and myometrial cells.

METHODS

Isolated cells were subcultured in Phenol Red-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum for 120 h and then stepped down to serum-free conditions for an additional 24 and 48 h in the presence or absence of graded concentrations of HB-EGF (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 ng/ml). These cells were used for immunocytochemical analysis for Ki67, western blot analysis for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and human EGF receptor (HER1), and TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay.

RESULTS

Treatment with HB-EGF at concentrations >1 ng/ml significantly increased the Ki67-positive rate of cultured leiomyoma cells and myometrial cells. Treatment with HB-EGF also resulted in a dose-dependent increase in PCNA expression in both cells compared with untreated control cultures. A significant increase in PCNA expression in cultured myometrial cells was noted following treatment with HB-EGF at concentrations >1 ng/ml, whereas an increase in PCNA expression in cultured leiomyoma cells was noted following treatment with HB-EGF at concentrations >10 ng/ml. HER1 expression was significantly higher in untreated myometrial cells than in untreated leiomyoma cells. A significant increase in HER1 expression in myometrial cells was observed when treated with HB-EGF at concentrations >10 ng/ml, whereas a significant increase in HER1 expression in leiomyoma cells was noted only by the treatment with HB-EGF at concentrations >100 ng/ml. Treatment with HB-EGF decreased the TUNEL-positive rate of those cells with no significant differences between the two cell types.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained suggest that HB-EGF plays a role in stimulating the proliferation of leiomyoma cells and myometrial cells and in inhibiting apoptosis of those cells through augmentation of HER1 expression. Since the proliferative potential of myometrial cells responded better to HB-EGF than that of leiomyoma cells, HB-EGF may play a more vital role in myometrial growth than leiomyoma growth.

It was recently revealed that epidermal growth following topical treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) was at least partly induced by heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) released from suprabasal keratinocytes. Since proliferation of keratinocytes appears to be one of the critical roles of atRA in depigmentation treatment and promotion of wound healing, HB-EGF is considered suitable for assessing the therapeutic value of topical retinoids. In this study, HB-EGF mRNA expression in normal human keratinocytes after atRA treatment was examined, and the effects of a variety of natural and synthetic retinoids were compared. The results of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) suggested that induction of differentiation increased HB-EGF mRNA expression in cultured keratinocytes. Real-time PCR analyses revealed that HB-EGF mRNA expression was elevated dose-dependently with atRA, peaking at 12 h. This elevation was more prominent in confluent keratinocytes than in subconfluent cells, suggesting that differentiated keratinocytes are more subject to stimulation of HB-EGF expression by atRA than proliferating keratinocytes. HB-EGF mRNA was upregulated in differentiation-induced keratinocytes by all retinoids used in this study at 1 micromol/l, and marked upregulation was seen when treated with three isotypes of retinoic acid (atRA, and 9-cis and 13-cis retinoic acid). RARalpha-selective agonists (Am80, Am580, ER-38925, and TAC-101) and a panagonist of RARs (Re80) caused relatively low elevation of HB-EGF transcripts, as did all-trans retinol (Rol) and all-trans retinal (Ral). Although another panagonist (Ch55) showed the highest elevation of HB-EGF mRNA, it was relatively cytotoxic at the concentration employed. Ral and Rol were found to upregulate HB-EGF when used at 100 micromol/l to 1 mmol/l, to a similar extent of atRA at 1-10 micromol/l. The capacity of retinoids to upregulate HB-EGF may be an important index for investigation and development of an ideal synthetic retinoid, which has maximum benefits and minimum side-effects

Diphtheria toxin is believed to enter toxin-sensitive mammalian cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis employing the transmembrane cell surface precursor of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor as a receptor. To investigate the contribution of the receptor's cytoplasmic domain to the toxin internalization process, we constructed stable cell lines that express receptor molecules containing cytoplasmic domain mutations. Our results indicate that Tyr192 and surrounding amino acid residues are important for high toxin sensitivity. Cells expressing mutant receptors are less sensitive to toxin and have fewer toxin-specific binding sites but internalize toxin at rates similar to those of cells expressing the intact receptor. This rate of internalization is much slower (1-2%/min) than that of classical endocytic receptors (10-50%/min). Our results are consistent with a model in which the cytoplasmic domain of the toxin receptor lacks a signal for rapid internalization. We suggest that toxin-receptor complexes, nevertheless, are internalized by receptor-mediated endocytosis by entrapment in clathrin-coated pits as part of bulk phase turnover of cell surface proteins. Although the rate is slow, successful intoxication occurs because a single internalized enzymatically-active toxin molecule is sufficient to inhibit protein synthesis in the cell.

