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Item Adipose stromal cells enhance keratinocyte survival and migration in vitro, and graft revascularization in mouse wound healing model(2013-12-11) Knowles, Kellen Alexander; Berbari, Edward J.; March, Keith Leonard, 1963-; Ji, JulieIn the US, more than 1 million burn injuries are reported annually. About 45,000 injuries due to fires and burns result in hospitalization and ten percent of these result in death every year. Advances in burn treatment have led to a reduction in mortality rate over the last decades. Since more patients are surviving the initial resuscitation phase even with very large areas of skin being burned away, wound care has become increasingly important to ensure continued patient survival and improvement. While currently a common treatment for third degree burn wounds, skin grafts have several drawbacks. The availability of donor sites for autografts may be limited, especially in incidences of extensive skin loss. The rejection associated with the use of allografts and xenografts may render them inadequate or undesirable. Even if a suitable graft is found, poor retention due to infection, hematoma, and low vascularity at the recipient site are other drawbacks associated with the use of skin grafts as a primary treatment for severe burn wounds. As such, research has been done into alternative treatments, which include but are not limited to artificial skin, cell therapy, and growth factor application. We propose the delivery of adipose derived stem cells (ASC) in combination with endothelial progenitor cells (EC) via Integra Dermal Regenerative Template (DRT) to promote faster graft vascularization and thus faster healing of wounds. Integra DRT is an acellular skin substitute that consists of a dermal layer composed of bovine collagen and chondroitin-6-sulfate glycosaminoglycan, and an "epidermal" layer, which consists of silicone polymer. This silicone layer is removed after the collagen matrix is adequately vascularized (usually takes 2-3 weeks), and then a thin layer autograft is applied to the top of the neo-dermis. ASC are derived from the stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue and are a readily available, pluripotent, mesenchymal cell known to promote angiogenesis. They are being explored as a treatment for a myriad of diseases and conditions, including wound healing. In combination with ECs, they form stable microvessel networks in vitro and in vivo. In our work, we found that ASC+EC form stable microvessel networks when cultured on Integra DRT. Also, ASC and ASC+EC conditioned media promoted both survival and migration of human epidermal keratinocytes compared to control medium. In a full thickness wound healing model, using healthy NSG mice, the ASC+EC case showed a significantly higher rate of wound closure compared to control. Based on best linear unbiased estimates (BLUE), the difference between the healing rates of ASC alone treatment and the Control treatment group is -0.45 +/- 0.22 mm²/day (p=0.041), which is not less than 0.025 and thus not statistically significant (Bonferroni Adjusted). However, the BLUE for the difference between the ASC+EC group and the Control group healing rates is -0.55 +/- 0.28 mm²/day (p = 0.017<0.025, Bonferroni Adjusted), which is statistically significant. Histology revealed a significantly higher number of vessels compared to control in both ASC alone and ASC+EC case. CD31 staining revealed the presence of human vessels in ASC+EC treatment scaffolds. We conclude that the combination of ASC and EC can be used to accelerate healing of full-thickness wounds when delivered to site of the wound via Integra. This result is especially compelling due to the fact that the mice used were all healthy. Thus our treatment shows an improvement in healing rate even compared to normal wound healing.Item Bone Metabolism: The Role of STAT3 and Reactive Oxygen Species(2013-08-14) Newnum, America Bethanne; Li, Jiliang; Marrs, James; Ji, Julie; Atkinson, SimonSignal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 3 (STAT3), a transcription factor expressed in many cell types, including osteoblasts and osteoclasts, is emerging as a key regulator of bone mass and strength. STAT3 mutations cause a rare human immunodeficiency disease characterized by extremely elevated levels of IgE in serum that have associated craniofacial and skeletal features, such as reduced bone mineral density and recurrent pathological fractures. Our microarray data and immunohistochemical staining using a normal rat model have shown that STAT3 mRNA and protein levels markedly increase in response to mechanical loading. In addition, as indicated by STAT3 phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells, STAT3 activity significantly increases in response to 30 to 90 minutes fluid shear stress. In order to further study the role that STAT3 plays in bone responsiveness to