Faculty Profiles - OGATA Aika

Mesenchymal stem cells attenuate angiotensin II-induced aortic aneurysm growth in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice Reviewed Open Access

Ryotaro Hashizume, Aika Yamawaki-Ogata, Yuichi Ueda, William R. Wagner, Yuji Narita

JOURNAL OF VASCULAR SURGERY Vol. 54 ( 6 ) page： 1743 - 52 2011.12

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：MOSBY-ELSEVIER

01,Objective:Aortic aneurysm (AA) is associated with loss of elastin and structural integrity, accompanied by increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression. These processes are supported by inflammatory macrophages, with mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contribute to aortic remodeling. Therefore, to clarify whether MSCs might be useful for AA cell therapy, we examined the effect of MSCs on vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and macrophages in vitro, on aortic tissue ex vivo, and on aorta in vivo.
Methods: Murine macrophages and SMCs were cultured, with or without bone marrow-derived murine MSCs, for 96 hours in vitro. Gene expression of MMPs and TNF-alpha from macrophages and that of elastin from SMCs were measured. The murine aortic tissues were cultured with or without MSCs for up to 14 days, followed by measurement of MMP enzyme activity and elastin content. The in vivo aneurysm model used apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) male mice receiving angiotensin (Ang II) infusion for 28 days. MSCs were implanted by laparotomy to the abdominal aortic adventitial surface from the superior mesenteric artery origin to the left renal artery. Age-matched apoE(-/-) mice with or without Ang II infusion were used for control groups. At the end point, aortic diameter, elastin content, MMPs' activity, and cytokines expressed, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), TNF-alpha, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) were quantified.
Results: MSCs suppressed MMP-2 with or without MSCs (2.59 vs 3.94, P < .05), MMP-9 (5.83 vs 9.70, P < .05), and TNF-alpha (2.79 vs 3.38, P < .05) expression in macrophages, and promoted elastin expression in SMCs (19.35 vs 3.23, P < .05) in vitro. MSCs also decreased active MMP-2 activity (0.310 vs 0.0609 U/mu L, P < .05) and preserved elastin content (68.05 vs 40.29 mu g/mg, P < .05) ex vivo. AA development was site-specifically inhibited (0.73 vs 1.04 mm aortic diameter, P < .05) and elastin content was preserved (46.9 vs 25.6 mu g/mg, P < .05) at 4 weeks. Downregulation of MMPs and IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-alpha, and upregulation of IGF-1 and TIMP-1 were demonstrated with MSC implantation in vivo.
Conclusions: MSC implantation inhibits Ang II-induced AA development in apoE(-/-) mice through elastin preservation in the aortic wall and is associated with attenuated levels of MMTs and inflammatory cytokines. (J Vase Surg 2011;54:1743-52.)

DOI： 10.1016/j.jvs.2011.06.109

Osteogenic Induction of Bone Marrow-Derived Stromal Cells on Simvastatin-Releasing, Biodegradable, Nano- to Microscale Fiber Scaffolds Reviewed

Ryu Wadagaki, Daiki Mizuno, Aika Yamawaki-Ogata, Makoto Satake, Hiroaki Kaneko, Sumitaka Hagiwara, Noriyuki Yamamoto, Yuji Narita, Hideharu Hibi, Minoru Ueda

ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Vol. 39 ( 7 ) page： 1872 - 81 2011.7

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：SPRINGER

Tissue engineering is an effective approach for the treatment of bone defects. Statins have been demonstrated to promote osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs). Electrospun biodegradable fibers have also shown applicability to drug delivery in the form of bone tissue engineered scaffolds with nano- to microscale topography and high porosity similar to the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a simvastatin-releasing, biodegradable, nano- to microscale fiber scaffold (SRBFS) for bone tissue engineering with BMSCs. Simvastatin was released from SRBFS slowly. BMSCs were observed to spread actively and rigidly adhere to SRBFS. BMSCs on SRBFS showed an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity 2 weeks after cell culture. Furthermore, osteoclastogenesis was suppressed by SRBFS in vitro. The new bone formation and mineralization in the SRBFS group were significantly better than in the biodegradable fiber scaffold (BFS) without simvastatin 12 weeks after implantation of the cell-scaffold construct into an ectopic site on the murine back. These results suggest that SRBFS promoted osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and in vivo, and demonstrate feasibility as a bone engineering scaffold.