This study was aimed to investigate whether the antihypertrophic effects of adiponectin in murine hearts are associated with the modulation of HB-EGF signaling. We determined the myocardial expressions of adiponectin and adiponectin receptors, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and HB-EGF in normal and hypertrophied hearts of adiponectin knockout mice or wild-type mice with transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Then, we observed the effects of adiponectin on cardiac hypertrophy and HB-EGF signaling in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and whole hearts of adiponectin-null mice. The myocardial mRNA and protein expressions of adiponectin in the hypertrophied hearts were significantly downregulated, and the mRNA expression of adiponectin was inversely correlated with the heart-to-body weight ratio, BNP, and HB-EGF. The TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and EGF receptor (EGFR) activation in the adiponectin knockout mice were significantly greater than those in the wild-type mice. Furthermore, in vitro experiments revealed that adiponectin inhibited HB-EGF-stimulated protein synthesis, HB-EGF shedding, and EGFR phosphorylation. We conclude that the inhibition of HB-EGF mediated EGFR activation is one of the alternative mechanisms for the antihypertrophic action of adiponectin.

Research into human implantation requires embryo culture systems that yield high numbers of good quality blastocysts. One approach is to use co-culture but the presence of feeder cells and serum may confound analysis of paracrine or autocrine factors involving blastocyst implantation. An alternative approach is to produce a defined serum-free culture medium supplemented with growth factors. We have shown that the addition of Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor increased blastocyst formation from 18.4-43.6% but none of these embryos developed beyond day 7 or hatched, suggesting that additional factors are required. Development to the blastocyst stage was significantly increased to 71.0% in the presence of 100 nM heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) and 81.0% of these embryos went on to hatch. No difference in blastocyst quality between the control and HB-EGF-treated embryos was found. These experiments clearly demonstrate the potential of this system to generate blastocysts in vitro. Further investigation of the normality of these blastocysts must be carried out before they are used clinically, since it has been demonstrated in other species that apparent improvements in culture conditions may be detrimental to pregnancy outcome.

OBJECTIVE

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) has a proliferative effect on several types of cells. However, the role of HB-EGF on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is not clear. The present study is to investigate the regulatory effects of HB-EGF on HSC proliferation and apoptosis.

METHODS

Activated primary rat HSCs and two HSC cell lines (human LX2 and rat T6) were used in this study. Four inhibitors (CRM197 to HB-EGF, AG1478 to epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR], PD98059 to mitogen-activated kinase, and LY294002 to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) were employed to verify the pathway of HB-EGF on cell proliferation and apoptosis.

RESULTS

HB-EGF expression was significantly increased in activated HSCs. HB-EGF increased the expressions of phospho-EGFR and ErbB4 receptors, the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt. Consequently, HB-EGF stimulated HSC proliferation and suppressed HSC apoptosis. Each individual inhibitor specifically inhibited the correlated receptor or enzyme and inhibited HSC proliferation and induced its apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

HB-EGF promotes HSC proliferation via activation of the EGFR and ErbB4 receptors and, subsequently, via activation of ERK and Akt. Any blockage in the chain obstructs the flow from HB-EGF to HSC proliferation. Therefore, HB-EGF is a potential therapeutic target in liver fibrosis.

Fetal wound healing occurs rapidly and without scar formation early in gestation, but the mechanisms underlying this scarless healing are poorly understood. This study explores the phenotypic and functional modulation of 20-30 year old dermal fibroblasts by mid- and late-gestational keratinocytes (KCs) in vitro. Human KCs of different gestational ages were isolated, characterized, and co-cultured with human 20-30 year old fibroblasts. Gene expression and protein levels of TGF-β family members, precollagen, collagen, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) were measured in the fibroblasts. Mid-gestational KCs promoted faster proliferation and migration of fibroblasts than late-gestational KCs. Additionally, significant differences in gene expression and protein levels of some markers were observed in fibroblasts co-cultured with mid- or late-gestational KCs. Fibroblasts co-cultured with mid-gestational KCs for 48 h exhibited downregulated gene expression of precollagen 1, collagen 1, TGF-β1, TGF-β2, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3, while precollagen 3, collagen 3, TGF-β3, and MMP-1, -2, -3, -9 and -14 were upregulated. In contrast, late-gestational KCs exhibited downregulated TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 levels, while collagen 1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, and MMP-2, -3, -9 and -14 were upregulated. Moreover, statistically significant differences in expression levels of precollagen 1, precollagen 3, collagen 1, TGF-β1, -β2, and -β3, MMP-1, -3 and MMP-14, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were found between fibroblasts co-cultured with mid- and late-gestational KCs. Furthermore, cytokine levels of IL-1a and HB-EGF were found to be statistically different between conditioned medium from mid- and late-gestational KCs. Therefore, the gestational age of KCs appears to have an important effect on scarless wound healing in the human fetus.