loading, tissue-selective STAT3 knockout (KO) mice, in which inactivation of STAT3 occurs in osteoblasts, were generated by breeding the transgenic mice in which Cre recombinase cDNA was cloned downstream of a 3.6 or 2.3 kb fragment of the rat Col1a1 promoter (Col3.6-Cre and Col2.3-Cre, respectively) with a strain of floxed mice in which the two loxP sites flank exons 18-20 of the STAT3 gene were used. Mice engineered with bone selective inactivation of STAT3 in osteoblasts exhibited significantly lower bone mineral density (7-12%, p<0.05) and reduced ultimate force (21-34%, p<0.01) compared to their age-matched littermate controls. The right ulnae of 16-week-old bone specific STAT3 KO mice and the age-matched control mice were loaded with peak forces of 2.5 N and 2.75 N for female and male mice, respectively, at 2 Hz, 120 cycles/day for 3 consecutive days. Mice with inactivation of STAT3 specific in bone were significantly less responsive to mechanical loading than the control mice as indicated by decreased relative mineralizing surface (rMS/BS, 47-59%, p<0.05) and relative bone formation rate (rBFR/BS, 64-75%, p<0.001). Bone responsiveness was equally decreased in mice in which STAT3 is inactivated either in early osteoblasts (Col3.6-Cre) or in mature osteoblasts (Col2.3-Cre). Accumulating evidence indicates that bone metabolism is significantly affected by activities in mitochondria. For instance, although STAT3 is reported to be involved in bone formation and resorption through regulation of nuclear genes, inactivation of STAT3 is shown to disrupt mitochondrial activities and result in an increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Inactivation of STAT3 suppressed load-driven mitochondrial activity, which led to an elevated level of ROS in cultured primary osteoblasts. Oxidative stress induced by administration of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) significantly inhibits load-induced bone formation in wild type mice. Taken together, the results support the notion that the loss-of-function mutation of STAT3 in osteoblasts and osteocytes diminishes load-driven bone formation and impairs the regulation of oxidative stress in mitochondria.Item Building a Tensegrity-Based Computational Model to Understand Endothelial Alignment Under Flow(2021-12) Al-Muhtaseb, Tamara; Ji, Julie; Na, Sungsoo; Tovar, AndresEndothelial cells form the lining of the walls of blood vessels and are continuously subjected to mechanical stimuli from the blood flow. Microtubule-organizing center (MTOC), also known as centrosome is a structure found in eukaryotic cells close to the nucleus. MTOC relocates relative to the nucleus when endothelial cells are exposed to shear stress which determines their polarization, thus it plays a critical role in cell migration and wound healing. The nuclear lamina, a mesh-like network that lies underneath the nuclear membrane, is composed of lamins, type V intermediate filament proteins. Mutations in LMNA gene that encodes A-type lamins cause the production of a mutant form of lamin A called progerin and leads to a rare premature aging disease known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS). The goal of this study is to investigate how fluid flow affects the cytoskeleton of endothelial cells. This thesis consists of two main sections; computational mechanical modeling and laboratory experimental work. The mechanical model was implemented using Ansys Workbench software as a tensegrity-based cellular model in order to simulate the state of an endothelial cell under the effects of induced shear stress from the blood fluid flow. This tensegrity-based cellular model - composed of a plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, microtubules, and actin filaments - aims to understand the effects of the fluid flow on the mechanics of the cytoskeleton. In addition, the laboratory experiments conducted in this study examined the MTOC-nuclear orientation of endothelial cells under shear stress with the presence of wound healing. Wild-type lamin A and progerin-expressing BAECs were studied under static and sheared conditions. Moreover, a custom MATLAB code was utilized to measure the MTOC-nuclear orientation angle and classification. Results demonstrate that shear stress leads to different responses of the MTOC orientation between the wild-type and progerin-expressing cells around the vertical wound edge. Future directions for this study involve additional experimental work together with the improved simulation results to confirm the MTOC orientation relative to the nucleus under shear stress.Item Exploration of Endothelial Cell Invasion and Responses to Nicotine and Arginine by Streptococcus Mutans Serotype K Strains in a Sucrose-Induced Biofilm Lifestyle(2019-08) Wagenknecht, Dawn R.; Gregory, Richard L.; Windsor, L. Jack; Galli, Dominique M.; Lee, Chao-Hung; Ji, Julie; Childers, Noel K.Streptococcus mutans, an inhabitant of oral