• BMB Reports
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• 제56권3호
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• pp.160-165
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• 2023

Vascular calcification is common in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, and is associated with an increased risk of pathological events and mortality. Some semaphorin family members play an important role in atherosclerosis. In the present study, we show that Semaphorin 4D/Sema4D and its Plexin-B1 receptor were significantly upregulated in calcified aorta of a rat chronic kidney disease model. Significantly higher Sema4D and Plexin-B1 expression was also observed during inorganic phosphate-induced calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells. Knockdown of Sema4D or Plexin-B1 genes attenuated both the phosphate-induced osteogenic phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells, through regulation of SMAD1/5 signaling, as well as apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells, through modulation of the Gas6/Axl/Akt survival pathway. Taken together, our results offer new insights on the role of Sema4D and Plexin-B1 as potential therapeutic targets against vascular calcification.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권10호
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• pp.5883-5890
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• 2013

Previously, we demonstrated overexpression of semaphorin4D (SEMA4D, CD100) to be closely related to tumor angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs). However, the function and expression of SEMA4D in the EOC microenvironment has yet to be clarified in detail. In this study, we confirmed that overexpression of SEMA4D in primary tumors and ascites was related to low differentiation, platinum resistance and a refractory status (P<0.05), while high M2 macrophage count and percentage were evident in EOC patients with advanced FIGO stage and platinum resistance (P<0.05), using immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), respectively. The data showed correlations of SEMA4D expression and M2 macrophage counts in primary tumors and M2 macrophage percentage in ascites (r=0.281 and 0.355, each P<0.05). In the Cox proportional hazard mode, SEMA4D expression was an independent indicator of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for EOC patients. Furthermore, higher expression of SEMA4D in ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3, A2780, and SW626) and their supernatants were found than that in a human primary cultured ovarian cell and its supernatant by reversed transcript PCR (RT-PCR), Western blotting and ELISA, respectively. Interestingly, peripheral blood monocytes (MOs) tended towards the M2-polarized macrophage phenotype ($CD163^{high}$) in vitro after human recombined soluble SEMA4D protein stimulation. These findings suggest that SEMA4D might possibly serve as a reliable tool for early and accurate prediction of EOC poor prognosis and could playan important role in promoting tumor dissemination and metastasis in the EOC microenvironment. Thus SEMA4D and its role in macrophage polarization in EOC warrants further study.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.41-48
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• 2003

본 연구는 생식주기 중의 흰쥐 자궁에서 발현되는 유전자들 중 adhesion수용체 유전자들의 발현이 프로게스테론(P$_4$)에 의하여 차별적으로 조절되는 실험을 하였다. 첫째 실험군은 난소절제 흰쥐와 배란기 흰쥐를 사용하였고(OVX/estrus), 둘째 실험군은 난소절제 흰쥐와 난소절제 후 P4를 주사한 흰쥐를 사용하였다(OVX/OVX+P$_4$). 적출한 자궁조직에서 total RNA를 추출, [$\alpha$$^{32}$P]-dATP로 probe를 제작한 후 Rat Atlas away 1.2 II(Clontech)을 이용하여 발현되는 유전자들을 선별하였으며, 그 중 adhesion 수용체 유전자들의 발현양상을 RT-PCR 방법으로 확인하였다. OVX/estrus 자궁의 유전자 발현을 비교한 경우, 전체 1176개의 유전자들 중 P4에 의해 발현이 증가되는 adhesion 수용체 유전자들은 embigin protein, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule, afadin, neuroligin 2, semaphorin Z, osteonectin 등 이었다. OVX/OVX+P$_4$자궁의 유전자 발현을 비교한 경우, P$_4$에 의해 발현이 증가되는 adhesion수용체 유전자들은 osteonectin, afadin, neuroligin 2, semaphorin Z 등 이었다. 그리고 afadin, neuroligin 2, semaphorin Z은 두 실험 군에 서 모두 유전자 발현이 증가되었다. 이러한 결과로 보아 이 유전자들은 P$_4$에 의하여 발현이 조절되어 배란 후 착상 준비에 관여할 것으로 추측된다.