TY - GEN A1 - Steinbrecht, Susanne A1 - Kiebist, Jan A1 - König, Rosalie A1 - Thiessen, Markus A1 - Schmidtke, Kai-Uwe A1 - Kammerer, Sarah A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Scheibner, Katrin T1 - Synthesis of cyclophosphamide metabolites by a peroxygenase from Marasmius rotula for toxicological studies on human cancer cells T2 - AMB Express N2 - Cyclophosphamide (CPA) represents a widely used anti-cancer prodrug that is converted by liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes into the primary metabolite 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (4-OH-CPA), followed by non-enzymatic generation of the bioactive metabolites phosphoramide mustard and acrolein. The use of human drug metabolites as authentic standards to evaluate their toxicity is essential for drug development. However, the chemical synthesis of 4-OH-CPA is complex and leads to only low yields and undesired side products. In past years, fungal unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) have raised to powerful biocatalysts. They can exert the identical selective oxyfunctionalization of organic compounds and drugs as known for CYP enzymes with hydrogen peroxide being used as sole cosubstrate. Herein, we report the efficient enzymatic hydroxylation of CPA using the unspecific peroxygenase from Marasmius rotula (MroUPO) in a simple reaction design. Depending on the conditions used the primary liver metabolite 4-OH-CPA, its tautomer aldophosphamide (APA) and the overoxidized product 4-ketocyclophosphamide (4-keto-CPA) could be obtained. Using a kinetically controlled approach 4-OH-CPA was isolated with a yield of 32% (purity > 97.6%). Two human cancer cell lines (HepG2 and MCF-7) were treated with purified 4-OH-CPA produced by MroUPO (4-OH-CPAUPO). 4-OH-CPAUPO–induced cytotoxicity as measured by a luminescent cell viability assay and its genotoxicity as measured by γH2AX foci formation was not significantly different to the commercially available standard. The high yield of 4-OH-CPAUPO and its biological activity demonstrate that UPOs can be efficiently used to produce CYP-specific drug metabolites for pharmacological assessment. KW - Biocatalysis KW - Cyclophosphamide KW - Human drug metabolites KW - Peroxygenase KW - Toxicity Y1 - 2020 UR - https://amb-express.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13568-020-01064-w U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13568-020-01064-w SN - 2191-0855 VL - 10 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Vagiannis, Dimitrios A1 - Novotna, Eva A1 - Skarka, Adam A1 - Kammerer, Sarah A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Chen, Si A1 - Guo, Lei A1 - Staud, Frantisek A1 - Hofman, Jakub T1 - Ensartinib (X-396) Effectively Modulates Pharmacokinetic Resistance Mediated by ABCB1 and ABCG2 Drug Efflux Transporters and CYP3A4 Biotransformation Enzyme T2 - Cancers N2 - Ensartinib (X-396) is a promising tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently undergoing advanced clinical evaluation for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. In this work, we investigate possible interactions of this promising drug candidate with ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug efflux transporters and cytochrome P450 biotransformation enzymes (CYPs), which play major roles in multidrug resistance (MDR) and pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Accumulation studies showed that ensartinib is a potent inhibitor of ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters. Additionally, incubation experiments with recombinant CYPs showed that ensartinib significantly inhibits CYP3A4 and CYP2C9. Subsequent molecular docking studies confirmed these findings. Drug combination experiments demonstrated that ensartinib synergistically potentiates the antiproliferative effects of daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, and docetaxel in ABCB1, ABCG2, and CYP3A4-overexpressing cellular models, respectively. Advantageously, ensartinib’s antitumor efficiency was not compromised by the presence of MDR-associated ABC transporters, although it acted as a substrate of ABCB1 in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney II (MDCKII) monolayer transport assays. Finally, we demonstrated that ensartinib had no significant effect on the mRNA-level expression of examined transporters and enzymes in physiological and lung tumor cellular models. In conclusion, ensartinib may perpetrate clinically relevant pharmacokinetic DDIs and modulate ABCB1-, ABCG2-, and CYP3A4-mediated MDR. The in vitro findings presented here will provide a valuable foundation for future in vivo investigations. KW - ensartinib KW - cancer KW - multidrug resistance KW - drug-drug interaction KW - ABC transporter KW - cytochrome P450 Y1 - 2020 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/4/813 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12040813 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 12 IS - 4 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Lau, S. A1 - Rangarajan, R. A1 - Krüger-Genge, Anne A1 - Braune, Steffen