biofilm or dental plaque, adheres to the tooth surface via protein antigen I/II (PA I/II). Pathologic lesions of atherosclerosis (AT) and infective endocarditis (IE) harbor S. mutans. Serotypes f and k strains with collagen binding protein genes cbm and cnm are uncommon in the mouth, but these are the most prevalent S. mutans strains in AT and IE tissues and can invade endothelial cells (EC) in vitro. Tobacco use increases the risk for cardiovascular and oral diseases. Oral S. mutans encounter many substances including nicotine. Arginine is present in saliva and the EC glycocalyx that coats and protects ECs from shear forces of blood flow. Prior studies demonstrated arginine alters S. mutans biofilm. This work characterizes S. mutans serotype k strains and serotype c strains, the most prevalent in the mouth. The effects of nicotine and arginine on biofilm mass, metabolic activity and EC invasion were investigated. Biofilm production by serotypes c and k strains did not differ; there were no differences in responses to nicotine and arginine between these serotypes. Increased production of biofilm was associated with the cbm and cnm genes. Nicotine increased biofilm for all strains whereas arginine plus nicotine reduced bacteria and the extracellular polymeric substances. Previous EC invasion studies were performed with planktonic cultures of S. mutans; therefore, EC invasion by biofilm was evaluated. Significant factors for EC invasion by S. mutans are presence of the cbm gene and lack of PA I/II expression on the bacterial cell surface. Presence of the cnm gene increased EC invasion by biofilm but not planktonic cells. Planktonic cells of six strains invaded better than biofilm, whereas four strains showed increased invasion by biofilm cells. Neither nicotine nor arginine significantly altered the ability of S. mutans biofilm cells to invade ECs. Not all strains with cbm or cnm and no PA I/II expression invaded EC. A strain with PA I/II expression and without cbm and cnm genes invaded EC. While cbm, cnm and PA I/II expression are predictors of EC invasion, additional mechanisms for EC invasion by S. mutans remain to be revealed.Item A Finite Element Model for Investigation of Nuclear Stresses in Arterial Endothelial Cells(2022-12) Rumberger, Charles B.; Ji, Julie; Tovar, Andres; Yokota, HirokiCellular structural mechanics play a key role in homeostasis by transducing mechanical signals to regulate gene expression and by providing adaptive structural stability for the cell. The alteration of nuclear mechanics in various laminopathies and in natural aging can damage these key functions. Arterial endothelial cells appear to be especially vulnerable due to the importance of shear force mechanotransduction to structure and gene regulation as is made evident by the prominent role of atherosclerosis in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) and in natural aging. Computational models of cellular mechanics may provide a useful tool for exploring the structural hypothesis of laminopathy at the intracellular level. This thesis explores this topic by introducing the biological background of cellular mechanics and lamin proteins in arterial endothelial cells, investigating disease states related to aberrant lamin proteins, and exploring computational models of the cell structure. It then presents a finite element model designed specifically for investigation of nuclear shear forces in arterial endothelial cells. Model results demonstrate that changes in nuclear material properties consistent with those observed in progerin-expressing cells may result in substantial increases in stress concentrations on the nuclear membrane. This supports the hypothesis that progerin disrupts homeostatic regulation of gene expression in response to hemodynamic shear by altering the mechanical properties of the nucleus.Item In Vitro and In Silico Analysis of Osteoclastogenesis in Response to Inhibition of De-phosphorylation of EIF2alpha by Salubrinal and Guanabenz(2013) Tanjung, Nancy Giovanni; Yokota, Hiroki, 1955-; Ji, Julie; Na, Sungsoo; Berbari, Edward J.An excess of bone resorption over bone formation leads to osteoporosis, resulting in a reduction of bone mass and an increase in the risk of bone fracture. Anabolic and anti-resorptive drugs are currently available for treatment, however, none of these drugs are able to both promote osteoblastogenesis and reduce osteoclastogenesis. This thesis focused on the role of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2alpha), which regulates efficiency of translational initiation. The elevation of phosphorylated eIF2alpha was reported to stimulate osteoblastogenesis, but its effects on osteoclastogenesis have not been well understood. Using synthetic chemical agents such as salubrinal and guanabenz that are known to inhibit the de-phosphorylation of eIF2alpha, the role of phosphorylation of eIF2alpha in osteoclastogenesis was investigated in