Project description:The goal of the experiment is to identify gene expression changes in engineered heart tissues (EHT) composed of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells treatered with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or THC with genistein.
Project description:Rat primary astrocytes- were treated with vehicle or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), total RNA was isolated and gene expression in response to THC treatment was studied.
Project description:Background: The regular use of cannabis by young men has been associated with an increased incidence of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). TGCT, the most common cancer in young adults, is believed to arise from an alteration of testicular fetal germ cells differentiation during development, with a possible subsequent environmental trigger (eg drugs or other chemicals) during puberty or adulthood leading to cancer. Cannabis consumption by pregnant women is currently increasing worldwide, and legalization for its recreational and therapeutic purposes is debated in numerous countries. In this context, we aimed to determine whether cannabis exposure can affect development of the fetal testis. Methods: Since phytocannabinoids act on an endogenous system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), we first investigated these signaling pathways in the human fetal testis, from 6 to 17 developmental weeks. We next investigated the effects of the two main components of cannabis, (−)-Δ9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), on the human fetal testis ex vivo. Results: We show the presence of two key endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA), albeit with lower levels. The human fetal testis also expressed several enzymes and receptors of this signaling pathway. Human fetal testicular explants collected from first trimester were exposed to CBD, THC or CBD/THC [ratio 1:1] at concentrations ranging from 10-7 to 10-5M during 72h to 14 days. Phytocannabinoids treatments affected fetal testicular cell proliferation and viability, as well as testosterone secretion by Leydig cells and AMH secretion by Sertoli cells. Transcriptomic analysis performed by BRB-seq on exposed versus unexposed fetal testis explants showed 187 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), some of which involved in toxic substances response and steroid synthesis. Conclusions: Our study provides the first evidence of the presence of ECS in human fetal testis and support a potential adverse effect of cannabis consumption in pregnant women on the male reproductive function development.
Project description:We studied the effects of delta-9-tetrhydrocannabinol (THC) on mouse colon cells, 24 hours after a single administration of THC (10mg/kg) or Vehicle (VEH) control.
Project description:Primary carnitine deficiency (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the gene SLC22A5, encoding for the plasmalemmal carnitine transporter OCTN2. PCD patients suffer from muscular weakness and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, currently available PCD models were unable to distinguish causative from secondary pathomechanisms. To further understand the contribution of cellular subclusters to the PCD disease phenotype we analyzed engineered heart tissues from OCTN2-defective genotype in comparison to isogenic control using single-nucleus RNA sequencing.
Project description:Mechanical overload in the heart induces pathological remodeling that typcially leads to heart failure. We sought to build an in vitro model of heart failure by applying cyclic stretch to engineered isotropic (iso) and anisotropic (aniso) NRVM tissues. We used micoarrays to determine the effects of longitudinal and transvserse cyclic stretch on gene expression in engineered NRVM cardiac tissues. We found that cyclic stretch induced up-regulation of several known indicators of heart faliure, independent of the direction of stretch.
Project description:Establishment of a transcriptomic profile of human cells treated with kaemferol, daidzein, kaemferol/genistein, or daidzein/genistein with particular emphasis on signature of genes coding for enzymes involved in glycosaminoglycan synthesis stands for the present study. The hypothesis tested was that kaemferol, daidzein, kaemferol/genistein, and daidzein/genistein influence expression of some genes, among which are those coding for enzymes required for the synthesis of different GAGs being pathologically accumulated in mucopolysaccharidoses. Results provide important information concerning the extent of action of kaemferol, daidzein, kaemferol/genistein, and daidzein/genistein at the molecular level in terms of modulation of gene expression.
Project description:Low-LET radiation can cause cardiovascular dysfunctions at high-dose rates. For example, photons used in thoracic radiotherapy are known to cause acute cardiac tissue damage with elevated serum cardiac Troponin I level and long-term cardiac complications when delivered as fractionated exposures at high-dose rates. However, the effects of continuous low-dose rate radiation exposure on the heart, which simulate the space radiation environment, have not been well-studied. In this study, we aim to model low-LET space radiation-induced cardiovascular dysfunction using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived engineered heart tissues (EHTs) exposed to protracted γ-ray irradiation. The investigation of pathophysiological changes in this model may provide insights and guide the development of countermeasures. As a proof-of-principle for the application of this model in drug development, we also tested the protective effect of a mitochondrial-specific antioxidant, MitoTempo, on irradiated EHTs.
Project description:We report the transcriptomic differences between engineered heart tissues generated from hiPSCs with a dystrophin-truncating mutation and an isogenic control. We find that the dystrophin mutation induces profound differences at the transcriptomic level and illuminates potential disease-causing mechanisms.
Project description:Engineered human cardiac tissues have been utilized for various biomedical applications, including drug testing, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. However, the applications of cardiac tissues derived from human pluripotent stem cells are often limited due to their immaturity and lack of functionality. Therefore, in this study, we established a perfusable culture system based on in vivo-like heart microenvironments to improve human cardiac tissue fabrication. The integrated culture platform of a microfluidic chip and a three-dimensional heart extracellular matrix enhanced human cardiac tissue development and their structural and functional maturation. These tissues were comprised of cardiovascular lineage cells, including cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, as well as vascular endothelial cells. The resultant macroscale human cardiac tissues exhibited improved efficacy in drug testing (small molecules with various levels of arrhythmia risk), disease modeling (long QT syndrome and cardiac fibrosis), and regenerative therapy (myocardial infarction treatment). Therefore, our culture system can serve as a highly effective tissue-engineering platform to provide human cardiac tissues for versatile biomedical applications.