A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Lendlein, Andreas A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Age-related morphology and function of human arterial endothelial cells T2 - Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation N2 - Endothelialization of cardiovascular implants is regarded as a promising strategy for long-term compatibility. While umbilical vein endothelial cells are typically applied in research, human arterial endothelial cells (HAEC) from elderly donors would be the obvious source for autologous cellularization strategies. In our approach, HAEC from 16 donors of varying age (16–63 years) were divided into two groups (<30 years and >30 years) and analyzed regarding morphology, viability, proliferation, function and senescence status. No age-related differences were found regarding morphology, viability, density, prostacyclin and nitrite secretion or collagen and laminin production. However, the metabolic activity was slightly decreased (p = 0.0374) and the membrane integrity marginally impaired (p = 0.0404) in cells from older donors. Two out of three senescence assays detected more senescence markers in cells from older donors. According to the assays applied here, HAEC from young and elderly donors up to the age of 63 years could be judged equally suitable for autologous cellularization strategies. However, this finding should be regarded with caution due to the extremely large variability between individual donors. Further studies comprising a larger sample size are necessary to investigate this issue more thoroughly. KW - Cardiovascular implants KW - arterial endothelial cells KW - aging KW - senescence KW - donor variability Y1 - 2020 UR - https://content.iospress.com/articles/clinical-hemorheology-and-microcirculation/ch199238 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/CH-199238 SN - 1875-8622 SN - 1386-0291 VL - 74 IS - 1 SP - 93 EP - 107 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Krüger-Genge, Anne A1 - Steinbrecht, Susanne A1 - Jung, Conrad H. G. A1 - Westphal, Sophia A1 - Klöpzig, Stefanie A1 - Waldeck, Peter A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Storsberg, J. A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Arthrospira platensis accelerates the formation of an endothelial cell monolayer and protects against endothelial cell detachment after bacterial contamination T2 - Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation N2 - Within the last years a comprehensive number of scientific studies demonstrated beneficial effect of Arthropira platensis (AP) as dietary supplement due to a high content of proteins, minerals and vitamins. Positive effects like promoting the immune system, reducing inflammation and an anti-oxidant capacity are reported. In this study, the effect of an aqueous AP extract on primary human venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) was investigated. In addition, the effect of AP on HUVEC treated with a bacterial toxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPA), inducing an activation of HUVEC and cellular detachment, was analyzed. Depending on the concentration of AP extract a significantly accelerated formation of an endothelial cell monolayer was observed. Furthermore, the detachment of HUVEC after LPA addition was dramatically reduced by AP. In conclusion, the data are promising and indicatory for an application of Arthrospira platensis in the clinical field. KW - Arthrospira platensis KW - endothelial cells KW - xCELLigence system Y1 - 2021 UR - https://content.iospress.com/articles/clinical-hemorheology-and-microcirculation/ch201096 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/CH-201096 SN - 1386-0291 VL - 78 IS - 2 SP - 151 EP - 161 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schulz, Christian A1 - Krüger-Genge, Anne A1 - Lendlein, Andreas A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Potential Effects of Nonadherent on Adherent Human Umbilical Venous Endothelial Cells in Cell Culture T2 - International Journal of Molecular Science N2 - The adherence and shear-resistance of human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) on polymers is determined in vitro in order to qualify cardiovascular implant materials. In these tests, variable fractions of HUVEC do not adhere to the material but remain suspended in the culture medium. Nonadherent HUVEC usually stop growing, rapidly lose their viability and can release mediators able to influence the growth and function of the adherent HUVEC. The aim of this study was the investigation of the time dependent behaviour of HUVEC under controlled nonadherent conditions, in order to gain insights into potential influences of these cells on their surrounding environment in particular adherent HUVEC in the context of in vitro biofunctionality assessment of cardiovascular implant materials. Data from adherent or nonadherent HUVEC growing on polystyrene-based cell adhesive tissue culture plates (TCP) or nonadhesive low attachment plates (LAP) allow to calculate the number of mediators released into the culture medium either from adherent or nonadherent