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Biomedical subjects

Lan Xiao

Publications and source records attributed to Lan Xiao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Long noncoding RNA GAS5 disrupts intestinal epithelial barrier function by increasing small vault RNA levels.

Disruptions in the integrity of the intestinal epithelium occur commonly in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and critical surgical disorders, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we identified long noncoding RNA GAS5 as a repressor of intestinal mucosal growth and the function of the gut epithelial barrier. The levels of tissue GAS5/Gas5 increased in mouse intestinal mucosa after colitis and septic stress, as well as in human intestinal mucosa from patients with IBD. Transient and tissue-specific knockdown of Gas5 in mice using CRISPR/Cas9 enhanced the renewal of the mucosa of the small intestine, increased the levels of tight junction (TJ) proteins ZO-1, ZO-2, claudin-1, and claudin-2, and improved gut barrier function. Conversely, ectopic overexpression of GAS5 in intestinal organoids and in cultured intestinal epithelium cells decreased the levels of these TJ proteins and caused epithelial barrier dysfunction. Mechanistic studies revealed that GAS5 acted as a transcriptional enhancer of the gene (2. AUTHOR: Do you mean "genes"?) encoding small noncoding vault RNAs (vtRNAs) and that GAS5 repressed TJ expression by increasing the levels of vtRNAs. Together, our results indicate that GAS5 disrupts the integrity of the intestinal epithelium by impairing mucosal growth and epithelial barrier function and that it represses TJ expression, at least in part, via vtRNAs.

Animals↗

Induced TRPC1 expression sensitizes intestinal epithelial cells to apoptosis by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation through Ca2+ influx.

Apoptosis occurs within crypts and at the intestinal luminal surface and plays a critical role in mucosal homoeostasis. NF-kappaB (nuclear factor-kappaB) is the central regulator of the transcription of genes involved in apoptosis, and its activity is highly regulated in the intestinal mucosa. We have recently demonstrated that TRPC1 (transient receptor potential canonical-1) is expressed in IECs (intestinal epithelial cells) and functions as a Ca2+ permeable channel activated by Ca2+ store depletion. The present study tests the hypothesis that TRPC1 channels are implicated in the regulation of apoptosis by inhibiting NF-kappaB through the induction of TRPC1-mediated Ca2+ influx in the IEC-6 line. The expression of TRPC1 induced by stable transfection of IEC-6 cells with the wild-type TRPC1 gene (IEC-TRPC1 cells) increased Ca2+ influx after Ca2+ store depletion and repressed NF-kappaB transactivation, which was associated with an increase in susceptibility to apoptosis induced by exposure to TNFalpha (tumour necrosis factor-alpha) plus CHX (cycloheximide) (TNF-alpha/CHX), or STS (staurosporine). By contrast, the induction of endogenous NF-kappaB activity, by the depletion of cellular polyamines, promoted resistance to apoptosis, which was prevented by the ectopic expression of the IkappaBalpha super-repressor. Furthermore, inhibition of TRPC1 expression by transfection with siRNA (small interfering RNA) targeting TRPC1 (siTRPC1) decreased Ca2+ influx, increased NF-kappaB transactivation, and prevented the increased susceptibility of IEC-TRPC1 cells to apoptosis. Decreasing Ca2+ influx by exposure to a Ca2+-free medium also induced NF-kappaB activity and blocked the increased susceptibility to apoptosis of stable IEC-TRPC1 cells. These results indicate that induced TRPC1 expression sensitizes IECs to apoptosis by inhibiting NF-kappaB activity as a result of the stimulation of Ca2+ influx.

Animals↗

LRRC4, a putative tumor suppressor gene, requires a functional leucine-rich repeat cassette domain to inhibit proliferation of glioma cells in vitro by modulating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/protein kinase B/nuclear factor-kappaB pathway.