DOI： 10.1007/s10439-011-0327-0

Biodegradable nanofibers in cardiovascular medicine: Drug delivery application Invited Reviewed

Masato Mutsuga, Aika Yamawaki-Ogata, Makoto Satake, Hiroaki Kaneko, Yuichi Ueda, Yuji Narita

Nanomedicine and the Cardiovascular System page： 345 - 369 2011.1

Language：English Publishing type：Part of collection (book) Publisher：CRC Press

Nanotechnology will play a great role in the field of cardiovascular disease in the near future. It will be a very useful tool in drug delivery approaches to treat cardiovascular disease. Nanomedicine (medical treatment using nanotechnology) can be considered a refinement of molecular medicine and integrates advances in genomics and proteomics to facilitate the development of personalized medicine. Nanomedicine for cardiovascular disease has focused on materials at super-molecular levels to deliver increased therapeutic efficacy and diminish adverse effects, which have ultimately resulted in their clinical application. All the aforementioned developments have revolutionized the application of nanotechnologies and have led to improved understanding of the possibilities for drug delivery to diseased tissues and organs. In this chapter we introduce a novel drug delivery system (DDS) using biodegradable nano-scaled fiber for use in cardiovascular medicine. Occasionally, systemic administration of the drug for cardiovascular diseases not only fails to work sufficiently, but also causes adverse side effects due to the limited effective threshold of the drug. Therefore, these medicines may need to be released locally and gradually. Our newly developed DDS applied biodegradable polymer mixed with a drug used for surgical treatment of cardiovascular diseases, to achieve sustained release. The mechanisms of sustained release of a drug are quite simple
the drug is released with diffusion, hydrolysis of the biodegradable polymer and/or degradation of polymer by enzymatic or phagocytotic effects in vivo. An electrospinning procedure is used to fabricate the nanofiber configurations for these materials. In this chapter, we review the DDS scaffold using electrospinning nanofiber technology, and also highlight our recent results using our new DDS with biodegradable nano-scaled fiber for cardiovascular diseases to prevent anastomotic stricture and treat aortic aneurysm.

Effects of Extracellular Matrix on Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage: Utility for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Reviewed

Shuichi Suzuki, Yuji Narita, Aika Yamawaki, Yosuke Murase, Makoto Satake, Masato Mutsuga, Hideki Okamoto, Hideaki Kagami, Minoru Ueda, Yuichi Ueda

CELLS TISSUES ORGANS Vol. 191 ( 4 ) page： 269 - 280 2010

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：KARGER

Background: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various types of cell, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) is acknowledged to be important for the regulation of cell functions. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of ECMs on the differentiation of human bone marrow-derived MSCs into a smooth muscle cell (SMC) lineage. Methods: Human MSCs (hMSCs) were cultured on dishes coated with 3 types of ECM including laminin (LM), collagen type IV (Col-IV) and fibronectin for 7 days, and simultaneously cultured on a noncoated dish as a control. Cell numbers of these cultured hMSCs were counted, and their expression of SMC-specific genes and proteins was evaluated. hMSCs were then seeded on LM-coated biodegradable sheets and implanted into rat subcutaneous space. After 2 weeks of implantation, these tissues were evaluated. Results: The number of hMSCs was significantly increased by culture on Col-IV-coated dishes. The expression of SMC-specific genes and proteins (alpha-smooth muscle actin, ASMA; h1-calponin, CALP) in hMSC was significantly upregulated from culture on LM-coated dishes. LM-coated sheets showed
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a significantly increased expression of ASMA and CALP protein in vivo. Moreover, a fully differentiated marker (SM2) was expressed in the in vivo implanted hMSCs in the course of 2 weeks on the LM-coated sheet. Conclusion: These results suggest that the signal transduction of the cell-matrix interaction for the differentiation of hMSCs into SMCs was activated when cultured with LM. LM-coated materials may thus be useful for cardiovascular tissue engineering. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

DOI： 10.1159/000260061

Institutional report - Congenital development of novel drug-eluting biodegradable nano-fiber for prevention of postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction Reviewed Open Access

Masato Mutsuga, Yuji Narita, Aika Yamawaki, Makoto Satake, Hiroaki Kaneko, Akihiko Usui, Yuichi Ueda

Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Vol. 8 ( 4 ) page： 402 - 406 2009.4

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (international conference proceedings)

