Project description:Aim: Acute hypobaric hypoxia occurs during fast ascent and brief sojourns to high altitudes. We aimed to elucidate early phase molecular mechanisms during hypobaric hypoxia that may contribute towards differential physiological responses in susceptible and tolerant rats. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats representing susceptible, normal (moderate) and tolerant male and female groups were subjected to simulated acute hypobaric hypoxia for one hour at 9144 m and 24°C. The lung tissue samples were subjected to high throughput mRNA-seq based transcriptome profiling. Differential gene expression of selected genes was validated by qRT-PCR. Results: The cellular mechanisms found to be playing significant role in hypobaric hypoxia included MAPK, p53 and JAK-STAT signaling, and hypometabolism. Upregulated expression of early response genes including Dusp1, Cdkn1a, Txnip, Rgs1 and Rgs2 in susceptible rats indicated a progression towards growth arrest and apoptosis, while elevated expression of cell adhesion molecules, wound healing and repair bioprocesses was found in tolerant males. Upregulated Kcnj15 and Vsig4 variants in tolerant females suggested hypoxia adaptation by fluid reabsorption to avoid edematous conditions and suppression of T cell proliferation to avoid acute lung inflammation. Conclusion: The differential gene expression patterns in different experimental sets elucidated the physiological mechanisms associated with progressive damage in the lung tissues of susceptible and normal (moderate) rats, and tissue protective measures in tolerant rats during acute hypobaric hypoxia.
Project description:In order to establish a rat embryonic stem cell transcriptome, mRNA from rESC cell line DAc8, the first male germline competent rat ESC line to be described and the first to be used to generate a knockout rat model was characterized using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis.
Project description:To explore the gene expression prolife in the chroniclly hypoxic myocardium, 8 rats were divided randomly into normoxic (n=4) or chroniclly hypoxic (n=4) group, and were exposed to room air (21% O2) or continued hypoxia (10% O2) for 4 weeks. Heart tissues were collected and RNA sequencing was applied to detect the overall gene expression prolife. Genes with adjusted P-value ≤0.01 (corrected by Benjamini-Hochberg) and |log2_ratio|≥0.585 are identified as differentially expressed genes. RNA sequencing identified a total of 2014 gene with statistical significances, among which 1260 genes were significantlly increased and 754 genes were significantlly decreased. The results showed that gene expression profiling was perturbed in chronically hypoxic myocardium.
Project description:Aging causes a functional decline in tissues throughout the body that may be delayed by caloric restriction (CR). However, the cellular profiles and signatures of aging, as well as those ameliorated by CR, remain unclear. Here, we built comprehensive single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomic atlases across various rat tissues undergoing aging and CR. CR attenuated aging-related changes in cell type composition, gene expression, and core transcriptional regulatory networks. Immune cells were increased during aging, and CR favorably reversed the aging-disturbed immune ecosystem. Computational prediction revealed that the abnormal cell-cell communication patterns observed during aging, including the excessive proinflammatory ligand-receptor interplay, were reversed by CR. Our work provides multi-tissue single-cell transcriptional landscapes associated with aging and CR in a mammal, enhances our understanding of the robustness of CR as a geroprotective intervention, and uncovers how metabolic intervention can act upon the immune system to modify the process of aging.
Project description:For individuals migrating to or residing permanently at high-altitude regions, environmental hypobaric hypoxia is a primary challenge which induces several physiological or pathological responses. It is well documented that human beings adapt to hypobaric hypoxia via some protective mechanisms, such as erythropoiesis and overproduction of hemoglobin, however little is known on the changes of plasma proteome profiles in accommodation to high-altitude hypobaric hypoxia. In the present study, we investigated differential plasma proteomes of high altitude natives and lowland normal controls by a TMT-based proteomic approach. A total of 818 proteins were identified, of which 137 were differentially altered. Bioinformatics (including GO, KEGG, protein-protein interactions, etc.) analysis revealed the dysregulated proteins were primarily involved in complement and coagulation cascades, anti-oxidative stress and glycolysis. Validations via magnetic Luminex® Assays and ELISA demonstrated that CCL18, C9, PF4, MPO and S100A9 notably up-regulated, and HRG and F11 down-regulated in high altitude natives compared with lowland controls, which were consistent with the proteomic results. Our findings highlight the roles of complement and coagulation cascades, anti-oxidative stress and glycolysis in acclimatization to hypobaric hypoxia and provide a foundation for developing potential diagnostic or/and therapeutic biomarkers for high altitude hypobaric hypoxia-induced diseases.