TY - JOUR A1 - Lu, Yong-Ping A1 - Hasan, Ahmed A. A1 - Zeng, Shufei A1 - Hocher, Berthold T1 - Plasma ET-1 concentrations are elevated in pregnant women with hypertension - meta-analysis of clinical studies JF - Kidney & blood pressure research : official organ of the Gesellschaft für Nephrologie ; official organ of the Deutsche Liga zur Bekämpfung des Hohen Blutdruckes e.V., Deutsche Hypertonie-Gesellschaft N2 - Background/Aims: The ET system might be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. The objective is to analyse the impact of ET-1 in hypertensive pregnant women by a strict meta-analysis of published human clinical studies. Methods: Based on the principle of Cochrane systematic reviews, Cohort studies in PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar and China Biological Medicine Database (CBM-disc) designed to identify the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathophysiology of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were screened. Review Manager Version 5.0 (Rev-Man 5.0) was applied for statistical analysis. Mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were shown in inverse variance (IV) fixed-effects model or IV random-effects model. Results: Sixteen published cohort studies including 1739 hypertensive cases and 409 controls were used in the meta-analysis. ET-1 plasma concentrations were higher in hypertensive pregnant women as compared to the controls (mean difference between groups: 19.02 [15.60～22.44], P < 0.00001,). These finding were driven by severity of hypertension and/or degree of proteinuria. Conclusion: Plasma ET-1 concentrations are elevated in hypertensive disorders during human pregnancy. In particular women with preeclampsia (hypertensive pregnant women with proteinuria) have substantially elevated plasma ET-1 concentration as compared to pregnant women with normal blood pressure. KW - Et-1 KW - Pregnancy KW - Hypertension KW - Meta-analysis Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1159/000482004 SN - 1420-4096 SN - 1423-0143 VL - 42 IS - 4 SP - 654 EP - 663 PB - Karger CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zou, Jie A1 - Wang, Weiwei A1 - Neffe, Axel T. A1 - Xu, Xun A1 - Li, Zhengdong A1 - Deng, Zijun A1 - Sun, Xianlei A1 - Ma, Nan A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Adipogenic differentiation of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells in 3D architectured gelatin based hydrogels (ArcGel) JF - Clinical hemorheology and microcirculation : blood flow and vessels N2 - Polymeric matrices mimicking multiple functions of the ECM are expected to enable a material induced regeneration of tissues. Here, we investigated the adipogenic differentiation of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) in a 3D architectured gelatin based hydrogel (ArcGel) prepared from gelatin and L-lysine diisocyanate ethyl ester (LDI) in an one-step process, in which the formation of an open porous morphology and the chemical network formation were integrated. The ArcGel was designed to support adipose tissue regeneration with its 3D porous structure, high cell biocompatibility, and mechanical properties compatible with human subcutaneous adipose tissue. The ArcGel could support initial cell adhesion and survival of hADSCs. Under static culture condition, the cells could migrate into the inner part of the scaffold with a depth of 840 +/- 120 mu m after 4 days, and distributed in the whole scaffold (2mm in thickness) within 14 days. The cells proliferated in the scaffold and the fold increase of cell number after 7 days of culture was 2.55 +/- 0.08. The apoptotic rate of hADSCs in the scaffold was similar to that of cells maintained on tissue culture plates. When cultured in adipogenic induction medium, the hADSCs in the scaffold differentiated into adipocytes with a high efficiency (93 +/- 1%). Conclusively, this gelatin based 3D scaffold presented high cell compatibility for hADSC cultivation and differentiation, which could serve as a potential implant material in clinical applications for adipose tissue reparation and regeneration. KW - Mesenchymal stem cells KW - gelatin based scaffold KW - adipose tissue regeneration KW - adipogenic differentiation Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/CH-179210 SN - 1386-0291 SN - 1875-8622 VL - 67 IS - 3-4 SP - 297 EP - 307 PB - IOS Press CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwiebs, Anja A1 - Thomas, Dominique Jeanette A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Pfeilschifter, Josef A1 - Radeke, Heinfried H. T1 - Nuclear translocation of SGPP-1 and decrease of SGPL-1 activity contribute to sphingolipid rheostat regulation of inflammatory dendritic cells JF - Mediators of inflammation N2 - A balanced sphingolipid rheostat is indispensable for dendritic cell function and survival and thus initiation of an immune response. Sphingolipid levels are dynamically maintained by the action of sphingolipid enzymes of which sphingosine kinases, S1P phosphatases (SGPP-1/2) and S1P lyase (SGPL-1), are pivotal in the balance of S1P and sphingosine levels. In