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Course of disease and risk factors for hospitalization in outpatients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection
(2022)
We analyzed symptoms and comorbidities as predictors of hospitalization in 710 outpatients in North-East Germany with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. During the first 3 days of infection, commonly reported symptoms were fatigue (71.8%), arthralgia/myalgia (56.8%), headache (55.1%), and dry cough (51.8%). Loss of smell (anosmia), loss of taste (ageusia), dyspnea, and productive cough were reported with an onset of 4 days. Anosmia or ageusia were reported by only 18% of the participants at day one, but up to 49% between days 7 and 9. Not all participants who reported ageusia also reported anosmia. Individuals suffering from ageusia without anosmia were at highest risk of hospitalization (OR 6.8, 95% CI 2.5–18.1). They also experienced more commonly dyspnea and nausea (OR of 3.0, 2.9, respectively) suggesting pathophysiological connections between these symptoms. Other symptoms significantly associated with increased risk of hospitalization were dyspnea, vomiting, and fever. Among basic parameters and comorbidities, age > 60 years, COPD, prior stroke, diabetes, kidney and cardiac diseases were also associated with increased risk of hospitalization. In conclusion, due to the delayed onset, ageusia and anosmia may be of limited use in differential diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. However, differentiation between ageusia and anosmia may be useful for evaluating risk for hospitalization.
Organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) is a membrane transporter that affects hepatic uptake of cationic and weakly basic drugs. OCT1 transports structurally highly diverse substrates. The mechanisms conferring this polyspecificity are unknown. Here, we analyzed differences in transport kinetics between human and mouse OCT1 orthologs to identify amino acids that contribute to the polyspecificity of OCT1. Following stable transfection of HEK293 cells, we observed more than twofold differences in the transport kinetics of 22 out of 28 tested substrates. We found that the β2-adrenergic drug fenoterol was transported with eightfold higher affinity but at ninefold lower capacity by human OCT1. In contrast, the anticholinergic drug trospium was transported with 11-fold higher affinity but at ninefold lower capacity by mouse Oct1. Using human–mouse chimeric constructs and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified nonconserved amino acids Cys36 and Phe32 as responsible for the species-specific differences in fenoterol and trospium uptake. Substitution of Cys36 (human) to Tyr36 (mouse) caused a reversal of the affinity and capacity of fenoterol but not trospium uptake. Substitution of Phe32 to Leu32 caused reversal of trospium but not fenoterol uptake kinetics. Comparison of the uptake of structurally similar β2-adrenergics and molecular docking analyses indicated the second phenol ring, 3.3 to 4.8 Å from the protonated amino group, as essential for the affinity for fenoterol conferred by Cys36. This is the first study to report single amino acids as determinants of OCT1 polyspecificity. Our findings suggest that structure–function data of OCT1 is not directly transferrable between substrates or species.
The multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) is highly expressed in platelets and several lines of evidence point to an impact on platelet function. MRP4 represents a transporter for cyclic nucleotides as well as for certain lipid mediators. The aim of the present study was to comprehensively characterize the effect of a short-time specific pharmacological inhibition of MRP4 on signaling pathways in platelets. Transport assays in isolated membrane vesicles showed a concentrationdependent inhibition of MRP4-mediated transport of cyclic nucleotides, thromboxane (Tx)B2 and fluorescein (FITC)- labeled sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) by the selective MRP4 inhibitor Ceefourin-1. In ex vivo aggregometry studies in human platelets, Ceefourin-1 significantly inhibited platelet aggregation by about 30-50% when ADP or collagen was used as activating agents, respectively. Ceefourin-1 significantly lowered the ADP-induced activation of integrin aIIbb3, indicated by binding of FITC-fibrinogen (about 50% reduction at 50 mM Ceefourin-1), and reduced calcium influx. Furthermore, pre-incubation with Ceefourin-1 significantly increased PGE1- and cinaciguat-induced vasodilatorstimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation, indicating increased cytosolic cAMP as well as cGMP concentrations, respectively. The release of TxB2 from activated human platelets was also attenuated. Finally, selective MRP4 inhibition significantly reduced both the total area covered by thrombi and the average thrombus size by about 40% in a flow chamber model. In conclusion, selective MRP4 inhibition causes reduced platelet adhesion and thrombus formation under flow conditions. This finding is mechanistically supported by inhibition of integrin aIIbb3 activation, elevated VASP phosphorylation and reduced calcium influx, based on inhibited cyclic nucleotide and thromboxane transport as well as possible further mechanisms.
