Dihydrolipoic acid-coated gold nanocluster bioactivity against senescence and inflammation through the mitochondria-mediated JNK/AP-1 pathway.

Cellular senescence is the progressive impairment of function and proliferation in response to various regulators. Dihydrolipoic acid-coated gold nanoclusters (DHLA-Au NCs), which are molecular clusters with covalently linked dihydroxyl lipoic acid, preserve cellular activities for long-term incubation. DHLA-Au NC delivery was characterized, and we determined the role of growth supplements on internalization, allowing the optimization of DHLA-Au NC bioactivity.

Mitochondrial fission protein 1 up-regulation ameliorates senescence-related endothelial dysfunction of human endothelial progenitor cells.

Background: We investigated the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to the senescence of human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) expanded in vitro and the underlying molecular mechanism.

Methods And Results: Serial passage increased cell doubling time and those cells reaching the doubling time for more than 100% were defined as senescent EPCs, of which the activity of therapeutic angiogenesis was attenuated in mouse ischemic hindlimbs. The senescent cells, in medium free of glucose and bicarbonate, showed impaired activity in migration and tube formation.

Dose-related ethanol intake, Cx43 and Nav1.5 remodeling: Exploring insights of altered ventricular conduction and QRS fragmentation in excessive alcohol users.

Background: Chronic, excessive ethanol intake has been linked with various electrical instabilities, conduction disturbances, and even sudden cardiac death, but the underlying cause for the latter is insufficiently delineated.

Methods: We studied surface electrocardiography (ECG) in a community-dwelling cohort with moderate-to-heavy daily alcohol intake (grouped as >90g/day, ≤90g/day, and nonintake).

Results: Compared with nonintake, heavier alcohol users showed markedly widened QRS duration and higher prevalence of QRS fragmentation (64.

Reduction of connexin43 in human endothelial progenitor cells impairs the angiogenic potential.

Our previous work showed that arsenic trioxide down-regulated Cx43 and attenuated the angiogenic potential of human late endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). However, the relation between Cx43 and angiogenic activity of the EPC remained unclear. In the study, human late EPC were treated with siRNA specific to Cx43 (Cx43siRNA).

Slow conduction and gap junction remodeling in murine ventricle after chronic alcohol ingestion.

Background: Long-term heavy alcohol drinkers are prone to the development of cardiac arrhythmia. To understand the mechanisms, we evaluated the cardiac structural and electrophysiological changes in mice chronically drinking excessive alcohol.

Results: Male C57BL/6J mice were given 36% alcohol in the drinking water.

Therapeutic angiogenesis of human early endothelial progenitor cells is enhanced by thrombomodulin.

Objective: We examined the effect of thrombomodulin (TM) domains 2 and 3 (TMD23) on human early endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

Methods And Results: TM was expressed and released by human EPCs cultured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Addition of TMD23 (100 ng/mL) to the cultured PBMCs increased the colony-forming units, chemotactic motility, matrix metalloproteinase activity, and interleukin-8 secretion but decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) release.

Fluorescent gold nanoclusters as a biocompatible marker for in vitro and in vivo tracking of endothelial cells.

We have been investigating the fluorescent property and biocompatibility of novel fluorescent gold nanoclusters (FANC) in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). FANC (50-1000 nmol/L) was delivered into cells via the liposome complex. The fluorescence lasted for at least 28 days with a half-life of 9 days in vitro.