scholarly journals The Role of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Review of the Potential Mechanisms

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Annete Njue ◽  
Carolyn Coyne ◽  
Andrea V. Margulis ◽  
Dai Wang ◽  
Morgan A. Marks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Outcomes ◽  
Stem Cell Differentiation ◽  
Extravillous Trophoblast ◽  
Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Low Passage ◽  
And Function

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of nonhereditary adverse birth outcomes, including hearing and visual loss, neurologic deficits, and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and may contribute to outcomes such as stillbirth and preterm delivery. However, the mechanisms by which CMV could cause adverse birth outcomes are not fully understood. This study reviewed proposed mechanisms underlying the role of CMV in stillbirth, preterm birth, and IUGR. Targeted literature searches were performed in PubMed and Embase to identify relevant articles. Several potential mechanisms were identified from in vitro studies in which laboratory-adapted and low-passage strains of CMV and various human placental models were used. Potential mechanisms identified included impairment of trophoblast progenitor stem cell differentiation and function, impairment of extravillous trophoblast invasiveness, dysregulation of Wnt signaling pathways in cytotrophoblasts, tumor necrosis factor-α mediated apoptosis of trophoblasts, CMV-induced cytokine changes in the placenta, inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity, and downregulation of trophoblast class I major histocompatibility complex molecules. Inherent challenges for the field remain in the identification of suitable in vivo animal models. Nonetheless, we believe that our review provides useful insights into the mechanisms by which CMV impairs placental development and function and how these changes could result in adverse birth outcomes.

scholarly journals Modelling the Human Placental Interface In Vitro—A Review

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 884
Author(s):  
Marta Cherubini ◽  
Scott Erickson ◽  
Kristina Haase
Keyword(s):  
Drug Testing ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Scientific Challenge ◽  
Induced Pluripotent ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Control

Acting as the primary link between mother and fetus, the placenta is involved in regulating nutrient, oxygen, and waste exchange; thus, healthy placental development is crucial for a successful pregnancy. In line with the increasing demands of the fetus, the placenta evolves throughout pregnancy, making it a particularly difficult organ to study. Research into placental development and dysfunction poses a unique scientific challenge due to ethical constraints and the differences in morphology and function that exist between species. Recently, there have been increased efforts towards generating in vitro models of the human placenta. Advancements in the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), microfluidics, and bioprinting have each contributed to the development of new models, which can be designed to closely match physiological in vivo conditions. By including relevant placental cell types and control over the microenvironment, these new in vitro models promise to reveal clues to the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction and facilitate drug testing across the maternal–fetal interface. In this minireview, we aim to highlight current in vitro placental models and their applications in the study of disease and discuss future avenues for these in vitro models.

scholarly journals Oxygen regulation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in human placenta

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. E272-E280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Ietta ◽  
Yuanhong Wu ◽  
Roberta Romagnoli ◽  
Nima Soleymanlou ◽  
Barbara Orsini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Migration Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Extravillous Trophoblast ◽  
Macrophage Migration ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Placental Development

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an important proinflammatory cytokine involved in regulation of macrophage function. In addition, MIF may also play a role in murine and human reproduction. Although both first trimester trophoblast and decidua express MIF, the regulation and functional significance of this cytokine during human placental development remains unclear. We assessed MIF expression throughout normal human placental development, as well as in in vitro (chorionic villous explants) and in vivo (high altitude placentae) models of human placental hypoxia. Dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG), which stabilizes hypoxia inducible factor-1 under normoxic conditions, was also used to mimic the effects of hypoxia on MIF expression. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis showed high MIF protein and mRNA expression at 7–10 wk and lower levels at 11–12 wk until term. Exposure of villous explants to 3% O2 resulted in increased MIF expression and secretion relative to standard conditions (20% O2). DMOG treatment under 20% O2 increased MIF expression. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry showed elevated MIF expression in low oxygen-induced extravillous trophoblast cells. Finally, a significant increase in MIF transcript was observed in placental tissues from high-altitude pregnancies. Hence, three experimental models of placental hypoxia (early gestation, DMOG treatment, and high altitude) converge in stimulating increased MIF, supporting the conclusion that placental-derived MIF is an oxygen-responsive cytokine highly expressed in physiological in vivo and in in vitro low oxygen conditions.