cells. Thus, the source of the inflammatory mediators can be identified. For nonadherent HUVEC, a time-dependent aggregation without further proliferation was observed. The rate of apoptotic/dead HUVEC progressively increased over 90% within two days. Concomitant with distinct blebbing and loss of membrane integrity over time, augmented releases of prostacyclin (PGI2, up to 2.91 ± 0.62 fg/cell) and platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB, up to 1.46 ± 0.42 fg/cell) were detected. The study revealed that nonadherent, dying HUVEC released mediators, which can influence the surrounding microenvironment and thereby the results of in vitro biofunctionality assessment of cardiovascular implant materials. Neglecting nonadherent HUVEC bears the risk for under- or overestimation of the materials endothelialization potential, which could lead to the loss of relevant candidates or to uncertainty with regard to their suitability for cardiac applications. One approach to minimize the influence from nonadherent endothelial cells could be their removal shortly after observing initial cell adhesion. However, this would require an individual adaptation of the study design, depending on the properties of the biomaterial used. KW - human venous endothelial cells KW - adherent KW - non-adherent KW - viability KW - mediator release Y1 - 2021 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1493 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22031493 VL - 22 IS - 3 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Geburek, Ina A1 - Rutz, Lukas A1 - Gao, Lan A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - These, Anja A1 - Schrenk, Dieter T1 - The metabolic pattern of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in liver cells T2 - Chemical Research in Toxicology N2 - Contamination with 1,2-unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) is a serious problem for certain phytomedicines, foods, and animal feeds. Several of these PAs are genotoxic and carcinogenic, primarily in the liver, upon cytochrome P450 (CYP)-catalyzed activation into reactive (pyrrolic and pyrrole-like) metabolites. Here we investigated the metabolism of selected PAs (echimidine, europine, lasiocarpine, lycopsamine, retrorsine, and senecionine) in rat hepatocytes in primary culture and in human CYP3A4-transfected HepG2 cells. The open-chained diesters echimidine and lasiocarpine and the cyclic diester senecionine were extensively metabolized in rat hepatocytes into a broad spectrum of products released into the medium. A large portion of unidentified, possibly irreversibly bound, products remained in the cells while detectable amounts of reactive and other metabolites were found in the incubation media. In HepG2-CYP3A4 cells, lasiocarpine was more extensively metabolized than echimidine and senecionine which also gave rise to the release of pyrrolic metabolites. In human cells, no pyrrolic metabolites were detected in retrorsine or lycopsamine incubations, while no such metabolites were detected from europine in both cell types. Other types of metabolic changes comprised modifications such as side chain demethylation or oxygenation reactions like the formation of N-oxides. The latter, considered as a detoxification step, was a major pathway with cyclic diesters, was less distinctive for echimidine and lycopsamine and almost negligible for lasiocarpine and europine. Our data are in agreement with previously published cyto- and genotoxicity findings and suggests that the metabolic pattern may contribute substantially to the specific toxic potency of a certain congener. In addition, marked differences were found for certain congeners between rat hepatocytes and transfected human HepG2 cells, whereby a high level of bioactivation was found for lasiocarpine, whereas a very low level of bioactivation was observed for monoesters, in particular in human cells. Y1 - 2021 UR - https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00507 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00507 VL - 34 IS - 4 SP - 1101 EP - 1113 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Jung, Conrad H. G. A1 - Waldeck, Peter A1 - Petrick, Ingolf A1 - Braune, Steffen A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Bioreactor for the cultivation of Arthrospira platensis under controlled conditions T2 - Journal of Cellular Biotechnology N2 - A vertical flat-type bioreactor consisting of transparent polyethylene (food safe) was constructed, which is characterized by a flexible design and allows the adjustment of a light path of 1 cm – 8.5 cm and a working volume of 1.5 l – 4 l. To characterize the performance of the bioreactor, cultivation experiments were performed with the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis (AP). The growth was assessed continuously by monitoring optical density and intermittently by measuring the dry weight of the AP biomass. An on-line measurement technique for estimating biomass production rate in a photosynthetic microalgae culture was developed. The oxygen produced by AP in the culture medium was flushed out sparging using a mixture of