Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) derived from gram-negative bacterial are often regarded as primary inducer of bovine mammary inflammation. This study evaluated the biological response of metformin ...activated AMPK signaling on LPS-induced inflammatory responses and metabolic changes in primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (pbMEC). The pbMEC were exposed to either 3 mmol/L Metf. for 12 h as Metf. group (Metf.) or 2 μg/mL LPS for 6 h as LPS group (LPS). Cells pretreated with 3 mmol/L metformin for 12 h followed by washing and 2 μg/mL LPS exposure for 6 h were served as ML group (ML). PBS was added to cells as the control group (Con.).
Pre-incubation with Metf. inhibited LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory genes (TNF, IL1B, IL6, CXCL8, MYD88 and TLR4) and proteins (IL-1β, TNF-α, NLRP3, Caspase1, ASC) and was accompanied by increased activation of AMPK signaling. Compared with the LPS group, phosphorylation of p65 and IκBα in the ML group were decreased and accumulation of NF-κB in the nucleus was significantly reduced by pretreatment with metformin. Metformin protects the cells from the increase of LPS-induced binding activity of NF-κB on both TNFA and IL1B promoters. Compared with the LPS group, genes (G6PC, PCK2) and proteins (SREBP1, SCD1) related to lipogenesis and carbohydrate metabolism were downregulated while catabolic ones (PPARA, ACSL1, Glut1, HK1) were upregulated in the ML group. Furthermore, increased acetylation of H3K14 by LPS challenge was reversed by pretreatment with metformin.
Altogether, our results indicated that pretreatment with metformin dampens LPS-induced inflammatory responses mediated in part by AMPK/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling and modification of histone H3K14 deacetylation and metabolic changes.
A flow based hollow-fiber in vitro model of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) was established. The immortalised porcine brain microvascular endothelial cell line
PBMEC/C1–2 was cultured in a pulsatile ...hollow-fiber cartridge system (Cellmax Quad). The usability of
PBMEC/C1–2 in the flow based hollow-fiber model was increased from three days in the originally used Transwell model up to four months due to the application of shear stress and co-culturing with glioma cell line
C6. It was shown that the tightness of
PBMEC/C1–2 layers was enhanced significantly in astrocyte conditioned medium (ACM) and in co-culture. The morphology of
PBMEC/C1–2 and
C6 was visualised by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Permeation studies were accomplished with a set of benzodiazepines. The raw data were processed with three different calculation models and the results were compared with permeability coefficients obtained with an established Transwell model. In summary a flow based hollow-fiber BBB in vitro model was developed, which can be used to perform experiments with physiological (e.g., regulation of BBB permeability), pharmacological (e.g., pharmacokinetics and dynamics) and pathophysiological (e.g., effects of diseases on BBB permeability and vice versa) objectives.
In the present study plant lectins with distinct sugar specificities were applied to two blood–brain barrier (BBB) mimicking cell lines, namely human ECV304 and porcine brain microvascular ...endothelial cells PBMEC/C1–2 in order to elucidate their glycosylation pattern and to evaluate the lectin-cell interaction for lectin-mediated targeting. The bioadhesive properties of fluorescein-labeled lectins were investigated with monolayers as well as single cells using fluorimetry and flow cytometry, followed by confirmation of the specificity of binding. For PBMEC/C1–2 layers highest binding capacity was found for wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), followed by
Dolichus biflorus agglutinin (DBA) whereas single cell experiments revealed a predominance of DBA only. Analyzing ECV304 monolayers and single cells, WGA yielded the strongest interaction without any changes during cultivation. The binding capacities of the other lectins increased significantly during differentiation. As similar results to primary cells and brain sections were observed, both cell lines seem to be suitable as models for lectin-interaction studies. Thus, an additional focus was set on the mechanisms involved in uptake and intracellular fate of selected lectins. Cytoinvasion studies were performed with WGA for human ECV304 cells and WGA as well as DBA for PBMEC/C1–2 cells. For both lectins, the association rate to the cells was dependent on temperature which indicated cellular uptake.
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) maintains the homeostasis between the central nervous system and the blood circulation. One of the main efflux transporter proteins at the BBB is P-glycoprotein (P-gP) ...also known as ABCB1 or MDR1. Due to the important role of P-gP for the transport barrier function of the BBB, the presence and functionality of P-gP was investigated in porcine cell line
PBMEC/C1-2. Presence of P-gP was confirmed on the protein level by western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy as well as on the mRNA level by qPCR. Functional assessment was accomplished by an established 96-well uptake assay using Rhodamine 123 and Doxorubicin as P-gP substrates and Verapamil as moderate P-gP inhibitor. In this regard, fluorescence microscopy confirmed a significant higher uptake of Rhodamine 123 into
PBMEC/C1-2 cells when preincubated with Verapamil. Finally, knock-down of P-gP by antisense oligonucleotides revealed an increase of Rhodamine 123 uptake indicating decreased P-gP functionality. In summary, the presence and functionality of P-gP in the immortalised cell line
PBMEC/C1-2 was proven with several techniques and assays. Thus, this cell line could be used for P-gP studies in the context of BBB relevant issues.