this study, we present that SGPP-1 and SGPL-1 are regulated in inflammatory dendritic cells and contribute to S1P fate. TLR-dependent activation caused SGPL-1 protein downregulation with subsequent decrease of enzymatic activity by two-thirds. In parallel, confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed that endogenous SGPP-1 was expressed in nuclei of naive dendritic cells and was translocated into the cytoplasmatic compartment upon inflammatory stimulation resulting in dephosphorylation of S1P. Mass spectrometric determination showed that a part of the resulting sphingosine was released from the cell, increasing extracellular levels. Another route of diminishing intracellular S1P was possibly taken by its export via ATP-binding cassette transporter C1 which was upregulated in array analysis, while the S1P transporter, spinster homolog 2, was not relevant in dendritic cells. These investigations newly describe the sequential expression and localization of the endogenous S1P regulators SGPP-1 and SGPL-1 and highlight their contribution to the sphingolipid rheostat in inflammation. Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5187368 SN - 0962-9351 SN - 1466-1861 PB - Hindawi Publishing Corp. CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Westbury, Michael V. A1 - Dalerumb, Fredrik A1 - Noren, Karin A1 - Hofreiter, Michael T1 - Complete mitochondrial genome of a bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), along with phylogenetic considerations JF - Mitochondrial DNA. Part B N2 - The bat-eared fox, Otocyon megalotis, is the only member of its genus and is thought to occupy a basal position within the dog family. These factors can lead to challenges in complete mitochondrial reconstructions and accurate phylogenetic positioning. Here, we present the first complete mitochondrial genome of the bat-eared fox recovered using shotgun sequencing and iterative mapping to three distantly related species. Phylogenetic analyses placed the bat-eared fox basal in the Canidae family within the clade including true foxes (Vulpes) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes) with high support values. This position is in good agreement with previously published results based on short fragments of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, therefore adding more support to the basal positioning of the bat-eared fox within Canidae. KW - Phylogenetics KW - mitochondria KW - iterative mapping KW - Canidae Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2017.1331325 SN - 2380-2359 VL - 2 IS - 1 SP - 298 EP - 299 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR ED - Kleine-Vehn, Jürgen ED - Sauer, Michael T1 - Plant Hormones BT - Methods and Protocols JF - Methods in Molecular Biology N2 - This volume aims to present a representative cross-section of modern experimental approaches relevant to Plant Hormone Biology, ranging from relatively simple physiological to highly sophisticated methods. Chapters describe physiological, developmental, microscopy-based techniques, measure hormone contents, and heterologous systems. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. KW - phenotyping KW - four-dimensional tissue reconstruction KW - hormonal pathways KW - measure hormone contents KW - heterologous systems Y1 - 2017 SN - 978-1-4939-6467-3 SN - 978-1-4939-8210-3 SN - 978-1-4939-6469-7 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6469-7 SN - 1064-3745 SN - 1940-6029 IS - 1497 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kleine-Vehn, Jürgen A1 - Sauer, Michael ED - Kleine-Vehn, Jürgen ED - Sauer, Michael T1 - Preface T2 - Plant Hormones: Methods and Protocols Y1 - 2017 SN - 978-1-4939-6469-7 SN - 978-1-4939-6467-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6469-7 SN - 1064-3745 SN - 1940-6029 VL - 1497 SP - V EP - V PB - Springer CY - New York ET - 3 ER - TY - THES A1 - Janowski, Marcin Andrzej T1 - Investigating role of the essential GTPase - AtRsgA in the assembly of the small ribosomal subunit in Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplast Y1 - 2017 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Henkel, Janin A1 - Coleman, Charles Dominic A1 - Schraplau, Anne A1 - Jöhrens, Korinna A1 - Weber, Daniela A1 - Castro, Jose Pedro A1 - Hugo, Martin A1 - Schulz, Tim Julius A1 - Krämer, Stephanie A1 - Schürmann, Annette A1 - Püschel, Gerhard Paul T1 - Induction of Steatohepatitis (NASH) with Insulin Resistance in Wild-type B6 Mice by a Western-type Diet Containing Soybean Oil and Cholesterol JF - Molecular medicine N2 - Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are hepatic manifestations of the metabolic syndrome. Many currently used animal models of NAFLD/NASH lack clinical features of either NASH or metabolic syndrome such as hepatic inflammation and fibrosis (e.g., high-fat diets) or overweight and insulin resistance (e.g., methionine-choline-deficient diets), or they are based on monogenetic defects (e.g., ob/ob mice). In the current study, a Western-type diet containing soybean oil with high n-6-PUFA and 0.75% cholesterol (SOD + Cho) induced steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis accompanied by hepatic lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in livers of C57BL/6-mice, which in addition showed increased weight gain and insulin resistance, thus displaying a phenotype closely resembling all clinical features of NASH in patients with metabolic syndrome. In striking contrast, a soybean oil-containing Western-type diet without cholesterol (SOD) induced only mild steatosis but not hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, weight gain or insulin resistance. Another high-fat diet, mainly consisting of lard and supplemented with fructose in drinking water (LAD + Fru), resulted in more prominent weight gain, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis than SOD + Cho, but livers were devoid of inflammation and fibrosis. Although both LAD + Fru-and SOD + Cho-fed animals had high plasma cholesterol, liver cholesterol was elevated only in SOD + Cho animals. Cholesterol induced expression of chemotactic and inflammatory cytokines in cultured Kupffer cells and rendered hepatocytes more susceptible to apoptosis. In summary, dietary cholesterol in the SOD + Cho diet may trigger hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. SOD + Cho-fed animals may be a useful disease model displaying many clinical features of patients with the metabolic syndrome and NASH. KW - Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) KW - Typical Western Diet KW - Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) KW - Dietary Cholesterol KW - Kupffer Cells Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2119/molmed.2016.00203 SN - 1076-1551 SN - 1528-3658 VL - 23 SP - 70 EP - 82 PB - Feinstein Inst. for Medical Research CY - Manhasset ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bergholz, Kolja A1 - May, Felix A1 - Giladi, Itamar A1 - Ristow, Michael A1 - Ziv, Yaron A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Environmental heterogeneity drives fine-scale species assembly and functional diversity of annual plants in a semi-arid environment JF - Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics N2 - Spatial environmental heterogeneity is considered a fundamental factor for the maintenance of plant species richness. However, it still remains unclear whether heterogeneity may also facilitate coexistence at fine grain sizes or whether other processes, like mass effects and source sink dynamics due to dispersal, control species composition and diversity at these scales. In this study, we used two complimentary analyses to identify the role of heterogeneity within 15 m x 15 m plots for the coexistence of species-rich annual communities in a semi-arid environment along a steep precipitation gradient. Specifically, we: (a) analyzed the effect of environmental heterogeneity on species, functional and phylogenetic diversity within microsites (alpha diversity, 0.06 m(2) and 1 m(2)), across microsites (beta diversity), and diversity at the entire plot (gamma diversity); (b) further we used two null models to detect non-random trait and phylogenetic patterns in order to infer assembly processes, i.e. whether co-occurring species tend to share similar traits (trait convergence) or dissimilar traits (trait divergence). In general, our results showed that heterogeneity had a positive effect on community diversity. Specifically, for alpha diversity, the effect was significant for functional diversity, and not significant for either species or phylogenetic diversities. For beta diversity, all three measures of community diversity (species, functional, and phylogenetic) increased significantly, as they also did for gamma diversity, where functional measures were again stronger than for species or phylogenetic measures. In addition, the null model approach consistently detected trait convergence, indicating that species with similar traits tended to co-occur and had high abundances in a given microsite. While null model analysis across the phylogeny partly supported these trait findings, showing phylogenetic underdispersion at the 1m(2) grain size, surprisingly when species abundances in microsites were analyzed they were more evenly distributed across the phylogenetic tress than expected (phylogenetic overdispersion). In conclusion, our results provide compelling support that environmental heterogeneity at a relatively fine scale is an important factor for species co-existence as it positively affects diversity as well as influences species assembly. Our study underlines the need for trait-based approaches conducted at fine grain sizes in order to better understand species coexistence and community assembly. (C) 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. KW - Community assembly KW - Plant functional trait KW - Habitat heterogeneity KW - Limiting similarity KW - Environmental filtering KW - Heterogeneity species diversity relationship Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.01.001 SN - 1433-8319 VL - 24 SP - 138 EP - 146 PB - Elsevier CY - Jena ER - TY - THES A1 - Knecht, Volker T1 - Modeling Biomolecular Association Y1 - 2017 ER -