air and CO2 (1%). Factors which might influence the AP growth were monitored: pH, temperature, oxygen concentration and the filling level were corrected automatically to compensate evaporation losses. As an example, the huge influence of the light intensity on the AP growth was tested. The increase of the photon flux density of 15 to 1200μmol/(l · d) led to a 22-fold increase of the productivity and a 3.1-fold shorter doubling time. Using an online measurement technique - together with the control of the growth process via a wireless local area network (WLAN) router and virtual private network - allows monitoring the growth of Arthrospira platensis remotely. Y1 - 2021 UR - https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-cellular-biotechnology/jcb210032 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/JCB-210032 VL - 7 IS - 1 SP - 35 EP - 40 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Rahman, Ateeq A1 - Moola, Nyambe A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner T1 - Namibian algae species: A review of their distribution, medicinal uses and chemical constituents T2 - Journal of Cellular Biotechnology N2 - The use of indigenous or remote popular knowledge to identify new drugs against diseases or infections is a well-known approach in medicine. The inhabitants of coastal regions in Namibia and other African countries are known to prepare algae extracts for the treatment of disorders and ailments such as wounds, fever and stomach aches, as well as for the prevention of arrhythmia, cancer, and many other diseases. Algae survive in a competitive environment and, therefore, developed defense strategies that have resulted in a significant level of chemical structural diversity in various metabolic pathways. The exploration of these organisms for pharmaceutical, nutritional and medical purposes has provided important chemical candidates for the discovery of new agents against neglected tropical diseases and stimulated the use of sophisticated physical techniques. This current review provides a broad picture on the taxonomy, various medical and nutritional uses of algae, which thus should be of relevance for the African continent and underdeveloped countries in the Global South. Y1 - 2020 UR - https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-cellular-biotechnology/jcb209010 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/JCB-209010 VL - 6 IS - 2 SP - 139 EP - 159 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Braune, Steffen A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Effect of Prostanoids on Human Platelet Function: An Overview T2 - International Journal of Molecular Science N2 - Prostanoids are bioactive lipid mediators and take part in many physiological and pathophysiological processes in practically every organ, tissue and cell, including the vascular, renal, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems. In this review, we focus on their influence on platelets, which are key elements in thrombosis and hemostasis. The function of platelets is influenced by mediators in the blood and the vascular wall. Activated platelets aggregate and release bioactive substances, thereby activating further neighbored platelets, which finally can lead to the formation of thrombi. Prostanoids regulate the function of blood platelets by both activating or inhibiting and so are involved in hemostasis. Each prostanoid has a unique activity profile and, thus, a specific profile of action. This article reviews the effects of the following prostanoids: prostaglandin-D2 (PGD2), prostaglandin-E1, -E2 and E3 (PGE1, PGE2, PGE3), prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane-A2 (TXA2) on platelet activation and aggregation via their respective receptors. Y1 - 2020 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/23/9020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21239020 VL - 21 IS - 23 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Braune, Steffen A1 - Krüger-Genge, Anne A1 - Kammerer, Sarah A1 - Jung, Friedrich A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner T1 - Phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis as Potential Anti-Cancer Drug: Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies T2 - Life Y1 - 2021 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/2/91 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/life11020091 VL - 11 IS - 2 SP - 91 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Krüger-Genge, Anne A1 - Jung, Conrad H. G. A1 - Braune, Steffen A1 - Harb, K. A1 - Westphal, S. A1 - Klöpzig, Stefanie A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Effect of Arthrospira powders from different producers on the formation of endothelial cell monolayers T2 - Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation N2 - Arthrospira platensis (AP) and some of its derived products have well-established biological activities as antioxidants or as agents to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. Furthermore, AP products have gained increasing importance as potential anti-cancer agents. However, the ingredients of the available