The extracellular matrix of the developing cornea: diversity, deposition and function*

Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 103 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 195-205
Author(s):  
J. B. L. Bard ◽  
M. K. Bansal ◽  
A. S. A. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Chondroitin Sulphate ◽  
Corneal Stroma ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
Collagen I ◽  
And Function ◽  
20 Nm

This paper examines the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the development of the cornea. After a brief summary of the corneal structure and ECM, we describe evidence suggesting that the differentiation of neural crest (NC) cells into endothelium and fibroblasts is under the control of ocular ECM. We then examine the role of collagen I in stromal morphogenesis by comparing normal corneas with those of homozygous Movl3 mice which do not make collagen I. We report that, in spite of this absence, the cellular morphology of the Movl3 eye is indistinguishable from that of the wild type. In the 16-day mutant stroma, however, the remaining collagens form small amounts of disorganized, thin fibrils rather than orthogonally organized 20 nm-diameter fibrils; a result implying that collagen I plays only a structural role and that its absence is not compensated for. It also suggests that, because these remaining collagens will not form the normal fibrils that they will in vitro, fibrillogenesis in the corneal stroma differs from that elsewhere. The latter part of the paper describes our current work on chick stromal deposition using corneal epithelia isolated with an intact basal lamina that lay down in vitro ∼3μm-thick stromas of organized fibrils similar to that seen in vivo. This experimental system has yielded two unexpected results. First, the amount of collagen and proteoglycans produced by such epithelia is not dependent on whether its substratum is collagenous and we therefore conclude that stromal production by the intact epithelium is more autonomous than hitherto thought. Second, chondroitin sulphate (CS), the predominant proteoglycan, appears to play no role in stromal morphogenesis: epithelia cultured in testicular hyaluronidase, which degrades CS, lay down stromas whose organization and fibrildiameter distribution are indistinguishable from controls. One possible role for CS, however, is as a lubricant which facilitates corneal growth: it could allow fibrils to move over one another without deforming their orthogonal organization. Finally, we have examined the processes of fibrillogenesis in the corneal stroma and conclude that they are different from those elsewhere in the embryo and in vitro, perhaps because there is in the primary stroma an unidentified, highly hydrated ECM macromolecule that embeds the fibrils and that may mediate their morphogenesis.

scholarly journals Characterization and function of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in arteriolar muscle cells

1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (1) ◽  
pp. H27-H34 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F. Jackson ◽  
Kevin L. Blair
Keyword(s):  
Single Channel ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Hill Coefficient ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Maximal Activation ◽  
And Function ◽  
Resting Tone

We examined the functional role of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+(KCa) channels in the hamster cremasteric microcirculation by intravital videomicroscopy and characterized the single-channel properties of these channels in inside-out patches of membrane from enzymatically isolated cremasteric arteriolar muscle cells. In second-order (39 ± 1 μm, n = 8) and third-order (19 ± 2 μm, n = 8) cremasteric arterioles with substantial resting tone, superfusion with the KCa channel antagonists tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM) or iberiotoxin (IBTX, 100 nM) had no significant effect on resting diameters ( P > 0.05). However, TEA potentiated O2-induced arteriolar constriction in vivo, and IBTX enhanced norepinephrine-induced contraction of cremasteric arteriolar muscle cells in vitro. Patch-clamp studies revealed unitary K+-selective and IBTX-sensitive currents with a single-channel conductance of 240 ± 2 pS between −60 and 60 mV ( n = 7 patches) in a symmetrical 140 mM K+ gradient. The free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]) for half-maximal channel activation was 44 ± 3, 20 ± 1, 6 ± 0.4, and 3 ± 0.5 μM at membrane potentials of −60, −30, +30, and +60 mV, respectively ( n = 5), with a Hill coefficient of 1.9 ± 0.2. Channel activity increased e-fold for a 16 ± 1 mV ( n = 6) depolarization. The plot of log[Ca2+] vs. voltage for half-maximal activation ( V ½) was linear ( r 2 = 0.9843, n = 6); the change in V ½ for a 10-fold change in [Ca2+] was 84 ± 5 mV, and the [Ca2+] for half-maximal activation at 0 mV (Ca0; the Ca2+ set point) was 9 μM. Thus, in vivo, KCa channels are silent in cremasteric arterioles at rest but can be recruited during vasoconstriction. We propose that the high Ca0 is responsible for the apparent lack of activity of these channels in resting cremasteric arterioles, and we suggest that this may result from expression of unique KCa channels in the microcirculation.

scholarly journals Role of Hyaluronan in Human Adipogenesis: Evidence from in-Vitro and in-Vivo Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 2675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Wilson ◽  
Robert Steadman ◽  
Ilaria Muller ◽  
Mohd Draman ◽  
D. Aled Rees ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell Differentiation ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Synthesis Inhibitor ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor ◽  
Inhibitory Role ◽  
The Impact

