Increased exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiopulmonary diseases and cancer. We and others have shown that PM induces lung microvascular barrier dysfunction which potentially enhances the systemic toxicity of PM. However, the mechanisms by which PM disrupts vascular endothelial integrity remain incompletely explored. We hypothesize that PM induces endothelial cell (EC) cytoskeleton rearrangement via Rho GTPase-dependent pathways to facilitate vascular hyperpermeability. Fine PM induced time-dependent activation of cytoskeletal machinery with increases in myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and EC barrier disruption measured by transendothelial electrical resistance (TER), events attenuated by the Rho-dependent kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 or the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Both Y-27632 and NAC prevented PM-induced stress fiber formation and phospho-MLC accumulation in human lung ECs. PM promotes rapid accumulation of Rho-GTP. This event is attenuated by NAC or knockdown of RhoA (siRNA). Consistent with ROCK activation, PM induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain phosphatase (MYPT) at Thr850, a post-translational modification known to inhibit phosphatase activity. Furthermore, PM activates the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Rho, p115, with p115 translocation to the cell periphery, in a ROS-dependent manner. Together these results demonstrate that fine PM induces EC cytoskeleton rearrangement via Rho-dependent pathways that are dependent upon the generation of oxidative stress. As the disruption of vascular integrity further contributes to cardiopulmonary physiologic derangements, these findings provide pharmacologic targets for prevention of PM-induced cardiopulmonary toxicity.

No description available.

No / L-type voltage gated calcium channels play essential role in contraction of various skeletal and vascular smooth muscles, thereby plays important role in regulating blood pressure. Dihydropyridine receptors have been targeted for development of newer antihypertensive agents, one of the structurally analogs nucleus dihydropyrimidines have been reported earlier by us as a potential agent toward development of calcium channel modulator. A pre-synthetic QSAR was run and on the basis of structure activity relationship a series of twenty three molecules was synthesized and studied by myosin light chain kinase assay (MLCK), Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) colorimetric assay, non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) and invasive blood pressure (IBP) methods. Molecules with significant efficacy were studied for their single crystal X-ray diffraction, molecular docking, molecular dynamics and post-synthetic QSAR. The NIBP and IBP methods screened molecules with better percentage inhibition versus time compared to standard drug Nifedipine. The lead compound ethyl 2-methyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-4H-pyrimido [2,1-b] [1,3] benzothiazole-3-carboxylate (26) presented a triclinic structure with polymeric chain packing in lattice. 26 exhibited IC50 on MLCK assay of 2.1+/-1.7 muM with selectivity of L-type calcium channels and comparative to Nifedipine. It offered satisfactory physicochemical properties with partition coefficient of (ClogP) 4.64. Its pharmacokinetic profile is also good with Cmax at 0.40 mug/ml by oral route with Tmax reaching in 0.5 h which means in 30 min. 26 also exhibits superior t1/2 of 5.4 h and oral bioavailability of (F) 56.75% with an AUC0-infinity of 0.84 mug h/ml. Molecular docking studies indicates toward the interaction of lead compound via hydrogen bonds with Lys144, Glu181 and Asp183, it forms the Van der Walls interactions with Ser18, Asp20, Asn187, Pro185, Glu180, Glu181 and Arg10 with Glide score and Glide energy to be -3.602 and -47.098, respectively. Post-synthetic QSAR of newly synthesized molecules indicates toward improvement with respect to steric descriptor which contributed negatively in former series.