We have previously reported that the LRRC4 gene, which contains a conserved leucine-rich repeat (LRR) cassette and an immunoglobulin (Ig) IgC2 domain, is associated with glioma suppression both in vitro and in vivo. The present study provides evidence that the conspicuous absence of LRRC4 in high-grade gliomas directly contributes to the increasing tumor grade. The loss of LRRC4 in U251 cells is caused by the loss of homozygosity at chromosome 7q32-ter. It was also found that LRRC4 requires a functional LRR cassette domain to suppress U251 cell proliferation. In the LRR cassette domain, the third LRR motif of the core LRR is found to be indispensable for the function of LRRC4. The inhibitory effect of LRRC4 is accompanied by a decrease in the expression of pERK, pAkt, pNF-kappaBp65, signal transducer and activator of transcription protein-3 (STAT3), and mutant p53, and an increase in the expression of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)2 and p-c-Jun, suggesting that LRRC4 plays a major role in suppressing U251 cell proliferation by regulating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/Akt/NF-kappaBp65, STAT3, and JNK2/c-Jun pathways. In conclusion, LRRC4 may act as a novel candidate of tumor suppressor gene. Therefore, the loss of LRRC4 function may be an important event in the progression of gliomas.

Apoptosis↗

Polyamine depletion increases cytoplasmic levels of RNA-binding protein HuR leading to stabilization of nucleophosmin and p53 mRNAs.

Polyamines are essential for maintaining normal intestinal epithelial integrity, an effect that relies, at least in part, on their ability to keep low levels of nucleophosmin (NPM) and p53 mRNAs. The RNA-binding protein HuR associates with the p53 mRNA, as reported previously, and with the NPM mRNA, computationally predicted to be a target of HuR. Here, we show that HuR binds the NPM and p53 3'-untranslated regions and stabilizes these mRNAs in polyamine-depleted intestinal epithelial cells. Depletion of cellular polyamines by inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase with alpha-difluoromethylornithine dramatically enhanced the cytoplasmic abundance of HuR, whereas ectopic ornithine decarboxylase overexpression decreased cytoplasmic HuR; neither intervention changed whole-cell HuR levels. HuR was found to specifically bind the 3'-untranslated regions of NPN and p53 mRNAs. HuR silencing rendered the NPM and p53 mRNAs unstable and prevented increases in NPM and p53 mRNA and protein in polyamine-deficient cells. These results indicate that polyamines modulate cytoplasmic HuR levels in intestinal epithelial cells, in turn controlling the stability of the NPM and p53 mRNAs and influencing NPM and p53 protein levels.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects.

The hippocampal dentate gyrus in the adult mammalian brain contains neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) capable of generating new neurons, i.e., neurogenesis. Most drugs of abuse examined to date decrease adult hippocampal neurogenesis, but the effects of cannabis (marijuana or cannabinoids) on hippocampal neurogenesis remain unknown. This study aimed at investigating the potential regulatory capacity of the potent synthetic cannabinoid HU210 on hippocampal neurogenesis and its possible correlation with behavioral change. We show that both embryonic and adult rat hippocampal NS/PCs are immunoreactive for CB1 cannabinoid receptors, indicating that cannabinoids could act on CB1 receptors to regulate neurogenesis. This hypothesis is supported by further findings that HU210 promotes proliferation, but not differentiation, of cultured embryonic hippocampal NS/PCs likely via a sequential activation of CB1 receptors, G(i/o) proteins, and ERK signaling. Chronic, but not acute, HU210 treatment promoted neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of adult rats and exerted anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects. X-irradiation of the hippocampus blocked both the neurogenic and behavioral effects of chronic HU210 treatment, suggesting that chronic HU210 treatment produces anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects likely via promotion of hippocampal neurogenesis.

Animals↗

Green roof stormwater retention: effects of roof surface, slope, and media depth.

Urban areas generate considerably more stormwater runoff than natural areas of the same size due to a greater percentage of impervious surfaces that impede water infiltration. Roof surfaces account for a large portion of this impervious cover. Establishing vegetation on rooftops, known as green roofs, is one method of recovering lost green space that can aid in mitigating stormwater runoff. Two studies were performed using several roof platforms to quantify the effects of various treatments on stormwater retention. The first study used three different roof surface treatments to quantify differences in stormwater retention of a standard commercial roof with gravel ballast, an extensive green roof system without vegetation, and a typical extensive green roof with vegetation. Overall, mean percent rainfall retention ranged from 48.7% (gravel) to 82.8% (vegetated). The second study tested the influence of roof slope (2 and 6.5%) and green roof media depth (2.5, 4.0, and 6.0 cm) on stormwater retention. For all combined rain events, platforms at 2% slope with a 4-cm media depth had the greatest mean retention, 87%, although the difference from the other treatments was minimal. The combination of reduced slope and deeper media clearly reduced the total quantity of runoff. For both studies, vegetated green roof systems not only reduced the amount of stormwater runoff, they also extended its duration over a period of time beyond the actual rain event.