products vary greatly with the origin, the type of production and processing, which could have significant consequences for their biological effects. Therefore, the composition and biological influence of five distinct AP powders, which were acquired commercially or produced at a public biotechnology institute, were investigated in regard to their endothelialization capacity using a cell impedance- (CI) based measurement method. The study revealed that the AP composition and especially the influence on HUVEC proliferation differed significantly between the five AP powders up to 109%. Thus, it could be shown that the method used allows the reliable detection of quantitative differences in biological effects of different AP preparations. KW - Arthrospira platensis KW - spirulina KW - endothelial cells Y1 - 2021 UR - https://content.iospress.com/articles/clinical-hemorheology-and-microcirculation/ch219200 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/CH-219200 SN - 1875-8622 SN - 1386-0291 VL - 79 IS - 1 SP - 193 EP - 203 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schulz, Christian A1 - Jung, Friedrich A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner T1 - Inhibition of phase-1 biotransformation and cytostatic effects of diphenyleneiodonium on hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2 and a CYP3A4-overexpressing HepG2 cell clone T2 - Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation N2 - Cell-based in vitro liver models are an important tool in the development and evaluation of new drugs in pharmacological and toxicological drug assessment. Hepatic microsomal enzyme complexes, consisting of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CPR) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), play a decisive role in catalysing phase-1 biotransformation of pharmaceuticals and xenobiotics. For a comprehensive understanding of the phase-1 biotransformation of drugs, the availability of well-characterized substances for the targeted modulation of in vitro liver models is essential. In this study, we investigated diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) for its ability to inhibit phase-1 enzyme activity and further its toxicological profile in an in vitro HepG2 cell model with and without recombinant expression of the most important drug metabolization enzyme CYP3A4. Aim of the study was to identify effective DPI concentrations for CPR/CYP activity modulation and potentially associated dose and time dependent hepatotoxic effects. The cells were treated with DPI doses up to 5,000nM (versus vehicle control) for a maximum of 48 h and subsequently examined for CYP3A4 activity as well as various toxicological relevant parameters such as cell morphology, integrity and viability, intracellular ATP level, and proliferation. Concluding, the experiments revealed a time- and concentration-dependent DPI mediated partial and complete inhibition of CYP3A4 activity in CYP3A4 overexpressing HepG2-cells (HepG2-CYP3A4). Other cell functions, including ATP synthesis and consequently the proliferation were negatively affected in both in vitro cell models. Since neither cell integrity nor cell viability were reduced, the effect of DPI in HepG2 can be assessed as cytostatic rather than cytotoxic. KW - Phase-1 KW - biotransformation KW - CYP KW - cytochrome P450 monooxygenase KW - CYP3A4 KW - diphenyleneiodonium KW - DPI KW - HepG2 KW - HepG2-CYP3A4 KW - hepatocytes KW - NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase KW - POR KW - CPR Y1 - 2021 UR - https://content.iospress.com/articles/clinical-hemorheology-and-microcirculation/ch219117 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/CH-219117 SN - 1875-8622 SN - 1386-0291 VL - 79 IS - 1 SP - 231 EP - 243 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Krüger-Genge, Anne A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - 40th conference of the German society for clinical microcirculation and hemorheology (DGKMH) T2 - Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/ch-219100 SN - 1875-8622 SN - 1386-0291 VL - 79 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 2 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Jung, Conrad H. G. A1 - Braune, Steffen A1 - Waldeck, Peter A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Petrick, Ingolf A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Morphology and Growth of Arthrospira platensis during Cultivation in a Flat-Type Bioreactor T2 - Life N2 - Arthrospira platensis (AP) is a cyanobacterium with a high economic value and is nowadays one of the most important industrially cultivated microalgae. Knowledge of its growth is essential for the understanding of its physiology and yield. The growth of AP biomass occurs through two mechanisms: (1) propagation by fragmentation of trichomes, and (2) the trichomes are extended by binary fission until they reach their mature status. These phases are visualized by live cell light and laser scanning microscopy, demonstrating the different phases of AP growth. KW - Arthrospira platensis KW - Spirulina KW - life cycle KW - morphology KW - fragmentation