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In dieser Arbeit wurden drei verschiedene Gruppen von humanen Myokardproben aus dem interventrikulären Septum mittels elektrophoretischer Verfahren auf Veränderungen in der Zusammensetzung der kontraktilen Proteine untersucht. 6 der insgesamt 38 Proben stammten von gesunden Herzen, die aus technischen Gründen nicht transplantiert werden konnten. 19 der Proben stammten von Patienten, die an einer hypertrophischen-obstruktiven Kardiomyopathie (HOCM) litten und die restlichen 13 Proben von Patienten mit einer valvulären Aortenstenose (AS). Die 32 kranken Herzen befanden sich allesamt im Stadium der kompensierten Hypertrophie, an klinischen Daten waren von diesen Patienten die Ejektionsfraktion (EF), der Durchmesser des interventrikulären Septums (IVS) sowie die linksventrikuläre enddiastolische Füllungsdruck (LVEDP). Die Ejektionsfraktion lag bei allen diesen Patienten mit Werten zwischen 62% und 88% (Mittelwert 73 ± 7%) im Normbereich, zwischen der HOCM- und der Aortenstenosegruppe bestand kein signifikanter Unterschied. Die insgesamt 38 Gewebeproben wurden mittels 3 verschiedener elektrophoretischer Verfahren auf das Vorliegen von 3 verschiedener Veränderungen in der Proteinzusammensetzung untersucht: 1. Mittels 2-dimensionaler Polyacrylamidgel-Elektrophorese (2D-PAGE) wurde der Phosphorylierungsgrad des kardialen Troponin I (cTnI) bestimmt. 2. Mittels 2-dimensionaler Polyacrylamidgel-Elektrophorese (2D-PAGE) wurde eine Analyse der leichten Myosinketten (MLC) durchgeführt, vor allem im Hinblick auf die Frage, ob und inwieweit es zu einer Expression der atrialen leichten Kette vom Typ I (ALC-1) kommt . 3. Mittels Natriumdodecylsulfat-Polyacrylamidgel-Elektrophorese (SDS-PAGE) wurde eine Bestimmung der schweren Myosinketten (MHC) vorgenommen, vor allem im Hinblick auf die Frage, ob es im hypertrophierten Myokard zu einer Expression der α-Isoform der schweren Myosinkette (α-MHC) kommt. Für alle dieser drei oben genannten Veränderungen finden sich Hinweise in der Literatur, dass sie möglicherweise eine Rolle bei der Myokardhypertrophie spielen könnten ohne dass bislang eine abschließende Klärung möglich war. In dieser Arbeit wurde zum ersten Mal ein derartig großes, klinisch gut evaluiertes Probenkollektiv von menschlichen Herzen im Stadium der kompensierten Hypertrophie auf das Vorliegen der o.g. Veränderungen untersucht. Ein weiterer wichtiger Aspekt ist das Vorliegen von zwei verschiedenen Ursachen (Aortenstenose und hypertrophisch-obstruktive Kardiomyopathie) für die Herzhypertrophie im Probenkollektiv dieser Arbeit. In der Zusammensetzung der schweren Myosinketten (MHC) sowie im Phosphorylierungsgrad des kardialen Troponin I (cTnI) konnten in dieser Arbeit keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen dem hypertrophiertem und dem gesunden Myokard gefunden werden. Im Bereich der leichten Myosinketten (MLC) konnte jedoch nachgewiesen werden, dass es in den hypertrophierten Herzen zu einer deutlichen, signifikanten Expression der atrialen leichten Myosinkette (ALC-1) in der Größenordnung von 10,8 ± 1,5 % an der Gesamtmenge der leichten Myosinketten vom Typ 1 (MLC-1) gekommen war. Im Gegensatz hierzu konnte die atriale leichte Kette vom Typ 1 (ALC-1) in keinem der gesunden Herzen nachgewiesen werden. Zudem konnte eine statistische hochsignifikante positive Korrelation (Koeffizient 0,56 nach Pearson) zwischen der Höhe der Ejektionsfraktion und dem Anteil der ALC-1 an der Gesamtmenge der leichten Myosinketten ermittelt werden. Diese Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass der Expression der ALC-1 ein hoher Stellenwert bei der Anpassung an erhöhte hämodynamische Anforderungen zukommt. Die positive Korrelation zwischen der Höhe der ALC-1-Expression und der Ejektionsfraktion weisen daraufhin, dass der ALC-1-Expression zumindest im Rahmen der kompensierten Hypertrophie ein positiver Effekt auf das Myokard zukommt. Dieser Effekt lässt sich anhand von früheren Veröffentlichungen erklären, die z.B. zeigten, dass die ALC-1 über eine Erhöhung der Ablösungsgeschwindigkeit zu einer Beschleunigung des Querbrückenzyklus und zu einer Erhöhung der Verkürzungsgeschwindigkeit und der isometrischen Kraftentwicklung führt. / To assess changes in the composition of contractile proteins we examined human myocardial samples from three different groups by means of electrophoretic analysis. 6 of 38 samples in total have been taken from healthy hearts which could not be transplanted due to technical reasons. 19 of the samples are from patients suffering from hypertophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and the remaining 13 samples from patients with a valvular aortic stenosis. The 32 impaired hearts have all been in the stadium of compensated hypertrophy, the ejection fraction, the diameter of the interventricular septum and the leftventricular enddiastolic pressure were kown. In all patients the ejection fraction was between 62% and 88% (73 ± 7% in the mean), thus in the normal range, there was no significant difference between the hypertrophic obstructive group and the valvular aortic stenosis group. All of the 38 samples have been examined by means of 3 different electrophoretical procedures. 1. 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis (2D-PAGE) for assessing the level of phosphorylation of the cardial troponin I(cTnI) 2. 2-dimensional polyacrylamidegelelectrophoresis (2D-PAGE) for analysing the composition of the myosin light chains (MLC)to answer the question whether there is an reexpression of the atrial light chain 1 (ALC-1) and if, to which extent. 3. Sodiumdodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to assess the composition of the myosin heavy chains to answer the question whether there is an expression of the α-Isoform of the myosin heavy chain (α-MHC)in the hypertrophic myocardium. There are hints in literature that all 3 changes mentioned above could play a role in myocardial hypertrophy but it has not been possible to definitely clarify the role. We have analysed for the first time a great number of clinically well evaluated samples from hypertrophic human hearts in the stadium of compensated hypertrophy regarding those changes. Another important aspect of our work is that in our samples the cause of the hypertrophy have been two pathogenetically different diseases (valvular aortic stenosis and hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy). We could not find any significant differences between the hypertrophic and the nonhypertrophic hearts regarding the level of phosphorylation of the cardial troponin I (cTnI). We proved that in the hypertrophic heart there is a significant expression of the atrial light chain 1 (ALC-1) of about 10,8 ± 1,5 % of the total amount of myosin light chain 1 (MLC-1). In contrast to that there was no atrial light chain 1 (ALC-1) found in the nonhypertrophic hearts. Statistically there is a highly significant correlation (coefficient 0,56 after Pearson) between the level of the ejection fraction and the amount of the atrial light chain 1 (ALC-1) compared to the myosin light chain 1 (MLC-1) in total. These results suggest a highly important role of the ALC-1 expression in the adjustment of the heart to increased hemodynamic demands. The positive correlation between the level of the ALC-1 expression and the level of the ejection fraction suggests a positive effect of the ALC-1 expression on the myocardium during compensated hypertrophy. This effect can be explained by former publications which have shown that the expression of the ALC-1 can lead to an increased speed of displacement hence to an increased shortening velocity and an increased isometric force generation.

