Toshiharu Yamashita

A Novel Class of Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitors Induces Angiogenesis and Exerts Organ Protection Against Ischemia

Objective—Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) plays a pivotal role in the adaptation to ischemic conditions. Its activity is modulated by an oxygen-dependent hydroxylation of proline residues by prolyl hydroxylases (PHD). Methods and Results—We discovered 2 unique compounds (TM6008 and TM6089), which inhibited PHD and stabilized HIF activity in vitro. Our docking simulation studies based on the 3-dimensional structure of human PHD2 disclosed that they preferentially bind to the active site of PHD. Whereas PHD inhibitors previously reported inhibit PHD activity via iron chelation, TM6089 does not share an iron chelating motif and is devoid of iron chelating activity. In vitro Matrigel assays and in vivo sponge assays demonstrated enhancement of angiogenesis by local administration of TM6008 and TM6089. Their oral administration stimulated HIF activity in various organs of transgenic rats expressing a hypoxia-responsive reporter vector. No acute toxicity was observed up to 2 weeks after a single oral dose of 2000 mg/kg for TM6008. Oral administration of TM6008 protected neurons in a model of cerebrovascular disease. The protection was associated with amelioration of apoptosis but independent of enhanced angiogenesis. Conclusions—The present study uncovered beneficial effects of novel PHD inhibitors preferentially binding to the active site of PHD.

Protective Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2α against Ischemic Damage and Oxidative Stress in the Kidney

Central to cellular responses to hypoxic environment is the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcriptional control system. A role for HIF-2alpha was investigated in a model of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) associated with oxidative stress using HIF-2alpha knockdown mice. In these mice, HIF-2alpha expression was approximately one half that of wild-type mice, whereas HIF-1alpha expression was equivalent. HIF-2alpha knockdown mice were more susceptible to renal IRI, as indicated by elevated blood urea nitrogen levels and semiquantitative histologic analysis. Immunostaining with markers of oxidative stress showed enhanced oxidative stress in the kidney of HIF-2alpha knockdown mice, which was associated with peritubular capillary loss. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed decreased expression of antioxidative stress genes in the HIF-2alpha knockdown kidneys. Studies that used small interference RNA confirmed regulation of the antioxidative stress genes in cultured endothelial cells. Although HIF-2alpha knockdown mice were anemic, serum erythropoietin levels were not significantly increased, reflecting inappropriate response to anemia as a result of HIF-2alpha knockdown. Experiments that used hemodiluted mice with renal ischemia demonstrated that anemia of this degree did not affect susceptibility to ischemia. Knockdown of HIF-2alpha in inflammatory cells by bone marrow transplantation experiments demonstrated that HIF-2alpha in inflammatory cells did not contribute to susceptibility to renal IRI. Restoration of HIF-2alpha in endothelium by intercrossing with Tie1-Cre mice ameliorated renal injury by IRI, demonstrating a specific role of endothelial HIF-2alpha. These results suggest that HIF-2alpha in the endothelium has a protective role against ischemia of the kidney via amelioration of oxidative stress.

Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit, But Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote, Glioblastoma Multiforme Proliferation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess self-renewal and multipotential differentiation abilities, and they are thought to be one of the most reliable stem cell sources for a variety of cell therapies. Recently, cell therapy using MSCs has been studied as a novel therapeutic approach for cancers that show refractory progress and poor prognosis. MSCs from different tissues have different properties. However, the effect of different MSC properties on their application in anticancer therapies has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, to characterize the anticancer therapeutic application of MSCs from different sources, we established two different kinds of human MSCs: umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (UCB-MSCs) and adipose-tissue-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs). We used these MSCs in a coculture assay with primary glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells to analyze how MSCs from different sources can inhibit GBM growth. We found that UCB-MSCs inhibited GBM growth and caused apoptosis, but AT-MSCs promoted GBM growth. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick-end labeling assay clearly demonstrated that UCB-MSCs promoted apoptosis of GBM via tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). TRAIL was expressed more highly by UCB-MSCs than by AT-MSCs. Higher mRNA expression levels of angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin 1, platelet-derived growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor) and stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12) were observed in AT-MSCs, and highly vascularized tumors were developed when AT-MSCs and GBM were cotransplanted. Importantly, CXCL12 inhibited TRAIL activation of the apoptotic pathway in GBM, suggesting that AT-MSCs may support GBM development in vivo by at least two distinct mechanisms-promoting angiogenesis and inhibiting apoptosis. The opposite effects of AT-MSCs and UCB-MSCs on GBM clearly demonstrate that differences must be considered when choosing a stem cell source for safety in clinical application.