Cities↗

Polyamine depletion induces nucleophosmin modulating stability and transcriptional activity of p53 in intestinal epithelial cells.

Our previous studies have shown that polyamines are required for normal intestinal mucosal growth and that decreased levels of polyamines inhibit intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) proliferation by stabilizing p53 and other growth-inhibiting proteins. Nucleophosmin (NPM) is a multifunctional protein that recently has been shown to regulate p53 activity. In the present study, we sought to determine whether polyamine depletion increases NPM modulating the stability and transcriptional activity of p53 in a normal IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cell line. Depletion of cellular polyamines by alpha-difluoromethylornithine, the specific inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis, stimulated expression of the NPM gene and induced nuclear translocation of NPM protein. Polyamine depletion stimulated NPM expression primarily by increasing NPM gene transcription and its mRNA stability, and it induced NPM nuclear translocation through activation of phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. Increased NPM interacted with p53 and formed a NPM/p53 complex in polyamine-deficient cells. Inhibition of NPM expression by small interfering RNA targeting NPM (siNPM) not only destabilized p53 as indicated by a decrease in its protein half-life but also prevented the increased p53-dependent transactivation as shown by suppression of the p21 promoter activity. Decreased expression of NPM by siNPM also promoted cell growth in polyamine-deficient cells. These results indicate that 1) polyamine depletion increases expression of the NPM gene and enhances NPM nuclear translocation and 2) increased NPM interacts with and stabilizes p53, leading to inhibition of IEC-6 cell proliferation.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

Sublingual delivery of insulin: effects of enhancers on the mucosal lipid fluidity and protein conformation, transport, and in vivo hypoglycemic activity.

The purposes of this study were to evaluate effects of enhancers for sublingual delivering insulin on the mucosal lipid fluidity and protein conformation, transport, and in vivo hypoglycemic activity in normal rats. The effects on sublingual mucosa, and aggregation states of insulin were estimated using fluorescence polarization, and circular dichroism method, respectively. The human immortalized oral epithelial cell monolayer was used for evaluating transport of insulin. Hydroxylpropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD), chitosan, polyethylene-polypropylene glycol, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polysorbate 80, egg lecithin, or oleic acid, was used as a penetration enhancer, respectively. The fluidity of sublingual mucosal lipid was markedly reduced by these enhancers excluding polysorbate 80, and the secondary structure of the mucosal proteins was also influenced by these enhancers. The hexamers of insulin were dissociated to monomers only by chitosan, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, and egg lecithin. Nonetheless, plasma glucose levels in normal rats were significantly lowered after sublingual administration of insulin with an enhancer compared with those without an enhancer at the same time-point. The enhancing effects may be due to one or multiple factors: increasing the mucosal lipid fluidity, directly loosing the tight junction of epithelia, and dissociating the hexamers of insulin to monomers. Among these, the opened tight junction may correlate most with the enhancing effect in the mucosal permeability. Because the aggregates of insulin exist, the dissociation of the aggregates by an enhancer would benefit the permeability.

Administration, Sublingual↗

Ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists inhibit the proliferation of granule cell precursors in the adult brain after seizures induced by pentylenetrazol.