No description available.

Platelets play a vital role in processes of hemostasis and thrombosis under physiological and pathological conditions. Following vascular damage, platelets will accumulate and stably adhere to exposed subendothelial matrixes. The binding of platelet surface receptor Glycoprotein VI (GPVI) to exposed collagen initiates a signaling cascade, which culminates in platelet activation. Stimulation of GPVI pathways results in the generation of thromboxane and causes the platelets to secrete their granule contents. This generated thromboxane as well as constituents released from dense granules such as ADP, and serotonin, play an essential role in potentiating the platelet response through activation of other surface receptor mediated pathways. Importantly, downstream of all these separate pathways, kinases become activated and play a crucial role in phosphorylating their substrates to elicit critical cellular responses. Previously published studies have established the importance for myosin kinase in its role for phosphorylating the myosin light chain (MLC) downstream of ADP receptors. These studies have shown MLC phosphorylation occurs rapidly and is essential for shape change following the stimulation of ADP receptors. Technological advances in antibody development have resulted in the generation of commercially available phospho-specific antibodies for MLC phosphorylated on either threonine (Thr) 18 or serine (Ser) 19. These antibodies allowed us to revisit these prior studies and address whether phosphorylation on MLC (Ser) 19 would elicit one response while phosphorylation on (Thr) 18 may result in another functional response. Our result show, that MLC is phosphorylated rapidly on (Ser) 19 and plays an important role in shape change downstream of Gq pathways, while MLC (Thr) 18 phosphorylation occurs at a slower rate downstream of G12/13 pathways and contributes to platelet dense granule secretion. Protein kinase C's (PKC) are serine/threonine kinase, which become activated following the stimulation of many of the platelet surface receptors. PKCs are classified into three groups, classical (α, βI, βII, γ), novel (δ, ε, η, θ), and atypical (ζ, ι, λ, μ) based on their cofactor requirements for activation. The classical PKCs, which require diacylglycerol and calcium for their activation were investigated using the specific inhibitor Go6976. Much to our surprise, we demonstrated that downstream of GPVI pathways, Go6976 caused non-selective inhibition of Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) activity. This inhibition of Syk activity resulted in a concentration-dependent reduction in phosphorylation of downstream molecules Lat and PLCγ2 as well as platelet aggregation and secretion. Stimulation of surface receptors GPVI, CLEC-2, GPIb, and FcRIIa, all lead to the activation of tyrosine kinase pathways. The role for Syk in these pathways is essential and in the absence of its activity these pathways are completely shut down. We inadvertently discovered dextran sulfate (DxS) actives platelets. Our results show that DxS activates a Src-dependent pathway which does not utilize surface receptors GPVI, CLEC-2, GPIb, or FcRIIa. Platelets pretreated with Syk inhibitors OXSI-2 or Go6976 failed to cause αIIbβ3 activation in response to convulxin, however, platelets activated with DxS under the same conditions retained the ability to activate αIIbβ3. In response to DxS, platelet aggregation, intracellular calcium mobilization, and αIIbβ3 activation were significantly inhibited in platelets pre-treated with PI-3K inhibitors. Taken together these results for the first time establish a novel tyrosine kinase pathway in platelets that cause fibrinogen receptor activation in a PI-3K dependent manner without a role for Syk. In conclusion, we have evaluated the role of myosin light chain kinase, Syk, and PI-3 kinase downstream of platelet receptor-mediated pathways. We have examined the phosphorylation status of several of their effector molecules and have correlated these events with their functional responses in platelets. Here we have highlighted several roles for platelet kinases and their relative importance in regulating platelet functional outcomes. / Physiology