Das Glioblastom ist ein WHO Grad 4-Tumor und einer der häufigsten und zugleich agressivsten Hirntumoren im Erwachsenenalter. Trotz multimodaler Therapie, die eine neurochirurgische Resektion sowie eine adjuvante Radiochemotherapie und als neuen Therapieansatz eine Kombination aus Temozolomid und tumor treating fields umfasst, ist die Prognose weiterhin schlecht, sodass der Suche nach neuen therapeutischen Zielstrukturen eine maßgebliche Bedeutung zukommt. Für verschiedene Tumorentitiäten konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Überexpression einzelner onkogener Kinasen die Tumorprogression vorantreibt, wobei bei Glioblastomen gezeigt werden konnte, dass die Serin-Threonin-Kinase Pim1 eine wichtige Rolle in der Pathogenese einnimmt.
In den Fokus rücken zunehmend auch stammzellähnliche Tumorzellen, die eine Subpopulation innerhalb von Glioblastomen darstellen und das aggressive biologische Verhalten sowie die Resistenz gegenüber der Standardtherapie und eine hohe Rezidivrate vermitteln können.
In dieser Arbeit sollte dementsprechend basierend auf den bisherigen Erkenntnissen zu Pim1 sowie zur Bedeutung von Tumorstammzellen im malignen Geschehen der Einfluss der Serin-Threonin-Kinase Pim1 auf das Stammzellverhalten von Glioblastomzellen näher untersucht werden.
Durch den Vergleich von adhärent wachsenden Tumorzellen der Glioblastomzelllinie LN-18 mit stammzellähnlichen LN-18 Neurosphären konnte eine erhöhte relative mRNA-Expression von Pim1 und EGFR sowie der potentiellen Stammzellmarker Nestin, CD44, CD133 und Musashi-1 nachgewiesen werden. Die relative Proteinexpression von Pim1 sowie der Stammzellmarker Nestin, CD44, CD133 und Sox2 war in den Neurosphären im Vergleich zu den adhärent wachsenden LN-18 Zellen ebenfalls gesteigert. Diese Daten konnten durch die Immunfluoreszenz-Färbungen bestätigt werden.
Ein effizienter siRNA-vermittelter knockdown von Pim1 auf Proteinebene konnte in dieser Arbeit nicht erzielt werden, sodass keine Aussagen zu einer Regulation von Stammzell- und Differenzierungsmarker nach zielgerichteter genetischer Abschaltung von Pim1 getroffen werden konnten. Hier sind weiterführend Optimierungen notwendig oder der Einsatz spezieller CRISPR-Cas9-Verfahren zur genetischen Ausschaltung sinnvoll.
Die pharmakologische Inhibition von Pim1 mit LY294002 und TCS Pim1-1 führte zu einer signifikanten Reduktion der Neurosphärenformation sowie der Zellviabilität bei LN-18 Zellen, wodurch die in Vorarbeiten an adhärenten Glioblastomzellen gewonnenen Daten um Untersuchungen an stammzellartigen Glioblastomzellen erweitert wurden.
Zusammenfassend legen die in dieser Arbeit erhobenen Daten nahe, dass Pim1 das Stammzellverhalten von Glioblastomzellen beeinflusst, indem Pim1 Einfluss auf die Expression von Stammzellmarkern nimmt und seine Inhibition die Aufrechterhaltung einer Glioblastomstammzellpopulation beeinträchtigt, indem die Neurosphärenformation und die Viabilität der Zellen stark reduziert werden. Somit stellt Pim1 eine geeignete Zielstruktur für eine zielgerichtete Therapieoption beim Glioblastom dar, beispielsweise in Kombination mit der klassischen Radiochemotherapie. Zukünftige Studien müssen zeigen, inwieweit eine selektive Pim1-Inhibition tatsächlich Einfluss auf die Prognose von Patienten mit Glioblastom nimmt.