Seizures have been shown to promote the proliferation of granule cell precursors in the adult brain, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Using systemic bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells, we examined the effects of selective ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists on granule cell precursor proliferation in adult rats after pentylenetrazol (PTZ)-induced generalized clonic seizures. We found that the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 significantly inhibited behavioral and EEG seizures and completely blocked seizure-induced increase in the number of BrdU-labeled cells in the dentate gyrus. Although the AMPA/KA receptor antagonist DNQX was not observed to affect seizures, it significantly suppressed the number of BrdU-labeled cells in the dentate gyrus. Double immunohistochemical staining showed that both the mature granule cells and the majority of BrdU-labeled, mitotically active cells expressed the NMDA receptor subunit NR1 and the AMPA/KA receptor subunit GluR2. Because accumulated evidence showed that mild seizures are sufficient to promote precursor cell proliferation, the present findings that MK-801 inhibited seizures and completely blocked seizure-induced increase in precursor cell proliferation suggest that the direct blockade action of MK-801 on NMDA receptors on the granule cell precursors may play an important role in blocking seizure-induced precursor cell proliferation. The suppression of seizure-induced proliferation of granule cell precursors by DNQX may be achieved by the direct action of DNQX on AMPA/KA receptors on the granule cell precursors. Thus, our findings indicate that seizures may promote cell proliferation in the adult rat dentate gyrus through glutamatergic mechanisms acting on both NMDA and AMPA/KA receptors.

Animals↗

Effects of nitric oxide on dentate gyrus cell proliferation after seizures induced by pentylenetrazol in the adult rat brain.

Epileptic seizures have been shown to increase the proliferation of granule cell precursors in the adult brain, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study examined the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the proliferation of granule cell precursors in adult rats after pentylenetrazol (PTZ)-induced generalized clonic seizures. Using systemic bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells, we found that injection of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor 7-nitroindazole (50 mg/kg i.p.) 10 min before PTZ significantly reduced the number of BrdU labeled cells in the dentate gyrus 3, 7, and 14 days after seizures (P < 0.05). Administration of the inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor aminoguanidine (100 mg/kg i.p.) also significantly inhibited the proliferation rate of neural precursor cells in the dentate gyrus at various time points after PTZ-induced seizures. Our findings suggest that epileptic seizures lead to increased cell proliferation in the adult rat dentate gyrus through NO-dependent mechanisms. Both the NO originating from nNOS and iNOS may be involved in brain repair after seizures.

Animals↗

Pathophysiological significance of a reaction in mouse gastrointestinal tract associated with delayed-type hypersensitivity.

AIM: To explore the pathophysiological significance of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction in mouse gastrointestinal tract induced by an allergen 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). METHODS: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control and DTH(1-6) groups. After sensitized by DNCB smeared on the abdominal skin, the mice were challenged with DNCB by gavage or enema. The weight, stool viscosity and hematochezia were observed and accumulated as disease active index (DAI) score; the gastrointestinal motility was represented by active charcoal propulsion rate; the colon pathological score was achieved by macropathology and HE staining of section prepared for microscopy; and the leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LMIF) activity was determined by indirect capillary assay of the absorbance (A) of migrated leukocytes. RESULTS: Active charcoal propulsion rates of small intestine in the DNCB gavages groups were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The DAI scores and pathological score in DNCB enema groups were also higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and there were significant rises in LMIF activity in DNCB enema groups as compared with control groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Mouse gastrointestinal DTH reaction could be induced by DNCB, which might facilitate the mechanism underlying the ulcerative colitis.

Animals↗

[Effect of naoyian on phosphorylated Akt in the neural stem cell injured with anoxia].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of naoyian (NYA) on the expression of phosph-Akt in neural stem cells injured with anoxia. METHODS: The hippocampal neural stem cells (NSC) taken from the Sprageu-Dawley rat brain at 5 days after birth were cultured in DMEM/F12 solution containing EGF and bFGF. After being treated with anoxia for 6 hours, the neural stem cells were incubated in solution containing the NYA serum or normal serum. The neural stem cells were then detected for phosph-Akt and TUNEL stain. RESULTS: After the neural stem cells were injured with anoxia, the expression of the phosph-Akt in NYA serum group was higher than that in the normal serum group and the serum-free group. Treated with NYA serum, the amount of apoptotic NSC decreased. CONCLUSION: After the neural stem cell injured by anoxia was treated with NYA serum, the phosphorylation of Akt increased, the apoptosis of NSC was inhibited.

