0000000000489500
AUTHOR
Hui Xu
Differential roles of PKCα and PKCɛ in controlling the gene expression of Nox4 in human endothelial cells
NADPH oxidases are major sources of superoxide in the vascular wall. This study investigates the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in regulating gene expression of NADPH oxidases. Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and HUVEC-derived EA.hy 926 endothelial cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate led to a PKC-dependent biphasic expression of the gp91phox homolog Nox4. A downregulation of Nox4 was observed at 6 h and an upregulation at 48 h after phorbol ester treatment. The early Nox4 downregulation was associated with a reduced superoxide production, whereas the late Nox4 upregulation was accompanied by a clear enhancement of superoxi…
Cyclooxygenase 2-selective and nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs induce oxidative stress by up-regulating vascular NADPH oxidases.
Cyclooxygenase 2-selective inhibitors (coxibs) and nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with an increase in cardiovascular events. The current study was designed to test the effect of coxibs and nonselective NSAIDs on vascular superoxide and nitric oxide (NO) production. mRNA expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and of the vascular NADPH oxidases was studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and in human endothelial cells. The expression of Nox1, Nox2, Nox4, and p22phox was increased markedly by the nonselective NSAIDs diclofenac or naproxen and moderately by rofecoxib or celecoxib in the aorta and heart of SHR. The up-regulation of NADPH …
Protein kinase C promotes angiogenic activity of human endothelial cells via induction of vascular endothelial growth factor
Aims Protein kinase C (PKC) plays an important role in the regulation of angiogenesis. However, downstream targets of PKC in endothelial cells are poorly defined. Methods and results mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was analysed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and HUVEC-derived EA.hy 926 cells. siRNA was used to knockdown PKC isoforms and VEGF. Matrigel tube formation assay was used to analyse the angiogenic activity of endothelial cells. Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) enhanced the ability of HUVEC to organize into tubular networks when plated on Matrigel, a phenomenon that could be prevented by PKC inhibi…
Reciprocal regulation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase and NADPH oxidase by betulinic acid in human endothelial cells.
Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is a protective principle in the vasculature. Many cardiovascular diseases are associated with reduced NO bioactivity and eNOS uncoupling due to oxidative stress. Compounds that reverse eNOS uncoupling and increase eNOS expression are of therapeutic interest. Zizyphi Spinosi semen (ZSS) is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese herbs with protective effects on the cardiovascular system. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and HUVEC-derived EA.hy 926 cells, an extract of ZSS increased eNOS promoter activity, eNOS mRNA and protein expression, and NO production in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Maj…
2020 Roadmap on two-dimensional nanomaterials for environmental catalysis
Abstract Environmental catalysis has drawn a great deal of attention due to its clean ways to produce useful chemicals or carry out some chemical processes. Photocatalysis and electrocatalysis play important roles in these fields. They can decompose and remove organic pollutants from the aqueous environment, and prepare some fine chemicals. Moreover, they also can carry out some important reactions, such as O2 reduction reaction (ORR), O2 evolution reaction (OER), H2 evolution reaction (HER), CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), and N2 fixation (NRR). For catalytic reactions, it is the key to develop high-performance catalysts to meet the demand for targeted reactions. In recent years, two-dimen…
Oligofluorene with multiple spiro-connections: its and their use in blue and white OLEDs
Bond rotation within molecules is regarded as one of the nonradiative decay pathways and is detrimental to high photoluminescence quantum yields. In this work, a bulky and rigid blue emitter (Spiro-F) with five spiro-carbon linkages is synthesized. Spiro-F can serve not only as an active component of blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), but also as a host and blue emitter of white OLEDs. The WOLED offers a low turn-on voltage of 3.5 V and a high current efficiency of 3.6 cd A−1, together with CIE coordinates of (0.29, 0.33). This work proves the potential of super-rigid oligofluorene emitters for OLEDs.
Betulinic acid protects against cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury in mice by reducing oxidative and nitrosative stress
Increased production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species following cerebral ischemia-reperfusion is a major cause for neuronal injury. In hypercholesterolemic apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE-KO) mice, 2h of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion followed by 22h of reperfusion led to an enhanced expression of NADPH oxidase subunits (NOX2, NOX4 and p22phox) and isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (neuronal nNOS and inducible iNOS) in the ischemic hemisphere compared with the non-ischemic contralateral hemisphere. This was associated with elevated levels of 3-nitrotyrosine, an indicator of peroxynitrite-mediated oxidative protein modification. Pre-treatment with betulinic acid (50mg/kg/day f…
Antiatherosclerotic Effects of Small-Molecular-Weight Compounds Enhancing Endothelial Nitric-Oxide Synthase (eNOS) Expression and Preventing eNOS Uncoupling
Many cardiovascular diseases are associated with reduced levels of bioactive nitric oxide (NO) and an uncoupling of oxygen reduction from NO synthesis in endothelial NO synthase (eNOS uncoupling). In human endothelial EA.hy 926 cells, two small-molecular-weight compounds with related structures, 4-fluoro-N-indan-2-yl-benzamide (CAS no. 291756-32-6; empirical formula C16H14FNO; AVE9488) and 2,2-difluoro-benzo[1,3]dioxole-5-carboxylic acid indan-2-ylamide (CAS no. 450348-85-3; empirical formula C17H13F2NO3; AVE3085), enhanced eNOS promoter activity in a concentration-dependent manner; with the responsible cis-element localized within the proximal 263 base pairs of the promoter region. RNA int…
Ursolic acid from the Chinese herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza L.) upregulates eNOS and downregulates Nox4 expression in human endothelial cells
Danshen, the dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae), is one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicines for cardiovascular indications. In EA.hy 926 cells, a cell line derived from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), an aqueous extract of danshen, and also a methanol extract of the plant, increased eNOS promoter activity, eNOS mRNA and protein expression, as well as endothelial NO production. A dichloromethane extract, in contrast, did not change eNOS gene expression. Thus, the active danshen constituent(s) responsible for eNOS upregulation is (are) hydrophilic and/or alcohol-soluble. One such compound is ursolic acid that significantly increased eNOS ex…
Comparing the LC-MS Phenolic Acids Profiles of Seven Different Varieties of Brown Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Brown rice, an important material of whole-grain food, is increasingly popular for its health benefits. Thus, seven varieties of brown rice from southern China were analyzed in this study, concerning the free and bound phenolic compounds in the extract. The phenolic profiles of different brown rice were obtained and compared by the combination of HPLC and LC-MS analysis, in which eleven phenolic acids were identified. It was indicated that the total phenolic contents of different brown rice varied from 92.32 to 196.54 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g DW. Ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid, free and bound, dominated within the phenolic acids. To be mentioned, the total phenols of Luoti…