• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.8
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• pp.457-462
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• 2014

The pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is not fully understood. In the present study, both in vitro and in vivo vimentin expression and secretion in NASH were investigated. The exposure of palmitate and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to HepG2 cells enhanced caspase-3 activity and vimentin expression, respectively. The combined effects of both treatments on vimentin expression and caspase-3 activation appeared to be synergic. In contrast, blockade of caspase-3 activity by zVADfmk resulted in a significant reduction of cleaved vimentin and secreted vimentin into the culture supernatant. Similarly, lipid accumulation and inflammation occurred in mice fed a methionine-choline-deficient diet; thus, vimentin expression and serum cleaved vimentin levels were increased. However, vimentin was not significantly upregulated, and no cleavage occurred in mice fed a high-fat diet. It was conclusively determined that lipid accumulation in hepatocytes induces apoptosis through a caspase-3 dependent pathway; whereas, LPS stimulates vimentin expression, leading to its cleavage and secretion. Increased vimentin fragment levels indicated the existence of substantial hepatocellular death via an apoptotic mechanism.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.316-321
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• 2005

Ameloblastoma is the most common odontogenic tumor of the jawbones, but the origin of this tumor has been remained to be unproven. Cytokeratins (CKs) are specific intermediate filament of epithelial cells, and vimentin is expressed in mesenchymal cells. The immunohistochemical detection of different CKs and vimentin has made it easier to know the origin of tumor. Paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 15 ameloblastomas and 1 ameloblastic carcinoma were used for immunohistochemical evaluation of CK 7, 8, 13, 14, 19 and vimentin. Their expression is evaluated in different tumor cells, which are observed in different type of tumors. In the follicular and reticular subtype, central stellate cells of tumor nests expressed CK 8, 14, 19 and peripheral columnar cells expressed CK 14. CK 7, and 13 were not expressed. Vimentin was detected in fibrous stroma around tumor nest, not in tumor cells. The tumor cells of ameloblastic carcinoma expressed CK 7, 14 and 19, but CK 8 was more weakly stained than that in ameloblastoma. Central stellate cells and peripheral columnar cells of acanthomatous subtype showed same expression pattern with others. Meta plastic squamous cells expressed CK 8, 14, 19 and keratinizing squamous cells expressed CK 13, 19. CK 7 and vimentin were not detected in tumor cells and vimentin was expressed in fibrous stroma. Most of the tumor cells of ameloblastoma showed CK 14 and CK 19 and did not express CK 7 and vimentin. These findings were similar to the immunophenotype of dental lamina. And these results will be beneficial to differential diagnosis of odontogenic tumors and other kind of tumors arising at the oral cavity.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.426-434
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• 2014

Peptidylarginine deiminase type 2 (PADI2) deiminates (or citrullinates) arginine residues in protein to citrulline residues in a $Ca^{2+}$-dependent manner, and is found in lymphocytes and macrophages. Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein and a well-known substrate of PADI2. Citrullinated vimentin is found in ionomycin-induced macrophage apoptosis. Citrullinated vimentin is the target of anti-Sa antibodies, which are specific to rheumatoid arthritis, and play a critical role in the pathogenesis of the disease. To investigate the role of PADI2 in apoptosis, we generated a Jurkat cell line that overexpressed the PADI2 transgene from a tetracycline-inducible promoter, and used a combination of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and ionomycin to activate Jurkat cells. We found that PADI2 overexpression reduced the cell viability of activated Jurkat cells in1a dose- and time-dependent manner. The PADI2-overexpressed and -activated Jurkat cells presented typical manifestations of apoptosis, and exhibited greater levels of citrullinated proteins, including citrullinated vimentin. Vimentin overexpression rescued a portion of the cells from apoptosis. In conclusion, PADI2 overexpression induces apoptosis in activated Jurkat cells. Vimentin is involved in PADI2-induced apoptosis. Moreover, PADI2-overexpressed Jurkat cells secreted greater levels of vimentin after activation, and expressed more vimentin on their cell surfaces when undergoing apoptosis. Through artificially highlighting PADI2 and vimentin, we demonstrated that PADI2 and vimentin participate in the apoptotic mechanisms of activated T lymphocytes. The secretion and surface expression of vimentin are possible ways of autoantigen presentation to the immune system.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2014