Abnormal Heart Development and Lung Remodeling in Mice Lacking the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Related Basic Helix-Loop-Helix PAS Protein NEPAS

ABSTRACT Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are crucial for oxygen homeostasis during both embryonic development and postnatal life. Here we show that a novel HIF family basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) protein, which is expressed predominantly during embryonic and neonatal stages and thereby designated NEPAS (neonatal and embryonic PAS), acts as a negative regulator of HIF-mediated gene expression. NEPAS mRNA is derived from the HIF-3α gene by alternative splicing, replacing the first exon of HIF-3α with that of inhibitory PAS. NEPAS can dimerize with Arnt and exhibits only low levels of transcriptional activity, similar to that of HIF-3α. NEPAS suppressed reporter gene expression driven by HIF-1α and HIF-2α. By generating mice with a targeted disruption of the NEPAS/HIF-3α locus, we found that homozygous mutant mice (NEPAS/HIF-3α−/−) were viable but displayed enlargement of the right ventricle and impaired lung remodeling. The expression of endothelin 1 and platelet-derived growth factor β was increased in the lung endothelial cells of NEPAS/HIF-3α-null mice. These results demonstrate a novel regulatory mechanism in which the activities of HIF-1α and HIF-2α are negatively regulated by NEPAS in endothelial cells, which is pertinent to lung and heart development during the embryonic and neonatal stages.

Functional Analysis of Basic Transcription Element Binding Protein by Gene Targeting Technology

ABSTRACT Basic transcription element binding protein (BTEB) is a transcription factor with a characteristic zinc finger motif and is most remarkably enhanced by thyroid hormone T3 treatment (R. J. Denver et al., J. Biol. Chem. 272:8179-8188, 1997). To investigate the function of BTEB per se and to touch on the effects of T3 (3,5,3′-triiodothyronine) on mouse development, we generated BTEB-deficient mice by gene knockout technology. Homologous BTEB−/− mutant mice were bred according to apparently normal Mendelian genetics, matured normally, and were fertile. Mutant mice could survive for at least 2 years without evident pathological defects. From the expression of lacZ, which was inserted into the reading frame of the BTEB gene, BTEB showed a characteristic tissue-specific expression profile during the developmental process of brain and bone. Dramatically increased expression of BTEB was observed in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and pyramidal cell layers of the hippocampus at P7 when synapses start to form in the brain. Although general behavioral activities such as locomotion, rearing, and speed of movement were not so much affected in the BTEB−/− mutant mice, they showed clearly reduced activity levels in rotorod and contextual fear-conditioning tests; this finding was probably due to defective functions of the cerebellum, hippocampus, and amygdala.

Hypoxia Responsive Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Umbilical Cord Blood Are Effective for Bone Repair

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are highly useful in a variety of cell therapies owing to their multipotential differentiation capability. MSCs derived from umbilical cord blood are generally isolated by their plastic adherence without using specific cell surface markers and examined for their osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation properties retrospectively. Here, we report 2 subpopulations of MSCs, separated based on aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. MSCs with a high ALDH activity (Alde-High) proliferated more than those with a low ALDH activity (Alde-Low). Alde-High MSCs had a greater ability to differentiate than Alde-Low MSCs in in vitro culture. Transplantation of Alde-High MSCs into fractured mouse femurs enabled early repair of tissues and rapid bone substitution. Alde-High MSCs were also more responsive to hypoxia than Alde-Low MSCs, with the upregulation of Flt-1, CXCR4, and Angiopoietin-2. Thus, MSCs with a high ALDH activity might serve as an effective therapeutic tool for healing fractures within a short period of time.

Molecular Therapeutic Targets for Glioma Angiogenesis

Due to the prominent angiogenesis that occurs in malignant glioma, antiangiogenic therapy has been attempted. There have been several molecular targets that are specific to malignant gliomas, as well as more broadly in systemic cancers. In this review, I will focus on some topics related to molecular therapeutic targets for glioma angiogenesis. First, important angiogenic factors that could be considered molecular targets are VEGF, VEGF-induced proteins on endothelial cells, tissue factor, osteopontin, α v β 3 integrin, and thymidine phosphorylase as well as endogenous inhibitors, soluble Flt1, and thrombospondin 1. Second, hypoxic areas are also decreased by metronomic CPT11 treatment as well as temozolomide. Third, glioma-derived endothelial cells that are genetically and functionally distinct from normal endothelial cells should be targeted, for example, with SDF-1 and CXCR7 chemokine. Fourth, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) likely contribute towards glioma angiogenesis in the brain and could be useful as a drug delivery tool. Finally, blockade of delta-like 4 (Dll4) results in a nonfunctioning vasculature and could be another important target distinct from VEGF.

