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Wenjian Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Wenjian Zhang.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Effect of osteoblast-targeted expression of bcl-2 in bone: differential response in male and female mice.

UNLABELLED: Transgenic mice (Col2.3Bcl-2) with osteoblast-targeted human Bcl-2 expression were established. Phenotypically, these mice were smaller than their wildtype littermates and showed differential effects of the transgene on bone parameters and osteoblast activity dependent on sex. The net effect was an abrogation of sex differences normally observed in wildtype mice and an inhibition of bone loss with age. Ex vivo osteoblast cultures showed that the transgene had no effect on osteoblast proliferation, but decreased bone formation. Estrogen was shown to stimulate endogenous Bcl-2 message levels. These studies suggest a link between Bcl-2 and sex regulation of bone development and age-related bone loss. INTRODUCTION: Whereas Bcl-2 has been shown to be an important regulator of apoptosis in development, differentiation, and disease, its role in bone homeostasis and development is not well understood. We have previously showed that the induction of glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis occurred through a dose-dependent decrease in Bcl-2. Estrogen prevented glucocorticoid-induced osteoblast apoptosis in vivo and in vitro by preventing the decrease in Bcl-2 in osteoblasts. Therefore, Bcl-2 may be an important regulator of bone growth through mechanisms that control osteoblast longevity and function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Col2.3Bcl-2 mice were developed carrying a 2.3-kb region of the type I collagen promoter driving 1.8 kb of human Bcl-2 (hBcl-2). Tissue specific expression of hBcl-2 in immunoassays validated the transgenic animal model. Histomorphometry and DXA were performed. Proliferation, mineralization, and glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis were examined in ex vivo cultures of osteoblasts. The effect of estrogen on mouse Bcl-2 in ex vivo osteoblast cultures was assayed by RT-PCR and Q-PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Two Col2.3Bcl-2 (tg/+) founder lines were established and appeared normal except that they were smaller than their nontransgenic wildtype (+/+) littermates at 1, 2, and 6 months of age, with the greatest differences at 2 months. Immunohistochemistry showed hBcl-2 in osteoblasts at the growth plate and cortical surfaces. Nontransgenic littermates were negative. Western blots revealed hBcl-2 only in type I collagen-expressing tissues. Histomorphometry of 2-month-old mice showed a significant decrease in tg/+ calvaria width with no significant differences in femoral trabecular area or cortical width compared with +/+. However, tg/+ males had significantly more trabecular bone than tg/+ females. Female +/+ mice showed increased bone turnover with elevated osteoblast and osteoclast parameters compared with +/+ males. Col2.3Bcl-2 mice did not show such significant differences between sexes. Male tg/+ mice had a 76.5 +/- 1.5% increase in ObS/BS with no significant differences in bone formation rate (BFR) or mineral apposition rate (MAR) compared with male +/+ mice. Transgenic females had a significant 48.4 +/- 0.1% and 20.1 +/- 5.8% decrease in BFR and MAR, respectively, compared with +/+ females. Osteoclast and osteocyte parameters were unchanged. By 6 months, femurs from female and male +/+ mice had lost a significant amount of their percent of trabecular bone compared with 2-month-old mice. There was little to no change in femoral bone in the tg/+ mice with age. Ex vivo cultures of osteoblasts from +/+ and Col2.3Bcl-2 mice showed a decrease in mineralization, no effect on proliferation, and an inhibition of glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis in Col2.3Bcl-2 cultures. Estrogen was shown to increase mouse Bcl-2 transcript levels in osteoblast cultures of wildtype mice, supporting a role for Bcl-2 in the sex-related differences in bone phenotype regulated by estrogen. Therefore, Bcl-2 differentially affected bone phenotype in male and female transgenic mice, altered bone cell activity associated with sex-related differences, and decreased bone formation, suggesting that apoptosis is necessary for mineralization. In addition, Bcl-2 targeted to mature osteoblasts seemed to delay bone development, producing a smaller transgenic mouse compared with wildtype littermates. These studies suggest that expression of Bcl-2 in osteoblasts is important in regulating bone mass in development and in the normal aging process of bone.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2004

Tri- and pentanuclear tungsten-(mu-S)-M clusters (M = W, Cu, Ag).