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Environmental factors such as diet contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Epidemiological evidence suggests a robust linkage between IBD and the Western diet, which is often characterized by a high intake of food additives. These additives, including synthetic colourants, are widely used, leading to significant human exposure. Allura Red AC (AR) is one of the most popular synthetic colourants, yet little is known about its impact on human health and the role of AR in the pathogenesis of colitis remains elusive. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), which regulates various gut physiological processes, has been shown to modulate the gut microbiota and enhance susceptibility to colitis. In this thesis, it was discovered that chronic exposure to AR, at a dose found in commonly consumed dietary products, exacerbated dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and triggered early onset of disease in the CD4+CD45RBhigh T cell-induced colitis model. AR also induced low grade colonic inflammation in naïve C57BL/6 mice. Exposure to AR was associated with increased colonic 5-HT levels and impaired intestinal barrier function via activation of the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) pathway. However, AR did not promote colitis in mice lacking tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (Tph1), the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for colonic 5-HT synthesis. Further, AR increased colonic 5-HT levels in germ-free (GF) mice and perturbed the gut microbiota composition in specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice. Transfer of this altered microbiota from the dye-exposed SPF mice to GF mice conferred enhanced susceptibility to DSS-induced colitis. Mechanistically, AR induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and promoted 5-HT secretion via the NF-κB pathway in BON cells. Data in this thesis indicate that the widely used synthetic colourant, AR, promotes colitis via colonic 5-HT in microbiota-dependent and -independent pathways. Collectively, these findings provide important information on enhancing public awareness of its detrimental effects on human health. / Thesis / Candidate in Philosophy / Epidemiological and experimental studies suggest a potential link between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and diet. The Western diet, often characterized by a high intake of processed foods, is associated with the growing incidence of IBD. Allura Red AC (AR) is a popular artificial food dye found in highly common processed foods, yet little is known about its impact on human health and disease. Serotonin, a key molecule in the gut, has been implicated in large bowel inflammation. Herein, the potential role of AR in the development of colitis was examined. Across multiple models, AR exposure heightened vulnerability to colitis in mice, an effect attenuated by reduced serotonin production in the gut. The effect of AR in enhancing colitis vulnerability occurred via gut microbiota-dependent and -independent pathways. These studies have identified how AR promotes colitis, findings that may advance public health awareness and impact the health of patients with IBD.

The longitudinal muscle layer in gut is the functional opponent to the circular muscle layer during the peristalsis reflex. Differences in innervation of the layers allow for the contraction of one layer that corresponds with the simultaneous relaxation of the other, enabling the passage of gut contents in a controlled fashion. Differences in development have given the cells of the two layers differences in receptor populations, membrane lipid handling, and calcium handling profiles/behaviors. The kinase signaling differences between the two layers is not as well characterized. Upon activation of cells from the circular muscle layer, it is known that Rho kinase and ERK1/2 promote contraction, while CaMKK/AMPK and CaMKII perform inhibitory/self-inhibitory roles. Such behaviors are poorly understood in the longitudinal muscle layer. In longitudinal muscle strips, we measured muscarinic receptor-mediated contraction following incubation with kinase inhibitors. Upon comparison to control, contributions of Rho Kinase and ERK1/2 were similar to those seen in circular muscle. Inhibition of both of these enzymes leads to diminished contraction. However, CaMKK/AMPK and CaMKII have effects in longitudinal muscle opposite to their regulation in circular muscle – their inhibition also diminishes the contractile response. These contractile data from strips were supported by immunokinase assay measurements of MLCK activity from strip homogenates with and without kinase inhibition. Therefore, we suggest that the activities of CaMKK/AMPK and CaMKII in longitudinal muscle are indeed different from their regulatory roles in circular muscle, perhaps a consequence of the different calcium handling modalities of the two muscle types.