The protective effects of grape seed procyanidin B2 against asporin mediates glycated low-density lipoprotein induced-cardiomyocyte apoptosis and fibrosis

Beneficial effects of flavonoids on cardiovascular diseases by influencing NLRP3 inflammasome

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of global mortality and have a high incidence rate worldwide. The function of inflammasomes in CVDs has received a lot of attention recently, and the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome may be a new target for the prevention and treatment of CVDs. Flavonoids, which are found in food and plant extracts, inhibited inflammation in CVDs by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome. CB-Dock was used to investigate whether 34 flavonoids from natural products acted on NLRP3 inflammasome. In brief, the PDB format of NLRP3 was selected as a protein file, and 34 flavonoids in SDF format were selected as the ligand file, and then input to CB-Dock for molecular docking. The docking results showed that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), amentoflavone, baicalin, scutellarin, vitexin, silibinin, and puerarin had good binding affinities to NLRP3, which could be used as NLRP3 inhibitors, and aid in the discovery of lead compounds for the design and development of CVDs.

Unraveling the Antioxidant Capacity of Spatholobi caulis in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Multiscale Network Approach Integrated with Experimental Validation

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health problem that is closely associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Spatholobi caulis (SC) is a herbal medicine with potential hepatoprotective effects; however, its active compounds and underlying mechanisms have not been fully explored. In this study, we combined a multiscale network-level approach with experimental validation to investigate SC's antioxidant properties and their impact on NAFLD. Data collection and network construction were performed, and active compounds and key mechanisms were identified through multi-scale network analysis. Validation was conducted using in vitro steatotic hepatocyte models and in vivo high-fat diet-induced NAFLD models. Our findings revealed that SC treatment improved NAFLD by modulating multiple proteins and signaling pathways, including AMPK signaling pathways. Subsequent experiments showed that SC treatment reduced lipid accumulation and oxidative stress. We also validated SC's effects on AMPK and its crosstalk pathways, emphasizing their role in hepatoprotection. We predicted procyanidin B2 to be an active compound of SC and validated it using a lipogenesis in vitro model. Histological and biochemical analyses confirmed that SC ameliorated liver steatosis and inflammation in mice. This study presents SC's potential use in NAFLD treatment and introduces a novel approach for identifying and validating active compounds in herbal medicine.

Myocardial fibrosis and calcification are attenuated by microRNA-129-5p targeting Asporin and Sox9 in cardiac fibroblasts

Myocardial fibrosis and calcification associate with adverse outcomes in nonischemic heart failure. Cardiac fibroblasts (CF) transition into myofibroblasts (MF) and osteogenic fibroblasts (OF) to promote myocardial fibrosis and calcification. However, common upstream mechanisms regulating both CF-to-MF transition and CF-to-OF transition remain unknown. microRNAs are promising targets to modulate CF plasticity. Our bioinformatics revealed downregulation of miR-129-5p and upregulation of its targets small leucine-rich proteoglycan Asporin (ASPN) and transcription factor SOX9 as common in mouse and human heart failure (HF). We experimentally confirmed decreased miR-129-5p and enhanced SOX9 and ASPN expression in CF in human hearts with myocardial fibrosis and calcification. miR-129-5p repressed both CF-to-MF and CF-to-OF transition in primary CF, as did knockdown of SOX9 and ASPN. Sox9 and Aspn are direct targets of miR-129-5p that inhibit downstream β-catenin expression. Chronic Angiotensin II infusion downregulated miR-129-5p in CF in WT and TCF21-lineage CF reporter mice, and it was restored by miR-129-5p mimic. Importantly, miR-129-5p mimic not only attenuated progression of myocardial fibrosis, calcification marker expression, and SOX9 and ASPN expression in CF but also restored diastolic and systolic function. Together, we demonstrate miR-129-5p/ASPN and miR-129-5p/SOX9 as potentially novel dysregulated axes in CF-to-MF and CF-to-OF transition in myocardial fibrosis and calcification and the therapeutic relevance of miR-129-5p.

Phytochemicals as potential target on thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are currently the major cause of death and morbidity on a global scale. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is a marker related to metabolism, oxidation, and inflammation induced in CVDs. The overexpression of TXNIP is closely related to the occurrence and development of CVDs. Hence, TXNIP inhibition is critical for reducing the overactivation of its downstream signaling pathway and, as a result, myocardial cell damage. Due to the chemical variety of dietary phytochemicals, they have garnered increased interest for CVDs prevention and therapy. Phytochemicals are a source of medicinal compounds for a variety of conditions, which aids in the development of effective and safe TXNIP-targeting medications. The objective of this article is to find and virtual screen novel safe, effective, and economically viable TXNIP inhibitors from flavonoids, phenols, and alkaloids derived from foods and plants. The results of the docking study revealed that silibinin, rutin, luteolin, baicalin, procyanidin B2, hesperetin, icariin, and tilianin in flavonoids, polydatin, resveratrol, and salidroside in phenols, and neferine in alkaloids had the highest Vina scores, indicating that these compounds are the active chemicals on TXNIP. In particular, silibinin can be utilized as a lead chemical in the process of structural alteration. These dietary phytochemicals may aid in the discovery of lead compounds for the development of innovative TXNIP agents for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Relationship between asporin and extracellular matrix behavior: A literature review