The thiotungstate [Et4N]2[OW(WS4)2], [Et4N]2.1, containing the linear [[S2W(VI)(mu-S)2]2W(IV)=O] core, was prepared from [Et4N]2[WS4] in the presence of the sulfide scavenger Cd2+. Addition of 1,2-bis(o-diphenylphosphinophenyl)ethane (diphosphine) and Cu+ or Ag+ to solutions of 1 in MeCN/DMF led to coordination of the (diphosphine)Cu/Ag fragments to the terminal sulfido ligands of 1, yielding novel linear pentanuclear, heterometallic clusters [mu-[OW(IV)(DMF)(W(VI)S4)2][M(diphosphine)]2], 2 (M = Cu) and 3 (M = Ag). Along with 2, the trinuclear cluster [[mu-(W(VI)S4)[Cu(diphosphine)(2)]], 4, was also obtained. The molecular and crystal structures of [Et4N]2.1, 2.MeCN, 3.MeCN, and 4.2MeCN.CH2Cl2 have been determined.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Insulin-like growth factor II induces apoptosis in osteoblasts.

The ability of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) to modulate apoptosis was studied in murine osteoblasts. At 72 h of culture, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 nM IGF-II produced a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis assayed by TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) and confirmed with acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining. A maximal increase of 5.0-fold above control was found with 1 nM IGF-II. A time course of treatment with 0.1 nM IGF-II demonstrated a significant increase in apoptosis compared to vehicle-treated cells by 48 h. IGF-II-induced apoptosis could not be inhibited by a blocking antibody to the IGF-I receptor. Human osteoblast cultures demonstrated a similar dose-dependent increase in apoptosis with IGF-II. No significant effect of IGF-II was found on proliferation in murine osteoblast cultures. Western blot analysis demonstrated that IGF-II decreased Bcl-2 protein levels, but not Bax, resulting in a significant reduction in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. To determine if overexpression of Bcl-2 could block IGF-II-induced apoptosis, osteoblasts were isolated from a transgenic mouse that overexpresses human Bcl-2 in bone through a construct utilizing the 2.3 kb promoter region of the Type I collagen gene linked to a 1.8 kb region of human Bcl-2 (Col2.3Bcl-2). At 72 h, IGF-II significantly increased apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in osteoblast cultures from the control littermates. In osteoblasts from Col2.3Bcl-2 mice, no significant effect on apoptosis was found with 0.01, 0.1, or 1.0 nM IGF-II. Western blot analysis of Bcl-2 and Bax levels demonstrated a transient decrease in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio at 24 h with no decrease in the ratio at 48 or 72 h. Thus, IGF-II appears to promote osteoblast apoptosis, and overexpression of Bcl-2 is able to block IGF-II-induced apoptosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Analysis of serum cytokines in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory system. Although a novel coronavirus has been identified as the causative agent of SARS, the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS are not understood. In this study, sera were collected from healthy donors, patients with SARS, patients with severe SARS, and patients with SARS in convalescence. The serum concentrations of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor growth factor beta (TGF-beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The concentrations of IL-1 and TNF-alpha were not significantly different in different groups. The IL-6 concentration was increased in SARS patients and was significantly elevated in severe SARS patients, but the IL-6 concentrations were similar in convalescent patients and control subjects, suggesting that there was a positive relationship between the serum IL-6 concentration and SARS severity. The concentrations of IL-8 and TGF-beta were decreased in SARS patients and significantly reduced in severe SARS patients, but they were comparable in convalescent SARS patients and control subjects, suggesting that there was a negative relationship between the IL-8 and TGF-beta concentrations and SARS severity. The concentrations of IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IL-10 showed significant changes only in convalescent SARS patients. The IFN-gamma and IL-4 levels were decreased, while the levels of IL-10 were increased, and the differences between convalescent SARS patients and other patient groups were statistically significant. These results suggest that there are different immunoregulatory events during and after SARS and may contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of this syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Double-stranded W/Ag/S chain structure generated from [syn-(WO(NCS)(2))(2)(mu-S)(2)] building blocks.