Exogenous glucocorticoids increase the risk for osteoporosis, but the role of endogenous glucocorticoids remains elusive. Here, we describe the generation and validation of a loss- and a gain-of-function model of the cortisol producing enzyme 11β-HSD1 (HSD11B1) to modulate the endogenous glucocorticoid conversion in SCP-1 cells — a model for human mesenchymal stem cells capable of adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. CRISPR-Cas9 was successfully used to generate a cell line carrying a single base duplication and a 5 bp deletion in exon 5, leading to missense amino acid sequences after codon 146. These inactivating genomic alterations were validated by deep sequencing and by cloning with subsequent capillary sequencing. 11β-HSD1 protein levels were reduced by 70% in the knockout cells and cortisol production was not detectable. Targeted chromosomal integration was used to stably overexpress HSD11B1. Compared to wildtype cells, HSD11B1 overexpression resulted in a 7.9-fold increase in HSD11B1 mRNA expression, a 5-fold increase in 11β-HSD1 protein expression and 3.3-fold increase in extracellular cortisol levels under adipogenic differentiation. The generated cells were used to address the effects of 11β-HSD1 expression on adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. Compared to the wildtype, HSD11B1 overexpression led to a 3.7-fold increase in mRNA expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and 2.5-fold increase in lipid production under adipogenic differentiation. Under osteogenic differentiation, HSD11B1 knockout led to enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mRNA expression, and HSD11B1 overexpression resulted in a 4.6-fold and 11.7-fold increase in mRNA expression of Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) and LPL, respectively. Here we describe a HSD11B1 loss- and gain-of-function model in SCP-1 cells at genetic, molecular and functional levels. We used these models to study the effects of endogenous cortisol production on mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and demonstrate an 11β-HSD1 dependent switch from osteogenic to adipogenic differentiation. These results might help to better understand the role of endogenous cortisol production in osteoporosis on a molecular and cellular level.
Die Sicherheit und Wirksamkeit der Arzneimitteltherapie wird maßgeblich von Transportproteinen beeinflusst. Die zelluläre Lokalisation von Transportern hat hierbei wesentlichen Einfluss darauf, ob diese als funktionelle Aufnahme- oder Effluxtransporter fungieren. Für den menschlichen Darm ist die Lokalisation einiger Transporter noch unklar. Ein Beispiel hierfür ist der organic cation transporter (OCT1), welcher für die intestinale Aufnahme zahlreicher kationischer Arzneistoffe, wie beispielsweise Morphin verantwortlich gemacht wird. Bisher gibt es allerdings widersprüchliche Aussagen über die exakte Lokalisation dieses Transporters in der Zellmembran von Enterozyten. Folglich ist die tatsächliche Bedeutung dieses Proteins für die Absorption von Arzneistoffen bis heute ungeklärt.
Daher war das Ziel dieser Arbeit die Expression, Lokalisation und Funktion von OCT1 in Enterozyten anhand verschiedener labortechnischer Methoden näher zu charakterisieren.
Mittels Immunfluoreszenzfärbung wurde versucht die Lokalisation von OCT1 im Zellmodell zu bestimmen. Ebenfalls im Zellmodell erfolgte die Untersuchung des vektoriellen Transportes von Morphin mittels Transwellassay. Diese, sowie entsprechende Analysen vitalen intestinalen Gewebes in der Ussing-Kammer, wurden genutzt, um indirekt Rückschlüsse auf die Transporterlokalisation zu ziehen.
Trotz eindeutiger und der Hypothese entsprechender Expression und Funktion in MDCKII-OCT1/P-gp-Zellen, konnten im Rahmen dieser Arbeit keine eindeutigen Ergebnisse bezüglich der Lokalisation von OCT1 in Caco-2-Zellen generiert werden.