Actinobacillus suis is an important opportunistic pathogen of swine that can cause disease in pigs of all ages, especially in high-health status herds. Although A. suis shares many virulence factors ...in common with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and can cause a haemorrhagic pleuropneumonia similar to that caused by A. pleuropneumoniae, A. suis most often causes septicaemia and diseases such as arthritis and meningitis that are sequelae to septicaemia. In a recent signature-tagged transposon mutagenesis study, 30 colonization-essential genes of A. suis were identified. In the current study, the attachment and invasion patterns of strains harboring Tn10 insertions in ompA, pfhaB1, lcbB, and cpxR were evaluated using porcine palatine tonsil organ cultures, the swine kidney epithelial cell line, SK6, and a porcine brain microvascular endothelial cell line, PBMEC/C1-2. All of these mutants attached in lower numbers than wild type to the tonsillar explants and to the SK6 cells. The ompA mutant attached in significantly lower numbers than wild type to the porcine tonsil cells (P=0.02) and to PBMEC (P=0.0008) at 60min time point. As well, the ompA mutant showed significantly greater sensitivity than wild type to chemical stressors and to swine serum. Using fluorescent microscopy, a GST-OmpA fusion protein could be demonstrated to interact with the crypt epithelial cells of porcine palatine tonsil.
Abstract Recent studies showed that glioma conditioned medium is able to induce blood-brain barrier properties in in vitro models. In this regard, it was investigated whether glioma conditioned ...medium can also influence the lectin-binding capacity of blood-brain barrier in vitro models. For the presented study cell lines PBMEC/C1-2 and ECV304 were chosen because it was previously shown that glioma conditioned medium was able to induce specific blood-brain barrier properties in these cell lines. Six different plant lectins (WGA, STL, LCA, UEA-I, DBA, PNA) with distinct sugar specificities were applied in order to elucidate the glycosylation patterns of cell line PBMEC/C1-2 and ECV304. Lectin-binding studies were carried out with monolayers as well as with single cells. In the case of PBMEC/C1-2 monolayers, results showed a significant increase of the binding of lectins WGA, STL, UEA-I, DBA and PNA after application of 25 pmol lectin when cultured in media containing soluble factors derived from glioma cell line C6, whereas the binding capacity for LCA remained similar. For ECV304 monolayers, a significant decrease of WGA, STL and LCA was observable, whereas UEA-I binding increased in comparison to cells grown in the corresponding basal growth medium without soluble C6 factors. Single cell studies showed less significant, but similar changes in the lectin-interactions with the cell surfaces. In conclusion, it was shown that soluble factors derived from glioma cell line C6 can modulate the “glycocalyx” of blood-brain barrier mimicking cell lines.
Negative energy balance (NEB), if followed by metabolic imbalance, is a common problem in high-yielding dairy cows frequently associated with inflammation of the mammary gland. To investigate the ...effect of NEB on the innate host defense of the mammary epithelium, primary bovine mammary epithelial cell (pbMEC) cultures were generated by cell extraction of milk derived from energy restricted and control feeding cows. pbMEC were obtained from 8 high-yielding dairy cows affected by induced NEB in mid-lactation due to a reduction to 51+/-2% of total energy requirement (restriction group) and from 7 control cows (control group). They were exposed to heat-inactivated Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus for 24 and 72 h to investigate the influence of NEB on gene expression profiles of cytokines, chemokines, genes associated with apoptosis and antimicrobial peptides plus their receptors of the innate immune response. The immune challenge of pbMEC demonstrated an effect of immune capacity and NEB in 15 differential expressed genes. NEB induced a substantial up-regulation in restriction compared to control cells by trend in E. coli and a down-regulation in S. aureus exposed cells. Our investigations showed that the dietary-induced NEB in vivo influenced the immune response of pbMEC in vitro and altered the expression of immunological relevant genes due to a difference in energy supply. These results demonstrate that pbMEC are a suitable model for mastitis research, in which even effects of feeding regimes can be displayed.
The aim of this work was the development of an easy manageable analytic system for describing tightness of cell layers in a molecular size dependent manner, which is more precise than currently used ...ones. Dextrans were labeled by reductive amination with fluorescent 1-aminopyrene-3,6,8-trisulfonate (APTS). This mixture, including internal standard diazepam, was used for transport studies, which were accomplished with an established transwell blood–brain barrier model culturing an immortalized porcine brain microvascular endothelial cell line (PBMEC/C1-2). Samples were analyzed by fluorescence measurements, capillary electrophoresis and RP-LC. Following this approach, a permeability pattern could be achieved including each single fraction from APTS, APTS-glucose to APTS-dextran consisting of 31 glucose units. Permeability coefficients were calculated and ranged from 16.38
±
3.79
μm/min for APTS to 6.07
±
1.23
μm/min for the APTS-dextran with 31 glucose units (diazepam: 67.97
±
7.32
μm/min). All in all, the developed APTS-dextran ladder is an useful tool to characterize cell layer tightness – especially to describe paracellular transport ways and leakiness status of the blood–brain barrier over time – applying a wide range from smaller to larger molecules at the same time in order to refine, e.g. TEER, sucrose or Evans blue measurements.