The dimeric W(V) complex [Et(4)N](4)[syn-(O=W(NCS)(3))(2)(mu-S)(2)], 1, prepared from [Et(4)N](2)[WS(4)], SCN(-), and Cd(2+), shows interesting reactivity patterns in that the thiocyanate trans to the oxo group can in part be replaced, initiated by Mn(2+), by dimethylformamide (DMF) to form [Et(4)N](2.5)[(O=W(NCS)(2.25)(DMF)(1.25))(2)(mu-S)(2)], 2. With Ag(+), 1 undergoes partial replacement of SCN(-) by DMF and coordinates to the silver ions to generate ([Et(4)N](2.5)[(W(2)O(2)(NCS)(2)(mu-S)(2))(mu-NCS)(2)(DMF)(Ag(0.5)(SCN))])(n), 3. Compound 3 constitutes a polymeric double-stranded chain, with normal bonding interactions [via W-(mu-NCS)-Ag] between the two strands, and moderate intrastrand [W-(mu-NCS).Ag] bonding. The crystal and molecular structures of the three compounds are described.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Syntheses and Characterizations of a Series of Tetradecanuclear Molybdenum(Tungsten)/Copper/Sulfur Heterobimetallic Cluster Compounds.

Using sulfide ion to substitute the weakly copper(I)-philic ligands of MS(4)(-)(n)()(2)(-)O(n)()/Cu(+) compounds, (M = Mo, W; n = 0, 1), we have prepared and characterized four novel tetradecanuclear clusters having the general formula [(n-Bu)(4)N](4)[M(4)Cu(10)S(16)E(2)E']H(2)O, (M = Mo, E = E' = O for complex 1; M = W, E = (1)/(2)O + (1)/(2)S, E' = O, for complex 2; M = Mo, E = S, E' = (1)/(2)O + (1)/(2)S for complex 3; M = W, E = E' = S, for complex 4). Crystal structures of compounds 1-4 were determined; they are isomorphous and crystallized in the orthorhombic space group Pna2(1), with a = 26.6997(2) Å, b = 19.3133(4) Å, c = 21.4577(4) Å, V = 11064.9(3) Å(3), Z = 4 for [(n-Bu)(4)N](4)[Mo(4)Cu(10)S(18)O].H(2)O (3) and with a = 26.8141(8) Å, b = 19.4412(6) Å, c = 21.4039(5) Å, V = 11157.8(5) Å(3), Z = 4 for [(n-Bu)(4)N](4)[W(4)Cu(10)S(19)].H(2)O (4). The cluster cores have approximate sigma symmetry. The anions 1-4 may be viewed as consisting of one incomplete cubane-like Cu(3)MS(3)E fragment, one trigonal prism-type Cu(3)MS(4), and two butterfly-type Cu(2)MS(3)E' fragments, bridged by two &mgr;(3)-S and one &mgr;(4)-S atoms. There are two (&mgr;(3)-S)Cu(3) configurations in the compounds. Infrared, Raman, and UV/vis spectra of the above compounds are discussed, and the main absorption bands are assigned. (95)Mo NMR spectra and cylic voltammograms are investigated and compared with those of other compounds, (95)Mo NMR spectra show that in the solution there are three kinds of coordination environments of Mo in complexes 1 and 3, and cyclic voltammograms indicate that complexes 1-4 have irreversible electrochemical reductions.

Journal Article↗