Caco-2-Zellen sollten als Zellmodell für Enterozyten, insbesondere hinsichtlich der Charakterisierung von OCT1, neu bewertet werden, da aktuellen Erkenntnissen entsprechend möglicherweise keine signifikante Expression von OCT1 in diesen Zellen vorliegt. Auch das genutzte OCT1-Modellsubstrat Morphin ist möglicherweise problematisch. Es ist darauf hinzuweisen, dass es sich bei den vorliegenden Daten aufgrund der geringen Versuchszahl nur um vorläufige Ergebnisse handeln kann, welche in zukünftigen Arbeiten verifiziert werden sollten.
Zusammenfassend kann festgehalten werden, dass die vorliegende Arbeit zwar keine neuen Erkenntnisse bezüglich der Lokalisation von OCT1 in Enterozyten erbringen konnte, jedoch die Bedeutung eines kritischen Umgangs mit etablierten Methoden und deren Ergebnissen unterstreicht.
Transmembrane drug transport in hepatocytes is one of the major determinants of drug pharmacokinetics. In the present study, ABC transporters (P-gp, MRP1, MRP2, MRP3, MRP4, BCRP, and BSEP) and SLC transporters (MCT1, NTCP, OAT2, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1, OCT1, and OCT3) were quantified for protein abundance (LC-MS/MS) and mRNA levels (qRT-PCR) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected liver samples from the Child–Pugh class A (n = 30), B (n = 21), and C (n = 7) patients. Protein levels of BSEP, MRP3, MCT1, OAT2, OATP1B3, and OCT3 were not significantly affected by HCV infection. P-gp, MRP1, BCRP, and OATP1B3 protein abundances were upregulated, whereas those of MRP2, MRP4, NTCP, OATP2B1, and OCT1 were downregulated in all HCV samples. The observed changes started to be seen in the Child–Pugh class A livers, i.e., upregulation of P-gp and MRP1 and downregulation of MRP2, MRP4, BCRP, and OATP1B3. In the case of NTCP, OATP2B1, and OCT1, a decrease in the protein levels was observed in the class B livers. In the class C livers, no other changes were noted than those in the class A and B patients. The results of the study demonstrate that drug transporter protein abundances are affected by the functional state of the liver in hepatitis C patients.
Background: Unwanted drug-drug interactions (DDIs), as caused by the upregulation of clinically relevant drug metabolizing enzymes and transporter proteins in intestine and liver, have the potential to threaten the therapeutic efficacy and safety of drugs. The molecular mechanism of this undesired but frequently occurring scenario of polypharmacy is based on the activation of nuclear receptors such as the pregnane X receptor (PXR) or the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) by perpetrator agents such as rifampin, phenytoin or St. John’s wort. However, the expression pattern of nuclear receptors in human intestine and liver remains uncertain, which makes it difficult to predict the extent of potential DDIs. Thus, it was the aim of this study to characterize the gene expression and protein abundance of clinically relevant nuclear receptors, i.e., the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), CAR, farnesoid X receptor (FXR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α), PXR and small heterodimer partner (SHP), in the aforementioned organs. Methods: Gene expression analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR of jejunal, ileal, colonic and liver samples from eight human subjects. In parallel, a targeted proteomic method was developed and validated in order to determine the respective protein amounts of nuclear receptors in human intestinal and liver samples. The LC-MS/MS method was validated according to the current bioanalytical guidelines and met the criteria regarding linearity (0.1–50 nmol/L), within-day and between-day accuracy and precision, as well as the stability criteria. Results: The developed method was successfully validated and applied to determine the abundance of nuclear receptors in human intestinal and liver samples. Gene expression and protein abundance data demonstrated marked differences in human intestine and liver. On the protein level, only AhR and HNF4α could be detected in gut and liver, which corresponds to their highest gene expression. In transfected cell lines, PXR and CAR could be quantified. Conclusions: The substantially different expression pattern of nuclear receptors in human intestinal and liver tissue may explain the different extent of unwanted DDIs in the dependence on the administration route of drugs.