Pulmonary venous obstruction (PVO) after correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) frequently occurs due to intimal-hyperplasia and the required re-operation. We have developed a novel sustained-release drug delivery system, using Tacrolimuseluting biodegradable nano-fiber (TEBN). It consists of nano-scale fiber composed of biodegradable polymer and Tacrolimus. This study evaluated the effects of TEBN for prevention of venous anastomotic stricture in a rat model to apply to PVO operation. Tacrolimus was incorporated into poly (L-lactide-co-glycolide). The venous stricture model was made by rat inferior vena cava anastomosis. The IVC anastomosis was covered with TEBN with 1.0 wt% Tacrolimus (n=12) or without TEBN as a control (n=12), and evaluated histologically at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after operation. The ratio of intimal area was significantly reduced in the TEBN group compared with the control group (ratio
1 week: 0.43 ± 0.26 vs. 0.07 ± 0.04, P=0.04, 2 weeks: 0.39 ± 0.19 vs. 0.05 ± 0.02, P=0.01, 4 weeks: 0.31±0.15 vs. 0.09 ± 0.04, P=0.03, control vs. TEBN, respectively). Histological findings showed endothelialization along the inner surface of the vein even in TEBN. The TEBN reduced intimal hyperplasia and preserved endothelialization even in a venous stricture. These results suggested that this strategy might be useful for prevention of recurrent PVO after TAPVC correction. © 2009 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

DOI： 10.1510/icvts.2008.192831

Open Access

A new strategy for prevention of anastomotic stricture using tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber Reviewed Open Access

Masato Mutsuga, Yuji Narita, Aika Yamawaki, Makoto Satake, Hiroaki Kaneko, Yoshihiro Suematsu, Akihiko Usui, Yuichi Ueda

JOURNAL OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY Vol. 137 ( 3 ) page： 703 - 709 2009.3

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：MOSBY-ELSEVIER

Objective: We developed a novel sustained drug-eluting device using tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber to prevent anastomotic stricture and evaluated the effects in a rat abdominal aortic anastomosis model.
Methods: In vitro and in vivo tacrolimus release tests for tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber were performed to confirm its sustained release. To verify the prevention of anastomotic stricture, tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber was placed around the end-to-end anastomosis of abdominal aorta in rats. Five rats were allocated to the following 5 groups: ( 1) control without tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber, ( 2) 5 mg of nanofiber only ( 0 wt% of tacrolimus), ( 3) 5 mg of tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber containing 0.04 wt% of tacrolimus, ( 4) 5 mg of tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber containing 0.1 wt% of tacrolimus, and ( 5) 5 mg of tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber containing 1.0 wt% of tacrolimus. Morphometric and histologic analyses including immunohistochemistry were performed in each of the groups 2 weeks after the operation.
Results: The tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber gradually released tacrolimus for at least 1 month in vitro and in vivo. The ratio of intimal area was significantly reduced in the 1.0 wt% tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber group compared with the other groups (0.26, 0.24, 0.25, 0.21, and 0.08 in control, 0 wt%, 0.04 wt%, 0.1 wt%, and 1.0 wt%, respectively, P <. 05). The cells, which constitute intimal hyperplasia, were positive for smooth muscle actin and SMemb, and factor VIII revealed that endothelial cells covered the surface of the aortic lumen even in the 1.0 wt% tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber group in immunohistochemistry.
Conclusion: Tacrolimus-eluting biodegradable nanofiber reduced neointimal hyperplasia and preserved endothelialization. This device may be useful in the prevention of anastomotic stricture.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2008.11.017

Effects of transforming growth factor-beta 1 and ascorbic acid on differentiation of human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into smooth muscle cell lineage Reviewed

Yuji Narita, Aika Yamawaki, Hideaki Kagami, Minoru Ueda, Yuichi Ueda

CELL AND TISSUE RESEARCH Vol. 333 ( 3 ) page： 449 - 459 2008.9

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：SPRINGER

Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into a variety of cell types including smooth muscle cells (SMCs). We have attempted to demonstrate that, following treatment with transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and ascorbic acid (AA), human bone-marrow-derived MSCs differentiate into the SMC lineage for use in tissue engineering. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for SMC-specific gene (alpha smooth muscle actin, h1-calponin, and SM22 alpha) expression was performed on MSCs, which were cultured with various concentrations of TGF-beta 1 or AA. TGF-beta 1 had a tendency to up-regulate the expression of SMC-specific genes in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of SM22 alpha was significantly up-regulated by 30 mu M AA. We also investigated the additive effect of TGF-beta 1 and AA for differentiation into SMCs and compared this effect with that of other factors including platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB). In addition to SMC-specific gene expression, SMC-specific proteins increased by two to four times when TGF-beta 1 and AA were used together compared with their administration alone. PDGF did not increase the expression of SMC-specific markers. MSCs cultured with TGF-beta 1 and AA did not differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes. These results suggest that a combination of TGF-beta 1 and AA is useful for the differentiation of MSCs into SMCs for use in tissue engineering.

DOI： 10.1007/s00441-008-0654-0