Cardiovascular system is the primary organ to develop and reach a functional state, which underscores the essential role of the vasculature in the developing embryo. The vasculature is a highly specialized organ that functions in a number of key physiological works including the carrying of oxygen and nutrients to tissues. It is closely involved in the formation of heart, and hence it is essential for survival during the hatching period. The expression of genes involved during vascular development in the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in the days after hatching is not fully understood. Therefore, we examined the expression patterns of genes activated during the development of flounder. Microscopic observations showed that formation of blood vessels is related to the expression of the vimentin gene. Also, the temporal expression patterns of this vimentin-like gene in the developmental stages and in the normal tissues of olive flounder. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression patterns of vimentin in normal tissues of the olive flounder and during the development of the vascular system in newly hatched olive flounders and HIF-1 plays a vital role in the formation of blood vessels during development. Vimentin expression was strong at the beginning of the development of blood vessels, and was present throughout all developmental stages. Our findings have important implications with respect to the roles of vimentin and HIF-1 in the development and evolution of the first blood vessels in olive flounder. Further studies are required to elucidate the vimentin-mediated hypoxic response signal transduction and to decipher the functional role of vimentin in developmental stages.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2014

Cytokeratin 19 (CK19) expressed in epidermis of skin, bulge region of hair follicle, outermost layer of outer root sheath and proximal and distal to bulge. Vimentin is a fibrous protein that localized in cytoplasm of fibroblast and forms cytoskeleton to maintain shape of cell and nucleus. In this study, CK19 and vimentin in skin were confirmed with light, fluorescence and transmission electron microscope. As a result, CK19 was localized epidermis, hair follicles, outer root sheath and nucleus of Merkel's cell. However, vimentin was localized some epidermis, dermis, hypodermis and nucleus of Merkel's cell. The role of CK19 is self-renewal and homeostasis in skin. Also, hair follicle regeneration and hair growth is known to be related. It is supposed that required of structural proteins that make up cytoskeleton is increased. Thereby, expression of CK19 is increased. It is considered that vimentin localized in order to stabilize structure of cell and cytoskeleton of fibroblasts. Also, CK19 and vimentin present in nuclei of Merkel's cell, and to act as a fibrous protein that make up end of a nerve fiber present in Merkel's cell and paracrine function of Merkel's cell.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.4271-4275
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• 2015

Objectives: To investigate the expression of vimentin and Ki-67 proteins in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and their relationships with patient clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods:Fifty-seven CSCC samples archived in Department of Pathology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University were selected. The expression of vimentin and Ki-67 proteins in CSCC tissue were detected using immunohistochemical SP method, and correlations between them and their relationships with clinicopathological features were analyzed. Results: Among 57 CSCC tissues, there were 43 with positive expression of Vimentin, and the positive rate was 75.4%; there were 57 cases with positive expression of Ki-67, and the positive rate came up to 100.0%. The results of Pearson correlation analysis displayed that the expression of vimentin had a significantly-positive correlation with Ki-67 in CSCC tissue (r=0.984, co0.000). The expression of both Ki-67 and vimentin was intimately associated with the presence or absence of local invasion and lymph node metastasis as well as differentiated degrees of the tumor (P=0.003, 0.017, 0.000; P=0.001, 0.008, 0.003) instead of the age, tumor size and clinical staging (P>0.05). Conclusions: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) tends to appear in poorly-differentiated CSCC tissue, and the up-regulation of vimentin expression is accompanied by high expression of Ki-67, suggesting that invasion and metastasis readily occur in these tumor cells.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.483-486
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• 2004