Hyaluronan (HA), an extra-cellular matrix glycosaminoglycan, may play a role in mesenchymal stem cell differentiation to fat but results using murine models and cell lines are conflicting. Our previous data, illustrating decreased HA production during human adipogenesis, suggested an inhibitory role. We have investigated the role of HA in adipogenesis and fat accumulation using human primary subcutaneous preadipocyte/fibroblasts (PFs, n = 12) and subjects of varying body mass index (BMI). The impact of HA on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression was analysed following siRNA knockdown or HA synthase (HAS)1 and HAS2 overexpression. PFs were cultured in complete or adipogenic medium (ADM) with/without 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU = HA synthesis inhibitor). Adipogenesis was evaluated using oil red O (ORO), counting adipogenic foci, and measurement of a terminal differentiation marker. Modulating HA production by HAS2 knockdown or overexpression increased (16%, p < 0.04) or decreased (30%, p = 0.01) PPARγ transcripts respectively. The inhibition of HA by 4-MU significantly enhanced ADM-induced adipogenesis with 1.52 ± 0.18- (ORO), 4.09 ± 0.63- (foci) and 2.6 ± 0.21-(marker)-fold increases compared with the controls, also increased PPARγ protein expression (40%, (p < 0.04)). In human subjects, circulating HA correlated negatively with BMI and triglycerides (r = −0.396 (p = 0.002), r = −0.269 (p = 0.038), respectively), confirming an inhibitory role of HA in human adipogenesis. Thus, enhancing HA action may provide a therapeutic target in obesity.

PSGL-1 regulates platelet P-selectin-mediated endothelial activation and shedding of P-selectin from activated platelets

2007 ◽  
Vol 98 (10) ◽  
pp. 806-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vandana Dole ◽  
Wolfgang Bergmeier ◽  
Ian Patten ◽  
Junichi Hirahashi ◽  
Tanya Mayadas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Activation ◽  
Leukocyte Rolling ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Platelet Surface ◽  
Activated Platelets ◽  
And Function ◽  
Body Secretion

SummaryWe have previously shown that activated platelets in circulation stimulate release of endothelial Weibel-Palade bodies thus increasing leukocyte rolling in venules. P-selectin on the activated platelets mediates adhesion to leukocytes via PSGL-1 and is rapidly shed into plasma. We were interested in studying the role of PSGL-1 in regulating expression and function of platelet P-selectin. We show here that PSGL-1 is critical for the activation of endothelial cells in venules of mice infused with activated platelets. The interaction of platelet P-selectin with PSGL-1 is also required for P-selectin shedding, as P-selectin was retained significantly longer on the surface of activated platelets infused into PSGL-1-/- compared to wild-type mice. The leukocyte integrin αMβ2 (Mac-1) was not required for P-selectin shedding. In addition to shedding, P-selectin can be downregulated from the platelet surface through internalization and this is the predominant mechanism in the absence of PSGL-1. We demonstrate that leukocyte- neutrophil elastase,known to cleave P-selectin in vitro, is not the major sheddase for P-selectin in vivo. In conclusion, interaction of platelet P-selectin with PSGL-1 is crucial for activation of the endothelium andWeibel-Palade body secretion. The interaction with PSGL-1 also results in rapid shedding of P-selectin thus downregulating the inflammatory potential of the platelet.

scholarly journals Trophectoderm-Specific Knockdown of LIN28 Decreases Expression of Genes Necessary for Cell Proliferation and Reduces Elongation of Sheep Conceptus

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asghar Ali ◽  
Mark Stenglein ◽  
Thomas Spencer ◽  
Gerrit Bouma ◽  
Russell Anthony ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Trophectoderm Cells ◽  
Successful Establishment

LIN28 inhibits let-7 miRNA maturation which prevents cell differentiation and promotes proliferation. We hypothesized that the LIN28-let-7 axis regulates proliferation-associated genes in sheep trophectoderm in vivo. Day 9-hatched sheep blastocysts were incubated with lentiviral particles to deliver shRNA targeting LIN28 specifically to trophectoderm cells. At day 16, conceptus elongation was significantly reduced in LIN28A and LIN28B knockdowns. Let-7 miRNAs were significantly increased and IGF2BP1-3, HMGA1, ARID3B, and c-MYC were decreased in trophectoderm from knockdown conceptuses. Ovine trophoblast (OTR) cells derived from day 16 trophectoderm are a useful tool for in vitro experiments. Surprisingly, LIN28 was significantly reduced and let-7 miRNAs increased after only a few passages of OTR cells, suggesting these passaged cells represent a more differentiated phenotype. To create an OTR cell line more similar to day 16 trophectoderm we overexpressed LIN28A and LIN28B, which significantly decreased let-7 miRNAs and increased IGF2BP1-3, HMGA1, ARID3B, and c-MYC compared to control. This is the first study showing the role of the LIN28-let-7 axis in trophoblast proliferation and conceptus elongation in vivo. These results suggest that reduced LIN28 during early placental development can lead to reduced trophoblast proliferation and sheep conceptus elongation at a critical period for successful establishment of pregnancy.