Postoperative restenosis in patients with external ear canal (EEC) atresia or stenosis is a common complication following canaloplasty. Our aim in this study was to explore the feasibility of using a three dimensionally (3D)-printed, patient-individualized, drug ((dexamethasone (DEX)), and ciprofloxacin (cipro))-releasing external ear canal implant (EECI) as a postoperative stent after canaloplasty. We designed and pre-clinically tested this novel implant for drug release (by high-performance liquid chromatography), biocompatibility (by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay), bio-efficacy (by the TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha)-reduction test (DEX) and inhibition zone test (for cipro)), and microbial contamination (formation of turbidity or sediments in culture medium). The EECI was implanted for the first time to one patient with a history of congenital EEC atresia and state after three canaloplasties due to EEC restenosis. The preclinical tests revealed no cytotoxic effect of the used materials; an antibacterial effect was verified against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the tested UV-irradiated EECI showed no microbiological contamination. Based on the test results, the combination of silicone with 1% DEX and 0.3% cipro was chosen to treat the patient. The EECI was implantable into the EEC; the postoperative follow-up visits revealed no otogenic symptoms or infections and the EECI was explanted three months postoperatively. Even at 12 months postoperatively, the EEC showed good epithelialization and patency. Here, we report the first ever clinical application of an individualized, drug-releasing, mechanically flexible implant and suggest that our novel EECI represents a safe and effective method for postoperatively stenting the reconstructed EEC.
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant cancer affecting the oral cavity. It is characterized by high morbidity and very few therapeutic options. Angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) is a biologically active heptapeptide, generated predominantly from AngII (Ang-(1-8)) by the enzymatic activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2). Previous studies have shown that Ang-(1-7) counterbalances AngII pro-tumorigenic actions in different pathophysiological settings, exhibiting antiproliferative and anti-angiogenic properties in cancer cells. However, the prevailing effects of Ang-(1-7) in the oral epithelium have not been established in vivo. Here, we used an inducible oral-specific mouse model, where the expression of a tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase (CreERtam), which is under the control of the cytokeratin 14 promoter (K14-CreERtam), induces the expression of the K-ras oncogenic variant KrasG12D (LSLK-rasG12D). These mice develop highly proliferative squamous papilloma in the oral cavity and hyperplasia exclusively in oral mucosa within one month after tamoxifen treatment. Ang-(1-7) treated mice showed a reduced papilloma development accompanied by a significant reduction in cell proliferation and a decrease in pS6 positivity, the most downstream target of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling route in oral papilloma. These results suggest that Ang-(1-7) may be a novel therapeutic target for OSCC.
OCT1 and OCT2 are polyspecific membrane transporters that are involved in hepatic and renal drug clearance in humans and mice. In this study, we cloned dog OCT1 and OCT2 and compared their function to the human and mouse orthologs. We used liver and kidney RNA to clone dog OCT1 and OCT2. The cloned and the publicly available RNA-Seq sequences differed from the annotated exon-intron structure of OCT1 in the dog genome CanFam3.1. An additional exon between exons 2 and 3 was identified and confirmed by sequencing in six additional dog breeds. Next, dog OCT1 and OCT2 were stably overexpressed in HEK293 cells and the transport kinetics of five drugs were analyzed. We observed strong differences in the transport kinetics between dog and human orthologs. Dog OCT1 transported fenoterol with 12.9-fold higher capacity but 14.3-fold lower affinity (higher KM) than human OCT1. Human OCT1 transported ipratropium with 5.2-fold higher capacity but 8.4-fold lower affinity than dog OCT1. Compared to human OCT2, dog OCT2 showed 10-fold lower transport of fenoterol and butylscopolamine. In conclusion, the functional characterization of dog OCT1 and OCT2 reported here may have implications when using dogs as pre-clinical models as well as for drug therapy in dogs.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a versatile signaling lipid involved in the regulation of numerous cellular processes. S1P regulates cellular proliferation, migration, and apoptosis as well as the function of immune cells. S1P is generated from sphingosine (Sph), which derives from the ceramide metabolism. In particular, high concentrations of S1P are present in the blood. This originates mainly from erythrocytes, endothelial cells (ECs), and platelets. While erythrocytes function as a storage pool for circulating S1P, platelets can rapidly generate S1P de novo, store it in large quantities, and release it when the platelet is activated. Platelets can thus provide S1P in a short time when needed or in the case of an injury with subsequent platelet activation and thereby regulate local cellular responses. In addition, platelet-dependently generated and released S1P may also influence long-term immune cell functions in various disease processes, such as inflammation-driven vascular diseases. In this review, the metabolism and release of platelet S1P are presented, and the autocrine versus paracrine functions of platelet-derived S1P and its relevance in various disease processes are discussed. New pharmacological approaches that target the auto- or paracrine effects of S1P may be therapeutically helpful in the future for pathological processes involving S1P.