KW - fission Y1 - 2021 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/11/6/536/htm U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/life11060536 SN - 2075-1729 VL - 11 IS - 6 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Künzel, Stephan R. A1 - Hoffmann, Maximilian A1 - Weber, Silvio A1 - Künzel, Karolina A1 - Kämmerer, Susanne A1 - Günscht, Mario A1 - Klapproth, Erik A1 - Rausch, Johanna S. E. A1 - Sadek, Mirna S. A1 - Kolanowski, Tomasz A1 - Meyer-Roxlau, Stefanie A1 - Piorkowski, Christopher A1 - Tugtekin, Sems M. A1 - Rose-John, Stefan A1 - Yin, Xiaoke A1 - Mayr, Manuel A1 - Kuhlmann, Jan Dominik A1 - Wimberger, Pauline A1 - Grützmann, Konrad A1 - Herzog, Natalie A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - O’Reilly, Molly A1 - Kabir, S. Nashitha A1 - Sommerfeld, Laura C. A1 - Guan, Kaomei A1 - Wielockx, Ben A1 - Fabritz, Larissa A1 - Nattel, Stanley A1 - Ravens, Ursula A1 - Dobrev, Dobromir A1 - Wagner, Michael A1 - El-Armouche, Ali T1 - Diminished PLK2 Induces Cardiac Fibrosis and Promotes Atrial Fibrillation T2 - Circulation Research N2 - Rationale: Fibrosis promotes the maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF), making it resistant to therapy. Improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to atrial fibrosis will open new pathways toward effective antifibrotic therapies. Objective: This study aims to decipher the mechanistic interplay between PLK2 (polo-like kinase 2) and the profibrotic cytokine OPN (osteopontin) in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrosis and AF. Methods and Results: Atrial PLK2 mRNA expression was 10-fold higher in human fibroblasts than in cardiomyocytes. Compared with sinus rhythm, right atrial appendages and isolated right atrial fibroblasts from patients with AF showed downregulation of PLK2 mRNA and protein, along with increased PLK2 promotor methylation. Genetic deletion as well as pharmacological inhibition of PLK2 induced profibrotic phenotype conversion in cardiac fibroblasts and led to a striking de novo secretion of OPN. Accordingly, PLK2-deficient (PLK2 knockout) mice showed cardiac fibrosis and were prone to experimentally induced AF. In line with these findings, OPN plasma levels were significantly higher only in patients with AF with atrial low-voltage zones (surrogates of fibrosis) compared with sinus rhythm controls. Mechanistically, we identified ERK1/2 as the relevant downstream mediator of PLK2 leading to increased OPN expression. Finally, oral treatment with the clinically available drug mesalazine, known to inhibit ERK1/2, prevented cardiac OPN overexpression and reversed the pathological PLK2 knockout phenotype in PLK2 knockout mice. Conclusions: Abnormal PLK2/ERK1/2/OPN axis function critically contributes to AF-related atrial fibrosis, suggesting reinforcing PLK2 activity and/or OPN inhibition as innovative targets to prevent fibrosis progression in AF. Mesalazine derivatives may be used as lead compounds for the development of novel anti-AF agents targeting fibrosis. KW - atrial fibrillation KW - fibroblasts KW - fibrosis KW - mesalamine KW - osteopontin Y1 - 2021 UR - https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.319425 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.319425 SN - 1524-4571 SN - 0009-7330 VL - 129 IS - 8 SP - 804 EP - 820 ER - TY - PAT A1 - Scheibner, Katrin A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Schmidtke, Kai-Uwe A1 - Miethbauer, Sebastian A1 - Herzog, Natalie T1 - Verfahren zur Herstellung von biogenen Stoffen T1 - Method for producing biogenic substances Y1 - 2020 UR - https://patents.google.com/patent/EP3068868B1/de ER - TY - PAT A1 - Scheibner, Katrin A1 - Kiebist, Jan A1 - Schmidtke, Kai-Uwe A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner T1 - Verfahren zur enzymatischen Herstellung von zytostatischen 4-Hydroxy-Oxazaphosphorinen“ Y1 - 2020 UR - https://www.b-tu.de/enzymtechnologie/publikationen/patente ER - TY - PAT A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - Arthrospira for use in the treatment of diseases Y1 - 2021 UR - https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwik1t7QrOL5AhVTO-wKHT97CKAQFnoECAQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.epo.org%2Fpublication-server%2Frest%2Fv1.0%2Fpublication-dates%2F20220302%2Fpatents%2FEP3960193NWA1%2Fdocument.pdf&usg=AOvVaw20GVY_ywjb2xbS0TwSDArJ ER - TY - PAT A1 - Scheibner, Katrin A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Jung, Friedrich T1 - In vitro Arzneimittel aus Prodrugs und deren Verwendung Y1 - 2021 UR - https://www.b-tu.de/enzymtechnologie/publikationen/patente ER - TY - GEN A1 - Vagiannis, Dimitrios A1 - Zhang, Yu A1 - Budagaga, Youssif A1 - Novotna, Eva A1 - Skarka, Adam A1 - Kammerer, Sarah A1 - Küpper, Jan-Heiner A1 - Hofman, Jakub T1 - Alisertib shows negligible potential for perpetrating pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions on ABCB1, ABCG2 and cytochromes P450, but acts as dual-activity resistance modulator through the inhibition of ABCC1 transporter T2 - Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2021.115823 SN - 0041-008X VL - Vol. 434 ER -