scholarly journals Talin is required for integrin-mediated platelet function in hemostasis and thrombosis

2007 ◽  
Vol 204 (13) ◽  
pp. 3103-3111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian G. Petrich ◽  
Patrizia Marchese ◽  
Zaverio M. Ruggeri ◽  
Saskia Spiess ◽  
Rachel A.M. Weichert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Adhesion ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Focal Adhesions ◽  
Β1 Integrin ◽  
Normal Morphology ◽  
And Function ◽  
Specific Deletion

Integrins are critical for hemostasis and thrombosis because they mediate both platelet adhesion and aggregation. Talin is an integrin-binding cytoplasmic adaptor that is a central organizer of focal adhesions, and loss of talin phenocopies integrin deletion in Drosophila. Here, we have examined the role of talin in mammalian integrin function in vivo by selectively disrupting the talin1 gene in mouse platelet precursor megakaryocytes. Talin null megakaryocytes produced circulating platelets that exhibited normal morphology yet manifested profoundly impaired hemostatic function. Specifically, platelet-specific deletion of talin1 led to spontaneous hemorrhage and pathological bleeding. Ex vivo and in vitro studies revealed that loss of talin1 resulted in dramatically impaired integrin αIIbβ3-mediated platelet aggregation and β1 integrin–mediated platelet adhesion. Furthermore, loss of talin1 strongly inhibited the activation of platelet β1 and β3 integrins in response to platelet agonists. These data establish that platelet talin plays a crucial role in hemostasis and provide the first proof that talin is required for the activation and function of mammalian α2β1 and αIIbβ3 integrins in vivo.

scholarly journals The N-Terminus ofDictyosteliumScar Interacts with Abi and HSPC300 and Is Essential for Proper Regulation and Function

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1609-1620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Caracino ◽  
Cheryl Jones ◽  
Mark Compton ◽  
Charles L. Saxe
Keyword(s):  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Terminal Region ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Large Molecular Weight ◽  
Weight Protein ◽  
And Function ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient

Scar/WAVE proteins, members of the conserved Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) family, promote actin polymerization by activating the Arp2/3 complex. A number of proteins, including a complex containing Nap1, PIR121, Abi1/2, and HSPC300, interact with Scar/WAVE, though the role of this complex in regulating Scar function remains unclear. Here we identify a short N-terminal region of Dictyostelium Scar that is necessary and sufficient for interaction with HSPC300 and Abi in vitro. Cells expressing Scar lacking this N-terminal region show abnormalities in F-actin distribution, cell morphology, movement, and cytokinesis. This is true even in the presence of wild-type Scar. The data suggest that the first 96 amino acids of Scar are necessary for participation in a large-molecular-weight protein complex, and that this Scar-containing complex is responsible for the proper localization and regulation of Scar. The presence of mis-regulated or unregulated Scar has significant deleterious effects on cells and may explain the need to keep Scar activity tightly controlled in vivo either by assembly in a complex or by rapid degradation.

scholarly journals Autonomous TNF is critical for in vivo monocyte survival in steady state and inflammation

2017 ◽  
Vol 214 (4) ◽  
pp. 905-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yochai Wolf ◽  
Anat Shemer ◽  
Michal Polonsky ◽  
Mor Gross ◽  
Alexander Mildner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Mononuclear Phagocytes ◽  
Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Wild Type Counterpart ◽  
And Function ◽  
Necrosis Factor ◽  
Experimental Autoimmune

Monocytes are circulating mononuclear phagocytes, poised to extravasate to sites of inflammation and differentiate into monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and its receptors are up-regulated during monopoiesis and expressed by circulating monocytes, as well as effector monocytes infiltrating certain sites of inflammation, such as the spinal cord, during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In this study, using competitive in vitro and in vivo assays, we show that monocytes deficient for TNF or TNF receptors are outcompeted by their wild-type counterpart. Moreover, monocyte-autonomous TNF is critical for the function of these cells, as TNF ablation in monocytes/macrophages, but not in microglia, delayed the onset of EAE in challenged animals and was associated with reduced acute spinal cord infiltration of Ly6Chi effector monocytes. Collectively, our data reveal a previously unappreciated critical cell-autonomous role of TNF on monocytes for their survival, maintenance, and function.

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