This communication introduces the first-time application of high-resolution continuum-source molecular absorption spectrometry (HR CS MAS) for the quantification of a peptide. The graphite furnace technique was employed and the tripeptide glutathione (GSH) served as a model compound. Based on measuring sulfur in terms of carbon monosulfide (CS), a method was elaborated to analyze aqueous solutions of GSH. The most prominent wavelength of the CS molecule occurred at 258.0560 nm and was adduced for monitoring. The methodological development covered the optimization of the pyrolysis and vaporization temperatures. These were found optimally to be 250 °C and 2250 °C, respectively. Moreover, the effect of modifiers (zirconium, calcium, magnesium, palladium) on the absorption signals was investigated. The best results were obtained after permanent coating of the graphite tube with zirconium (total amount of 400 μg) and adding a combination of palladium (10 µL, 10 g L−1) and calcium (2 µL, 1 g L−1) as a chemical modifier to the probes (10 µL). Aqueous standard samples of GSH were used for the calibration. It showed a linear range of 2.5–100 µg mL−1 sulfur contained in GSH with a correlation coefficient R2 > 0.997. The developed method exhibited a limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 2.1 µg mL−1 and 4.3 µg mL−1 sulfur, respectively. The characteristic mass accounted for 5.9 ng sulfur. The method confirmed the general suitability of MAS for the analysis of an oligopeptide. Thus, this study serves as groundwork for further development in order to extend the application of classical atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS).
In Germany, around 5.7 million people suffer from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is characterised by a reduced bone mineral density that leads to an increased risk of fractures. The 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1) is an important regulator of local cortisol metabolism. It converts biologically inactive cortisone to biologically active cortisol, but can also catalyse the reverse reaction. 11β-HSD1 is strongly expressed in liver, but 11β-HSD1 expression and activity were also reported in bone. Moreover, polymorphisms in intron 5 of HSD11B1 (the gene encoding for 11β-HSD1) are associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and risk of fractures.
This work aimed to confirm and refine the associations between polymorphisms in intron 5 of HSD11B1 and BMD, and to identify the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms. To this end, analyses were performed on three different levels:
i) studies in humans, to confirm and refine the association of polymorphisms in intron 5 of HSD11B1 with BMD, suppressed cortisol levels (PDC) and stiffness index,
ii) cellular analyses, to identify the role of 11β-HSD1 in differentiation of the immortalised human mesenchymal stem cell line SCP-1,
iii) molecular genetic analyses, to reveal the effect of intron 5 polymorphisms on transcriptional regulation.
Fine-mapping analyses of already existing clinical data from 452 osteoporosis patients (HSD study) did not point to another intron 5 SNP as being causative for the observed clinical association. A second prospective clinical study (OsteoGene) was performed to confirm the association of rs11811440 and rs932335 with PDC levels and BMD. A trend to decreased PDC levels and increased BMD was observed in homozygous carriers of the minor A-allele of rs11811440 in patients above the age of 65 years. Pooled analyses of the HSD and the OsteoGene studies revealed a significant association of the minor A-allele with increased Z-scores of the left femoral neck. No associations of rs11811440 and rs932335 with stiffness index, BMI and fat depots were detected the general population using data from the SHIP study.