Identification of human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells involved in re-endothelialization†

Human placenta is an attractive source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for regenerative medicine. The cell surface markers expressed on MSC have been proposed as useful tools for the isolation of MSC from other cell populations. However, the correlation between the expression of MSC markers and the ability to support tissue regeneration in vivo has not been well examined. Here, we established several MSC lines from human placenta and examined the expression of their cell surface markers and their ability to differentiate toward mesenchymal cell lineages. We found that the expression of CD349/frizzled‐9, a receptor for Wnt ligands, was positive in placenta‐derived MSC. So, we isolated CD349‐negative and ‐positive fractions from an MSC line and examined how successfully cell engraftment repaired fractured bone and recovered blood flow in ischemic regions using mouse models. CD349‐negative and ‐positive cells displayed a similar expression pattern of cell surface markers and facilitated the repair of fractured bone in transplantation experiments in mice. Interestingly, CD349‐negative, but not CD349‐positive cells, showed significant effects on recovering blood flow following vascular occlusion. We found that induction of PDGFβ and bFGF mRNAs by hypoxia was greater in CD349‐negative cells than in CD349‐positive cells while the expression of VEGF was not significantly different in CD349‐negative and CD349‐positive cells. These findings suggest the possibility that CD349 could be utilized as a specialized marker for MSC isolation for re‐endothelialization. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 224–235, 2010.

The microenvironment for erythropoiesis is regulated by HIF-2α through VCAM-1 in endothelial cells

Erythropoiesis is a dynamic process regulated by oxygen in vertebrates. Recent evidence has indicated that erythropoietin (Epo) expression is regulated by hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs), HIF-2alpha in particular. In this study, we report that knockdown mutation of HIF-2alpha in mice (kd/kd) results in normocytic anemia, despite Epo induction in response to hypoxia not being severely affected. Transplantation analyses clearly demonstrated that the hematopoietic microenvironment, but not the hematopoietic cells, was altered in kd/kd. Furthermore, cell-type specific recovery of HIF-2alpha expression in endothelial cells (ECs) abrogated the anemic condition of the kd/kd mice, indicating that HIF-2alpha in EC plays an essential role in supporting erythropoiesis. In the absence of HIF-2alpha, the expression of vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) was reduced significantly and restoration of VCAM-1 expression in kd/kd ECs enhanced the development of erythroid progenitors. Finally, a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and a reporter assay indicated that VCAM-1 gene transcription is directly regulated by HIF-2alpha. These data suggest that the hematopoietic microenvironment required for erythropoiesis is dynamically regulated by oxygen through the functions of HIF-2alpha in ECs.

Functional endothelial progenitor cells selectively recruit neurovascular protective monocyte-derived F4/80+/Ly6c+ macrophages in a mouse model of retinal degeneration

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited eye disorders that result in profound vision loss with characteristic retinal neuronal degeneration and vasculature attenuation. In a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa, endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) from bone marrow rescued the vasculature and photoreceptors. However, the mechanisms and cell types underlying these protective effects were uncertain. We divided EPC, which contribute to angiogenesis, into two subpopulations based on their aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity and observed that EPC with low ALDH activity (Alde‐Low) had greater neuroprotection and vasoprotection capabilities after injection into the eyes of an rd1 mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa compared with EPC with high ALDH activity (Alde‐High). Of note, Alde‐Low EPC selectively recruited F4/80+/Ly6c+ monocyte‐derived macrophages from bone marrow into retina through CCL2 secretion. In addition, the mRNA levels of CCR2, the neurotrophic factors TGF‐β1 and IGF‐1, and the anti‐inflammatory mediator interleukin‐10 were higher in migrated F4/80+/Ly6c+ monocyte‐derived macrophages as compared with F4/80+/Ly6c− resident retinal microglial cells. These results suggest a novel therapeutic approach using EPC to recruit neuroprotective macrophages that delay the progression of neural degenerative disease. Stem Cells 2013;31:2149–2161