Asporin (ASPN), as a member of the small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycan family, is a type of protein that is found in the extracellular matrix. Collagen deposition or transformation is involved in a variety of pathological processes. ASPN is identified in cancerous tissue, pathological cardiac tissue, articular cartilage, keloid, and fibrotic lung tissue, and it has a role in the development of cancer, cardiovascular, bone and joint, keloid, and pulmonary fibrosis by interfering with collagen metabolism. This review article summarizes the data on ASPN expressions in mouse and human and highlights that overexpress of ASPN might play a role in a variety of diseases. Although our knowledge of ASPN is currently limited, these instances may help us better understand how it interacts with diseases.

Grape exosome-like nanoparticles: A potential therapeutic strategy for vascular calcification

Vascular calcification (VC) is prevalent in hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and aging and has been identified as an important predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. With the complicated mechanisms involved in VC, there is no effective therapy. Thus, a strategy for attenuating the development of VC is of clinical importance. Recent studies suggest that grape exosome-like nanoparticles (GENs) are involved in cell-cell communication as a means of regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, which are known to modulate VC development. In this review, we discuss the roles of GENs and their potential mechanisms in the development of VC.

Integrated Bioinformatics Algorithms and Experimental Validation to Explore Robust Biomarkers and Landscape of Immune Cell Infiltration in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Background

The etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is unclear. Bioinformatics algorithms may help to explore the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, we aimed to screen diagnostic biomarkers and identify the landscape of immune infiltration in DCM.

Methods

First, the CIBERSORT algorithm was used to excavate the proportion of immune-infiltration cells in DCM and normal myocardial tissues. Meanwhile, the Pearson analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify immune heterogeneity in different tissues. The Wilcoxon test, LASSO regression, and machine learning method were conducted to identify the hub immune cells. In addition, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by the limma package, and DEGs were analyzed for functional enrichment. In the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, multiple algorithms were used to calculate the score of each DEG for screening the hub genes. Subsequently, external datasets were used to further validate the expression of hub genes, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy. Finally, we examined the expression of hub biomarkers in animal models.

Results

A total of 108 DEGs were screened, and these genes may be related to biological processes such as cytolysis, positive regulation of cytokine secretion, etc. Two types of hub immune cells [activated natural killer (NK) cells and eosinophils] and four hub genes (ASPN, CD163, IL10, and LUM) were identified in DCM myocardial tissues. CD163 was verified to have the capability to diagnose DCM with the most excellent specificity and sensitivity. It is worth mentioning that the combined CD163 and eosinophils may have better diagnostic efficacy. Moreover, the correlation analysis showed CD163 was negatively correlated with activated NK cells. Finally, the results of the mice model also indicated that CD163 might be involved in the occurrence of DCM.

Conclusion

ASPN, CD163, IL10, and LUM may have a potential predictive ability for DCM, and especially CD163 showed the most robust efficacy. Furthermore, activated NK cells and eosinophils may relate to the occurrence of DCM.

Integrated Strategies of Diverse Feature Selection Methods Identify Aging-Based Reliable Gene Signatures for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Objective: Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is a major cardiovascular state associated with prominently increased morbidity and mortality. Our purpose was to detect reliable gene signatures for ICM through integrated feature selection strategies.

Methods: Transcriptome profiles of ICM were curated from the GEO project. Classification models, including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest, were adopted for identifying candidate ICM-specific genes for ICM. Immune cell infiltrates were estimated using the CIBERSORT method. Expressions of candidate genes were verified in ICM and healthy myocardial tissues via Western blotting. JC-1 staining, flow cytometry, and TUNEL staining were presented in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-stimulated H9C2 cells with TRMT5 deficiency.

Results: Following the integration of three feature selection methods, we identified seven candidate ICM-specific genes including ASPN, TRMT5, LUM, FCN3, CNN1, PCNT, and HOPX. ROC curves confirmed the excellent diagnostic efficacy of this combination of previous candidate genes in ICM. Most of them presented prominent interactions with immune cell infiltrates. Their deregulations were confirmed in ICM than healthy myocardial tissues. TRMT5 expressions were remarkedly upregulated in H/R-stimulated H9C2 cells. TRMT5 deficiency enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced apoptosis in H/R-exposed H9C2 cells.

Conclusion: Collectively, our findings identified reliable gene signatures through combination strategies of diverse feature selection methods, which facilitated the early detection of ICM and revealed the underlying mechanisms.