this thesis. The questions addressed herein were: Does the elevation of phosphorylated eIF2alpha (p-eIF2alpha) by salubrinal and guanabenz alter osteoclastogenesis? If so, what regulatory mechanism mediates the process? It was hypothesized that p-eIF2alpha could attenuate the development of osteoclast by regulating the transcription factor(s) amd microRNA(s) involved in osteoclastogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we conducted in vitro and in silico analysis of the responses of RAW 264.7 pre-osteoclast cells to salubrinal and guanabenz. First, the in vitro results revealed that the elevated level of phosphorylated eIF2alpha inhibited the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of RAW264.7 cells and downregulated the expression of NFATc1, a master transcription factor of osteoclastogenesis. Silencing eIF2alpha by RNA interference suppressed the downregulation of NFATc1, suggesting the involvement of eIF2alpha in regulation of NFATc1. Second, the in silico results using genome-wide expression data and custom-made Matlab programs predicted a set of stimulatory and inhibitory regulator genes as well as microRNAs, which were potentially involved in the regulation of NFATc1. RNA interference experiments indicated that the genes such as Zfyve21 and Ddit4 were primary candidates as an inhibitor of NFATc1. In summary, the results showed that the elevation of p-eIF2alpha by salubrinal and guanabenz leads to attenuation of osteoclastogenesis through the downregulation of NFATc1. The regulatory mechanism is mediated by eIF2alpha signaling, but other signaling pathways are likely to be involved. Together with the previous data showing the stimulatory role of p-eIF2alpha in osteoblastogenesis, the results herein suggest that eIF2alpha-mediated signaling could provide a novel therapeutic target for treatment of osteoporosis by promoting bone formation and reducing bone resorption.Item The Mechanotransduction of Hydrostatic Pressure by Mesenchymal Stem Cells(2018-12) Hosseini, Seyedeh Ghazaleh; Wagner, Diane R.; Na, Sungsoo; Ji, JulieMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are responsive to mechanical stimuli that play an essential role in directing their differentiation to the chondrogenic lineage. A better understanding of the mechanisms that allow MSCs to respond to mechanical stimuli is important to improving cartilage tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Hydrostatic pressure (HP) in particular is known to be a primary mechanical force in joints. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that facilitate HP mechanotransduction. Understanding the signaling pathways in MSCs in transducing HP to a beneficial biologic response and their interrelationship were the focus of this thesis. Studies used porcine marrow-derived MSCs seeded in agarose gel. Calcium ion Ca++ signaling, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) involvement, and sirtuin1 activity were investigated in conjunction with HP application. Intracellular Ca++ concentration was previously shown to be changed with HP application. In our study a bioreactor was used to apply a single application of HP to the MSC-seeded gel structures and observe Ca++ signaling via live imaging of a fluorescent calcium indicator in cells. However, no fluctuations in Ca++ concentrations were observed with 10 minutes loading of HP. Additionally a problem with the biore actor design was discovered. First the gel was floating around in the bioreactor even without loading. After stabilizing the gel and stopping it from floating, there were still about 16 µm of movement and deformation in the system. The movement and deformation was analyzed for the gel structure and different parts of the bioreactor. Furthermore, we investigated the role of FAK in early and late chondrogenesis and also its involvement in HP mechanotransduction. A FAK inhibitor was used on MSCs from day 1 to 21 and showed a dose-dependent suppression of chondrogenesis. However, when low doses of FAK inhibitor added to the MSC culture from day 21 to 42, chondrogenesis was not inhibited. With 4 hour cyclic HP, FAK phosphorylation increased. The beneficial effect of HP was suppressed with overnight addition of the FAK inhibitor to MSC medium, suggesting FAK involvement in HP mechanotransd ucation by MSCs. Moreover, sirtuin1 participation in MSC chondrogenesis and mechanotransduc tion was also explored. The results indicated that overnight sirtuin1 inhibition in creased chondrogenic gene expression (Agc, Col2, and Sox9) in MSCs. Additionally, the activity of sirtuin1 was decreased with both 4 hour cyclic hydrostatic pressure and inhibitor application. These two together demonstrated that sirtuin1 inhibition enhances chondrogenesis. In this research we have investigated the role of Ca++ signaling, FAK involvement, and sirtuin1 activity in the mechanotransduction of HP in MSCs. These understand ings about the mechanisms