The expression of nestin and vimentin in the spinal nerve roots of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was studied to ascertain whether Schwann cells in the peripheral nerves respond to acute central nervous system autoimmune injury. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that nestin was constitutively expressed in the dorsal roots of spinal nerves in control rats; its expression was enhanced in the spinal nerve roots of rats with EAE. Vimentin expression was weak in control rat spinal nerve roots, and it was increased in the dorsal roots of rats with EAE. It is postulated that normal animals have multipotent progenitor cells that constitutively express nestin and vimentin in the spinal nerve roots. In response to an injury of the central nervous system, these multipotent Schwann cells are activated in the spinal nerve roots through the expression of the intermediate filament proteins vimentin and nestin.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to analyzed pattern of proteins expression abnormally in cloned bovine placenta. TIMP-2 protein whose function is related to extracellular matrix degradation and tissue remodeling processes was one of differentially up-regulated proteins in SCNT placenta. And one of down-regulated protein in SCNT placenta was identified as vimentin protein that is presumed to stabilize the architecture of the cytoplasm. The expression patterns of these proteins were validated by Western blotting. To evaluate how regulatory loci. of TIMP-2 and vimentin genes was programmed reprogramming in cloned placenta. the status of DNA methylation in the promoter region of TIMP-2 and vimentin genes was analyzed by sodium Bisulfite mapping. The DNA methylation results showed that there was not difference in methylation pattern of TIMP-2 and vimentin loci between cloned and normal placenta. Histone H3 acetylation state of the nucleosome was analyzed in the cloned placental and normal placenta by Western blotting. A small portion of the protein lysates were subjected to Western blotting with the antibodies against anti acetyl-Histone H3. Overall histone H3 acetylation state of SCNT placenta was significantly higher than those of normal placenta cells. It is postulated that cloned placenta at the end of gestation seems to be unusual in function and morphology of placenta via improper expression of TIMP-2 and vimentin by abnormal acetylation states of cloned genome.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.6-13
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• 2011

Purpose: Craniosynostosis (CS), one of the most common congenital craniofacial deformities, is the premature closure of cranial sutures. NELL-1 is a novel molecule overexpressed during premature cranial suture closure in human CS. From a functional perspective, NELL-1 has been reported to accelerate chondrocyte maturation and modulate calvarial osteoblast differentiation and apoptosis pathways. The mechanism through which NELL-1 induces these phenomena, however, remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to identify the NELL-1 binding protein(s) through which the biologic mechanism of NELL-1 can be further investigated. Materials and Methods: Far-Western and Immunoprecipitation (IP) assays were performed, independently and in sequence, followed by mass spectrometry to identify the NELL-1 binding proteins. Reverse IP was used to verify and confirm candidate binding protein. Results: The only confirmative protein from current experimentation was vimentin. Vimentin is the major structural component of the intermediate filaments. Conclusion: The present study identified and confirmed vimentin as a NELL-1 binding protein, which opened up a new window to mechanistically facilitate studies on this CS-associated molecule.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2005

It has been suggested that the elevated plasma homocysteine may lead to retinal dysfunction. We investigated the effects of plasma levels of homocysteine and folate on the retinal glial cells' injuries. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were raised either on a control diet or on an experimental diet containing 3.0 g/kg homocystine without folic acid for 10 weeks. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were measured by a HPLC-fluorescence detection method. Plasma folate and vitamin B/sub 12/ levels were analyzed by a radioimmunoassay. The response of Muller cells which are the principal glial cells of the retina was immunohistochemically examined using an antibody for vimentin, a cytoskeletal protein belonging to the family of intermediate filament. At 2 weeks, the homocystine diet induced a twofold increase in plasma homocysteine, and a concomitant increase in the expression of vimentin in the Muller cells' processes spanning from the inner to outer membranes of the retina indicating arterial degeneration. At 10 weeks, the homocystine diet induced a fourfold increase in plasma homocystine, but vimentin immunoreactivity in the retinas was similar in both groups. In conclusion, increased plasma homocysteine levels have influence on morphological and functional changes of Muller cells in the retina. (Korean J Nutrition 38(2): 96～103, 2005)