The Apelin gene (APLN) is located on the human X chromosome (Xq25-q26.1) and encodes a key bioactive peptide hormone called Apelin. Apelin exerts its multiple physiological effects mainly by binding to its homologous G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) APJ (Apelin receptor, APLNR). The Apelin/APJ signaling axis is widely expressed, but plays a vital role in the cardiovascular, central nervous system, kidney, and metabolic systems. It is a key regulator of cardiovascular homeostasis, affecting processes such as vasodilation, cardiac contraction, angiogenesis, and fluid balance. In addition, Apelin signaling also plays an important role in energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and appetite regulation. Apelin system dysregulation is associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, including hypertension, heart failure, atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even certain cancers.
Human APLN Adenoviral Particles are an advanced and widely used recombinant viral vector technology specifically designed to efficiently deliver and express the human Apelin (APLN) gene in a wide range of mammalian cells under in vitro and in vivo conditions. These particles are typically based on human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) that has been genetically engineered to be replication-defective for improved safety. Researchers have used these particles to efficiently overexpress the human APLN gene in target cells (e.g., cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, adipocytes, neurons) or by injecting them directly into tissues/organs in animal models (e.g., rodents). This has enabled critical studies of apelin''s biological functions, signaling pathways, therapeutic potential in disease models (e.g., heart failure or diabetes), and the effects of its dysregulation.
Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues surrounding teeth, characterized by irreversible destruction of the gingiva, periodontal ligament (PDL), and alveolar bone, leading to tooth loss. Here, researchers elucidated the correlation between periodontitis and apelin (APLN), an adipokine and a regulatory peptide, respectively, which are involved in inflammation and bone remodeling. Moreover, TNF-α treatment downregulated APLN expression in PDL cells and gingival fibroblasts, indicating that APLN has a protective effect against periodontitis progression. Overexpression of APLN or exogenous APLN treatment inhibited TNF-α-mediated MMP1, IL6, and PTGS2 catabolic gene expression in PDL cells. Furthermore, inhibition of the APLNA-PJ axis by the APJ inhibitor ML221 induced catabolic gene expression in PDL cells. Thus, these findings provide evidence for APLN as a regulator of the inflammatory response during periodontitis.
To explore the role of APLN in gingival tissue, the researchers induced APLN overexpression by adenoviral infection of human GFs. In contrast to the results in PDL cells, adenoviral overexpression of APLN in GFs only reduced the mRNA level of PTGS2, but not the mRNA levels of MMP1 and IL6 (Figure 1A). In addition, overexpression of APLN also inhibited the upregulation of PTGS2 expression levels in inflamed GFs treated with IL-1β and TNF-α. However, the expression of MMP1 and IL6 induced by proinflammatory cytokines in GFs was not regulated by APLN overexpression (Figures 1B and 1C). These data suggest that APLN partially inhibits inflammation in gingival tissue during the progression of periodontitis.
Figure 1. Effect of adenoviral APLN overexpression on periodontitis in gingival fibroblasts (GFs). (Lee G, et al., 2019)
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The Human APLN adenoviral particles have been integral to our recent projects. With their high level of specificity and reliable performance, these particles enabled us to make significant progress in our signaling pathway analysis.
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