regulating the chondrogenesis with respect to HP could have important implications for cartilage tissue engineering and regenerative studies.Item Signaling Pathways Involved in Mechanical Stimulation and ECM Geometry in Bone Cells(2010-07-27T20:24:41Z) Jiang, Chang; Yokota, Hiroki, 1955-; Liu, Yunlong; Ji, JulieThe proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts are influenced by mechanical and geometrical growth environments. A specific aim of my thesis was the elucidation of signaling pathways involved in mechanical stimulation and geometric alterations of the extracellular matrix (ECM). A pair of questions addressed herein was (a) Does mechanical stimulation modulate translational regulation through the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2)? (b) Do geometric alterations affect the phosphorylation patterns of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling? My hypothesis was mechanical stress enhances the proliferation and survival of osteoblasts through the reduction in phosphorylation of eIF2, while 3-dimensional (3D) ECM stimulates differentiation of osteoblasts through the elevation of phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. First, mechanical stimulation reduced the phosphorylation of eIF2. Furthermore, flow pre-treatment reduced thapsigargin-induced cell mortality through suppression of phosphorylation of protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (Perk). However, H2O2-driven cell mortality, which is not mediated by Perk, was not suppressed by mechanical stimulation. Second, in the ECM geometry study, the expression of the active (phosphorylated) form of p130Cas, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) was reduced in cells grown in the 3D matrix. Conversely, phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was elevated in the 3D matrix and its up-regulation was linked to an increase in mRNA levels of dentin matrix protein 1 and bone sialoprotein. In summary, our observations suggest the pro-survival role of mechanical stimulation and the modulation of osteoblastic fates by ECM geometry.Item Urinary Volatile Organic Compounds for Detection of Breast Cancer and Monitoring Chemical and Mechanical Cancer Treatments in Mice(2019-05) Teli, Meghana; Yokota, Hiroki; Agarwal, Mangilal; Ji, JulieThe aim of this study is to identify metabolic transformations in breast cancer through urinary volatile organic compounds in mammary pad or bone tumor mice models. Subsequently, it focuses on investigating the efficacy of therapeutic intervention through identified potential biomarkers. Methods for monitoring tumor development and treatment responses have technologically advanced over the years leading to significant increase in percent survival rates. Although these modalities are reliable, it would be beneficial to observe disease progression from a new perspective to gain greater understanding of cancer pathogenesis. Analysis of cellular energetics affected by cancer using bio-fluids can non-invasively help in prognosis and selection of treatment regimens. The hypothesis is altered profiles of urinary volatile metabolites is directly related to disrupted metabolic pathways. Additionally, effectiveness of treatments can be indicated through changes in concentration of metabolites. In this ancillary experiment, mouse urine specimens were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, an analytical chemistry tool in identifying volatile organic compounds. Female BALB/c mice were injected with 4T1.2 murine breast tumor cells in the mammary fat pad. Consecutively, 4T1.2 cells were injected in the right iliac artery of BALB/c mice and E0771 tumor cells injected in the tibia of C57BL/6 mice to model bone tumor. The effect of two different modes of treatment: chemical drug and mechanical stimulation was investigated through changes in compound profiles. Chemical drug therapy was conducted with dopamine agents, Triuoperazine, Fluphenazine and a statin, Pitavastatin. Mechanical stimulation included tibia and knee loading at the site of tumor cell injection were given to mice. A biological treatment mode included administration of A5 osteocyte cell line. A set of potential volatile organic compounds biomarkers differentiating mammary pad or bone confined tumors from healthy controls was identified using forward feature selection. Effect of treatments was demonstrated through hierarchical heat maps and multivariate data analysis. Compounds identified in series of experiments belonged to the class of terpenoids, precursors of cholesterol molecules. Terpene synthesis is a descending step of mevalonate pathway suggesting its potential role in cancer pathogenesis. This thesis demonstrates the ability of urine volatilomics to indicate signaling pathways inflicted in tumors. It proposes a concept of using urine to detect tumor developments at two distinct locations as well as to monitor treatment efficacy.