Apelin has been identified as the endogenous ligand of human orphan G protein–coupled receptor APJ. This peptide exerts a variety cardiovascular effects and particularly acts an activator angiogenesis. Importantly, hypoxia reported to regulate apelin expression but molecular mechanism underlying hypoxia-induced relationship with physiological response apelin/APJ system are still not established. Here, we demonstrate that is induced by in cultured endothelial vascular smooth muscle cells well...

The differentiation, growth, and survival of endothelial cells (ECs) are regulated by multiple signalling pathways, such as vascular growth factors (VEGFs) angiopoietins through their receptor tyrosine kinases, VEGF (VEGFR) 2 Tie2, respectively. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), members the transforming factor (TGF)-β family, have been implicated in development maintenance systems. However, effects on EC proliferation remain to be elucidated. In present study, we show that BMPs induce...

Abstract Molecular programming takes advantage of synthetic nucleic acid biochemistry to assemble networks reactions, in vitro , with the double goal better understanding cellular regulation and providing information-processing capabilities man-made chemical systems. The function molecular circuits is deeply related their topological structure, but dynamical features (rate laws) also play a critical role. Here we introduce mechanism tune nonlinearities associated individual nodes network....

Spherical three-dimensional (3D) cellular aggregates are valuable for various applications such as regenerative medicine or cell-based assays due to their stable and high functionality. However, previous methods form have shown drawbacks, being labor-intensive, showing low productivity per unit area volume difficulty homogeneous aggregates. We proposed a novel strategy based on oxygen-permeable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) honeycomb microwell sheets, which can theoretically supply about 80...

The transforming growth factor-β/bone morphogenic protein (BMP) system is a major pathway for angiogenesis and involved in hereditary vascular diseases. Here we report that the gene encoding vasoactive cell growth-regulating peptide apelin target of BMP pathway. We demonstrate expression strongly downregulated by an endothelial line as well lung microvascular cells. show signals through BMPR2-SMAD to downregulate transcriptional direct indirect mechanism required. BMP-induced downregulation...

Due to the high water content of cartilage, hydrostatic pressure is likely one main physical stimuli sensed by chondrocytes. Whereas, in physiological range (0 around 10 MPa), exerts mostly pro-chondrogenic effects chondrocyte models, excessive pressures have been reported induce detrimental on such as increased apoptosis and inflammation, decreased cartilage marker expression. Though some genes modulated identified, global gene expression pattern still not investigated. In this study, using...

Metal electrodes with micron scale width enable the heating of less than a dozen cells in confluent layer at predictable temperatures up to 85 °C an accuracy ±2 °C. Those performances were obtained by preliminary robust temperature calibration based on biotin-rhodamine fluorescence and controlling map substrate through thermal modeling. The was proved inducing expression heat shock proteins (HSP) few NIH-3T3 confined precise rise. Our device is therefore effective locally induce response...

The fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds for the reconstruction highly oxygen-dependent inner organs is discussed. An additive manufacturing technology known as selective laser sintering was employed to fabricate a porous scaffold with an embedded flow channel network. A porogen leaching system used obtain high porosity. prototype developed using biodegradable plastic polycaprolactone and sodium chloride porogen. porosity 90% successfully obtained. Micro x-ray CT observation carried...

To investigate the role of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) on α-B-crystallin (CRYAB) expression and its physiological consequences endothelial cells (ECs).We report that gene encoding for small heat shock protein, CRYAB, is a transcriptional target BMP signaling pathway. We demonstrate CRYAB upregulated strongly by BMPs in an EC line human lung microvascular ECs umbilical vein ECs. show signals through BMPR2-ALK1 pathway to upregulate indirect mechanism involving Id1. observed known...

To realize long-term in vitro culture of hepatocytes at a high density while maintaining hepatic function for aggregate-based liver tissue engineering, we report here novel method whereby endothelialized rat hepatocyte aggregates were formed using PDMS microwell device and cultured perfusion bioreactor by introducing spacers between to improve oxygen nutrient supply. Primary around 100 µm diameter coated with human umbilical vein endothelial cells spontaneously quickly after 12 h incubation,...

Abstract The uterus plays an important and unique role during pregnancy is a dynamic organ subjected to mechanical stimuli. It has been reported that infertility occurs when the peristalsis prevented, although its mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we found strain mimicking peristaltic motion of uterine smooth muscle layer enabled endometrial stromal cells acquire contractility. order mimic induced by cells, cyclic tensile stretch was applied human cells. results showed strained...

Abstract Background Mutations in endoglin (ENG) and activin receptor‐like kinase 1 (ALK‐1 or ACVRL1) genes are the underlying basis of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) types 2, respectively. Both belong to transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) receptors superfamily expressed endothelial cells. The current model for HHT is that ENG ALK‐1 haplo‐insufficiency affects angiogenesis predisposes vascular dysplasia arteriovenous malformations. Materials methods Using microarray...

Producing sheet-like tissues is a promising strategy for implantable engineered tissues, because in vitro pre-vascularization dispensable this configuration. We developed simple methodology the formation and non-destructive harvesting of thick pancreatic β-cell sheet consisting mouse insulinoma MIN6-m9 cells NIH3T3 fibroblasts using an O2-permeable polydimethylsiloxane plate modified with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (O2+/PNIPA-PDMS plate). Owing to direct oxygenation through PNIPA-modified...

Chondrocytes are known to be physiologically loaded with diverse physical factors such as compressive stress, shear stress and hydrostatic pressure. Although the effects of those mechanical stimuli onto various cell models have been widely studied, hypergravity not yet revealed clearly. Hereby, we hypothesized that affects relative positions intracellular elements including nucleus cytoskeletons due their density differences, triggering mechanotransduction in cell. The aim this study was...

A novel engineering methodology for organizing a large liver tissue equivalent was established by intergrating both 'top down' and 'bottom up' approaches. three-dimensional (3D) scaffold engineered comprising 43 culture chambers (volume: 11.63 cm3) assembled in symmetrical pattern on 3 layers, design which enables further scaling up of the device to clinically significant size 500 cm3). In addition, an inter-connected flow channel network designed proved homogenously deliver medium each...

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia type 1 (HHT1) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease characterized by arteriovenous malformations and hemorrhage. HHT1 caused mutations in ENDOGLIN, which encodes ancillary receptor for Transforming Growth Factor-β/Bone Morphogenetic Protein-9 expressed all vascular endothelial cells. Haploinsufficiency widely accepted as the underlying mechanism HHT1. However, it remains intriguing that only some, but not all, beds are affected, these causal gene...