In multiple myeloma, a large number of growth factors (IL-6, IGF-1, FGF, HGF and HB-EGF) are involved in promoting myeloma cell growth. In the present study, a serum-free, cytokine-free, collagen-based assay, which does not allow the generation of spontaneous myeloma colonies, was used to identify the clonogenic growth factors for fourteen myeloma cell lines. IL-6 is the only clonogenic factor able to stimulate both CD45+ and CD45- myeloma cell lines, generating myeloma colonies from 10 out of 14 myeloma cell lines. Using a pharmacological Erk inhibitor, we show that the Erk/MAPK pathway is involved in IL-6-induced clonogenicity of CD45+, but not CD45- myeloma cell lines. In contrast to IL-6, the other growth factors (IGF-1, FGF, HGF and HB-EGF) stimulate only some myeloma cell lines, but always CD45-, and less effectively than IL-6. Among them, IGF-1 is the most potent, generating myeloma colonies from five out of eight CD45- myeloma cell lines. Finally, the capacity of IGF-1 and FGF to stimulate the clonogenicity of CD45- myeloma cells correlates with their ability to stimulate the Erk/MAPK pathway. We conclude that CD45 expression plays a crucial role in determining signaling and proliferation of human myeloma cell responses to IL-6, IGF-1 and other growth factors. The poor outcome of CD45- myeloma patients could be related to the capacity of CD45-myeloma cells to take advantage of multiple growth factors.

OBJECTIVE

Radiation therapy (RT) often induces enteritis by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) has been shown to protect the intestine in several animal injury models. The objective of this study was to examine whether HB-EGF affects RT-induced intestinal injury.

METHODS

HB-EGF or PBS was administered intraperitoneally to mice daily for 3 days, followed by total body irradiation (TBI). Three days after TBI, intestinal segments were harvested, and BrdU immunohistochemistry was performed to identify proliferating crypts (n=25). Four days after TBI, intestinal segments were harvested and assessed for histologic injury (n=34), and FITC-dextran was administered via gavage with serum FITC-dextran levels quantified to determine gut barrier function (n=18).

RESULTS

Compared to non-HB-EGF-treated irradiated mice, administration of HB-EGF to irradiated mice led to a significantly increased percentage of proliferative crypts (72.6% vs. 50.5%, p=0.001), a significantly decreased percent of histologic sections with severe histologic injury (13.7% vs. 20.3%, p=0.005), and significantly reduced intestinal permeability (18.8 μg/mL vs. 22.6 μg/mL, p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that administration of HB-EGF protects the intestines from injury after exposure to radiation therapy. Administration of HB-EGF may represent a novel therapy for the prevention of radiation enteritis in the future.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a hypoxia-inducible neuroprotective protein that also stimulates proliferation of neuronal precursor cells. In this study, we investigated the possible role of HB-EGF in ischemia and reperfusion injury by measuring the changes in its mRNA expression following focal cerebral ischemia. We also examined neural damage after a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion in ventral forebrain specific HB-EGF knockout (KO) mice. The levels of HB-EGF mRNA in the cerebral cortex of wild-type (WT) mice were significantly increased 3-24 h after MCAO and reperfusion. Cerebral infraction in HB-EGF KO mice was aggravated at 1 day and 6 days after MCAO and reperfusion compared with WT mice. The number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dNTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and an oxidative stress marker, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) positive cells, were higher in HB-EGF KO mice than in WT mice. On the other hand, fewer bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) positive cells were found in the subventricular zone in HB-EGF KO mice compared with WT mice. These results indicate that HB-EGF may play a pivotal role in ischemia and reperfusion injury and that endogenously synthesized HB-EGF is necessary for both the neuroprotective effect and for regulation of cell proliferation in the subventricular zone.