To analyse the effect of 11β-HSD1 on differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, HSD11B1 overexpressing and HSD11B1 knockout SCP-1 cells were generated. HSD11B1 was stably overexpressed in SCP-1 cells using targeted chromosomal integration. The successful overexpression was shown by 243-fold increased HSD11B1 mRNA expression levels and a 9 fold increased 11β-HSD1 activity, compared to the wildtype cells. Knockout cells were generated by CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing targeting exon 2 and exon 5 of HSD11B1. Using next generation sequencing, the clones 1C4 and 2D10 were confirmed to carry two inactive HSD11B1 alleles and were chosen for further analyses. mRNA expression was unchanged in both knockout clones. However, a clear enzyme activity was detected in the 2D10 clone, whereas no cortisol production was detected in the 1C4 clone. SNaPshot analyses revealed the presence of wildtype cells in the 2D10 clone that became predominant with increased passages. Therefore, further analyses were focused on the 1C4 clone only. The protein expression in the 1C4 clone decreased to 30% of the expression of the wildtype cells.
HSD11B1 expression and cortisol production were compared between wildtype, knockout and overexpressing SCP-1 cells under three differentiation conditions: adipogenic, osteogenic with 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and osteogenic with dexamethasone. HSD11B1 expression increased upon adipogenic differentiation and in the presence of cortisone in the wildtype and the overexpressing, but not in the knockout cells. Also, the cortisol production from cortisone increased over time in the overexpressing and the wildtype cells, but not in the knockout cells. The increase was dependent on the differentiation used between 3-fold and 9-fold higher in the overexpressing than in the wildtype cells.
The generated and validated overexpressing and knockout cell lines were used to analyse the influence of 11β-HSD1 on adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. Upon adipogenic differentiation, the overexpressing cells accumulated significantly more lipid droplets than the wildtype cells. The accumulation of lipid droplets was not abolished in the knockout. However, when dexamethasone was substituted by cortisone, the knockout cells accumulated less lipid droplets than in the presence of dexamethasone, supporting the involvement of 11β-HSD1 in adipogenic differentiation. Expression of the adipogenic markers FABP4 and LPL increased upon adipogenic differentiation, but a distinct influence of the presence or absence of HSD11B1 on the FABP4 and LPL expression was not detected. Upon osteogenic differentiation with 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, ALP activity increased only in the knockout cells (more than 5-fold). Accordingly, the strongest increase in ALPL expression was detected also in the knockout cells. Both, ALP activity and gene expression were independent of cortisone. Addtionally, BGLAP expression was increased upon osteogenic differentiation. Unexpectedly, in the presence of cortisone, BGLAP expression increased in the overexpressing cells. Expression of the Wnt inhibitor DKK1 also increased in the overexpressing cells in the presence of cortisone indicating a decreased osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, expression of the adipogenic markers FABP4 and LPL increased in the overexpressing cells in the presence of cortisone indicating a switch from osteogenic to adipogenic differentiation. Upon osteogenic differentiation with dexamethasone, ALP activity and matrix mineralisation was lowest in the overexpressing cells.
Finally, the effects of the SNPs rs11811440, rs11119328, rs1000283 and rs932335 in intron 5 of HSD11B1 on transcriptional regulation were analysed by reporter gene assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. All four SNPs are genetically linked and are localized within evolutionary conserved regions. The minor C-allele of rs932335 significantly increased luciferase activity. In contrast, the major G-allele of rs932335 showed strong protein binding. However, no transcription factor binding sites were identified at the SNP sites. Additionally, bioinformatics analyses of publicly available RNA-Seq data of adipose tissue and liver confirmed the absence of alternative splicing. Alignment of HSD11B1 intron 5 to the Rfam database predicted the presence of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in intron 5. However, none of the ncRNAs overlapped with the SNP sites.
In conclusion, 11β-HSD1 was shown to be involved in adipogenic differentiation and peripheral cortisol production by 11β-HSD1 promotes a switch from osteogenic to adipogenic differentiation. Moreover, among osteoporosis patients, homozygous carriers of the minor A-allele of rs11811440 have increased Z-scores of the femoral neck. Furthermore, HSD11B1 knockout and overexpressing cell lines were successfully generated and validated. These cell lines could be a useful tool in future analyses of the role of peripheral cortisol activation by 11β-HSD1 in differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.