Animals↗

[Effects of naoyian granule on the expression of IL-6 mRNA and protein in the experimental intracerebral hemorrhagic brain in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective mechanisms of the traditional Chinese medicine complex Naoyian granule (NYA) on intracerebral hemorrhagic (ICH). METHODS: ICH rat models were established by stereotaxically injecting 0.4 U type VII collagenase into the right globus pallidus (GP), the expression of IL-6mRNA and protein were investigated by in situ hybridization and Western blotting. RESULTS: In the NYA group the IL-6 mRNA level was higher than that of the model group on 4 - 7 d and the IL-6 protein level was remarkably higher than that of the model group on 6 h - 7 d after ICH injury (P <0.01). CONCLUSION: Up-regulating the expression of IL-6 protein, and stabilizing the increasing expression of IL-6 mRNA and protein may be the protective mechanisms of NYA.

Animals↗

Bovine mammary gene expression profiling using a cDNA microarray enhanced for mammary-specific transcripts.

A cDNA microarray resource enhanced for transcripts specific to the bovine mammary gland (BMAM) has been developed and used in pilot studies to examine gene expression profiles in the mammary gland. One goal driving development of this resource was to shed some light on the pathways and mechanisms specifically related to bovine mammary gland growth and development. To accomplish this, gene expression patterns from bovine adipose, liver, adrenal, lymph, spleen, thymus, gut, and developing mammary tissue were compared using the BMAM microarray. We have thus identified a putative set of 16 genes being preferentially expressed in developing mammary gland. Another of our long-term goals is to elucidate the genes and pathways associated with bovine lactation and involution and to use these as a model for human mammary gland development as it relates to human breast cancer risks. To begin this process, we conducted a pilot study, comparing gene expression profiles of lactating bovine mammary tissue against nonlactating tissue on the BMAM microarray. Our results have yielded many novel and interesting genes exhibiting differential expression in lactating mammary tissue, including oncogenes (VAV3, C-myc), mediators of apoptosis (Caspase 8), and cell cycle regulators (LASP1).

Animals↗

[The epidemiology of neural tube defects in high-prevalence and low-prevalence areas of China].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of neural tube defects (NTDs) in high- and low-prevalence areas of China. METHODS: Birth defects surveillance data, collected from 1992 through 1994 was analyzed. These data were collected as part of the Sino-American cooperative project on NTDs prevention. We classified NTDs as anencephaly, encephalocele, high-level and low-level spina bifida (SB) according to location of the lesion (high vs low) and whether the defect was isolated or occurred in association with other birth defects. Rates were compared in the high-prevalence (North) region and the low-prevalence (South) region, after adjusted for classification, urban and rural, season and sex, and calculated the adjusted rate of NTDs. RESULTS: Among seven hundred and eighty-four NTDs cases in 326 874 recorded births (include in livebirth, stillbirth and fetal death with a gestational age of at least 20 weeks), the overall NTDs prevalence in the North was 5.57/1,000 births, and in the South was 0.88/1 000. There were also significant differences in the prevalence of anencephaly, encephalocele, high-level and low-level SB between North (0.97, 0.49, 2.75 and 1.11/1,000 birth) and South (0.36, 0.15, 0.21 and 0.14/1,000 birth) (P < 0.01), with adjusted prevalences in the North 3 - 7 times higher than those in the South. There were significant difference between urban (2.04) and rural areas (6.57/1,000 birth) in the North (P < 0.01), urban (0.52) and rural areas (0.95/1,000 birth) in the South (P < 0.05). Adjusted prevalence rates in the rural were 3 - 4 times higher than those of urban in the North and 1.6 - 1.9 times higher than in the South; The seasonal rate of high-level SB increased between September and November in the North (3.44/1,000 birth), while the seasonal rate of anencephaly decreased between September and November (0.18/1,000 birth) in the South. However there were no seasonal changes in other classified NTDs both in the South and North. CONCLUSIONS: The birth prevalence of NTDs in the North of China was the highest in the world. There were significant differences between the North and the South, urban and rural. There was seasonal change in high-level SB in the North, which was in accordance to the phenotype of NTDs. It was suggested that there might exist etiological heterogeneity among anecephalus, low- and high-level SB.

China↗