Adipocytokines, bioactive molecules secreted from adipose tissues, play important roles in physiology, development, and disease. Recently, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) was identified as an adipocytokine whose expression correlates with obesity. However, the biological role of fat-secreted HB-EGF is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of HB-EGF on the adipocyte differentiation of C3H10T1/2 pluripotent mesenchymal cells. Upon adipogenic conversion of C3H10T1/2 cells, HB-EGF displayed dynamic changes in expression where an initial decrease was followed by increased levels of expression at later stages. HB-EGF treatment during adipogenic induction inhibited lipid accumulation and decreased the expression of adipocyte molecular markers (fatty acid-binding protein, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and CAAT enhancer-binding protein alpha) and lipogenic genes (glucose transporter, fatty acid synthetase, and lipoprotein lipase). Therefore, HB-EGF has an inhibitory effect on adipocyte differentiation. Administration of HB-EGF at various intervals during adipocyte differentiation revealed that HB-EGF acts during the early stages of adipocyte differentiation, but not at the later stages of differentiation. Furthermore, HB-EGF was able to block the commitment of pluripotent mesenchymal cells to the adipocyte lineage triggered by bone morphogenic protein 4 treatment. These data suggest that HB-EGF acts as a negative regulator of adipogenesis by inhibiting the commitment and early differentiation of the adipose lineage. The inhibitory role of HB-EGF on adipocyte differentiation of pluripotent mesenchymal cells sheds light on potential mechanisms that control adipose tissue homeostasis.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), a new member of the EGF family, is mitogenic for several types of cells, through binding to cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycans. This study has attempted to delineate HB-EGF expression by mesangial cells and to identify its role in experimental and human glomerulonephritis. Rat mesangial cells, cultured in the presence of phorbol acetate, hydrogen peroxide, interleukin-1beta, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha, expressed HB-EGF mRNA. Recombinant HB-EGF stimulated rat mesangial cells to proliferate and to express types I and III collagen. In the rat anti-Thy-1.1 nephritis, glomerular HB-EGF mRNA was up-regulated and peaked at days 5-7; its expression at the protein level in the glomerulus was prominent at days 5-10. By immunofluorescence, HB-EGF was positive predominantly in the mesangial area of renal tissues from 23 of 45 patients with various types of human glomerulonephritis, showing a significant correlation with the grade of mesangial proliferation; there was no staining in tissues from patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome and normal kidney tissues. These data provide the evidence that HB-EGF is synthesized and expressed by mesangial cells and stimulates mesangial cell proliferation and collagen synthesis in vitro. HB-EGF is a potential mediator in mesangial cell proliferation and matrix expansion in experimental and human glomerulonephritis.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) has been shown to be a potent smooth muscle cell (SMC) mitogen and chemoattractant, and might be a candidate factor for the progression of atherosclerosis. We have investigated the effects of high glucose and hyperosmolarity on HB-EGF production in cultured human aortic endothelial cells. Following the culture of the cells for 2 days with high concentrations of glucose or in the hyperosmolar conditions, we measured the content of HB-EGF and the rate of production in the cells using a semi-quantitative immunofluorescent technique and a metabolic radiolabelling method. With high glucose (16.6 mmol) and hyperosmolar conditions (glucose 5.5 mmol + mannitol 11.1 mmol or glucose 5.5 mmol + raffinose 11.1 mmol), the content of HB-EGF was significantly increased and the metabolic rate was also significantly increased (more than a twofold increase, compared to that of 5.5 mmol glucose). In conclusion, conditions of high glucose or hyperosmolarity increase HB-EGF production in human aortic endothelial cells. These results suggest that diabetic macroangiopathy might be attributed at least in part to HB-EGF-related vascular changes which may be induced by glucose.

BACKGROUND

The goal of this study was to determine the role of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) as a mediator of gut microcirculation after hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R) in mice.

METHODS

HS/R was induced in HB-EGF knockout (KO) and wild type (WT) mice. Ink-gelatin injection and vascular corrosion casting were performed to visualize the gut microvasculature. The degree of gut microcirculatory injury was graded using five patterns of injury (1-5) according to the severity of microvascular hypoperfusion. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed models with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

HB-EGF KO mice subjected to HS/R had significantly decreased perfusion of the gut microvasculature compared with WT mice subjected to HS/R (P = 0.0001). HB-EGF KO mice subjected to HS/R and treated with exogenous HB-EGF had significantly increased gut microvascular perfusion compared with non-HB-EGF treated KO mice (P = 0.01). Lastly, WT mice subjected to HS/R and treated with HB-EGF had significantly increased gut microvascular perfusion compared with non-HB-EGF-treated WT mice (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

HB-EGF improves gut microcirculation after HS/R. These findings support the clinical use of HB-EGF in protection of the intestines from disease states associated with intestinal hypoperfusion injury.