Identification of Hub Diagnostic Biomarkers and Candidate Therapeutic Drugs in Heart Failure

Purpose

The objective of this study was to identify the potential regulatory mechanisms, diagnostic biomarkers, and therapeutic drugs for heart failure (HF).

Methods

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HF and non-failing donors were screened from the GSE57345, GSE5406, and GSE3586 datasets. Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery and Metascape were used for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses respectively. The GSE57345 dataset was used for weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The intersecting hub genes from the DEGs and WGCNA were identified and verified with the GSE5406 and GSE3586 datasets. The diagnostic value of the hub genes was calculated through receiver operating characteristic analysis and net reclassification index (NRI). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to filter out the signaling pathways associated with the hub genes. SYBYL 2.1 was used for molecular docking of hub targets and potential HF drugs obtained from the connection map.

Results

Functional annotation of the DEGs showed enrichment of negative regulation of angiogenesis, endoplasmic reticulum stress response, and heart development. PTN, LUM, ISLR, and ASPN were identified as the hub genes of HF. GSEA showed that the key genes were related to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and Wnt signaling pathways. Sirolimus, LY-294002, and wortmannin have been confirmed as potential drugs for HF.

Conclusion

We identified new hub genes and candidate therapeutic drugs for HF, which are potential diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic targets and warrant further investigation.

Bioinformatics Analysis and Identification of Genes and Pathways in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Purpose

Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is considered to be the most common cause of heart failure, with high prevalence and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the different expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways in the pathogenesis of ICM using bioinformatics analysis.

Methods

The control and ICM datasets GSE116250, GSE46224 and GSE5406 were collected from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. DEGs were identified using limma package of R software, and co-expressed genes were identified using Venn diagrams. Then, the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to explore the biological functions and signaling pathways. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were assembled with Cytoscape software to identify hub genes related to the pathogenesis of ICM. RT-PCR of Heart tissues (n=2 for non-failing controls and n=4 for ischemic cardiomyopathy patients) was used to validate the bioinformatic results.

Results

A total of 844 DEGs were screened from GSE116250, of which 447 were up-regulated genes and 397 were down-regulated genes, respectively. A total of 99 DEGs were singled out from GSE46224, of which 58 were up-regulated genes and 41 were down-regulated genes, respectively. Thirty DEGs were screened from GSE5406, including 10 genes with up-regulated expression and 20 genes with down-regulated expression. Five up-regulated and 3 down-regulated co-expressed DEGs were intersected in three datasets. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that DEGs are mainly enriched in collagen fibril organization, protein digestion and absorption, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and other related pathways. Collagen alpha-1(III) chain (COL3A1), collagen alpha-2(I) chain (COL1A2) and lumican (LUM) are the three hub genes in all three datasets through PPI network analysis. The expression of 5 DEGs (SERPINA3, FCN3, COL3A1, HBB, MXRA5) in heart tissues by qRT-PCR results was consistent with our GEO analysis, while expression of 3 DEGs (ASPN, LUM, COL1A2) was opposite with GEO analysis.

Conclusion

These findings from this bioinformatics network analysis investigated key hub genes, which contributed to better understanding the mechanism and new therapeutic targets of ICM.

Asporin is a Potential Promising Biomarker for Common Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is the end-stage of various diseases, especially ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We aimed to investigate the common molecular mechanism of ICM and DCM. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of ICM or DCM samples compared with control were identified in GSE1869, GSE5406, GSE57338, GSE79962, GSE116250, and GSE46224 datasets. Functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein network analysis of the coregulated DEGs in at least four datasets were performed using the online tools of DAVID, the Metascape database, and the STRING database. Hub genes of HF were identified and validated by western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemistry in our tissue microarray (TMA). Seventy-four coregulated ICM and 126 coregulated DCM relevant DEGs were identified. Moreover, 59 common genes between ICM and DCM relevant DEGs were obtained, which were mainly involved in cardiac fibrosis and several signal pathways, such as Wnt signal pathway, PI3K-Akt signal pathway, and HIF-1A signal pathway. Among the six hub genes with top degrees, asporin (ASPN) had a relatively higher correlation with LVEF. Finally, TMA and WB results revealed that the ASPN protein was significantly increased in ICM and DCM left ventricular samples. The present study revealed some common molecular mechanisms of HF with different causes. Furthermore, ASPN may be a potential promising biomarker for HF.

Proteomic analysis of liver mitochondria of db/db mice treated with grape seed procyanidin B2

Hepatic damage has been recognized as one of the major complications in diabetes mellitus. Our previous studies have verified that grape seed procyanidin B2 (GSPB2) played a protective effect on hepatic damage of diabetes. We used isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation proteomics here to identify the alterant mitochondrial protein profile in diabetic liver and to seek the protective targets of GSPB2. Proteomics found that 171 proteins were upregulated or downregulated in the liver mitochondria of diabetic group compared to the control group. Of these proteins, 61 were normalized after GSPB2 treatment. These back-regulated proteins are involved in the process of fatty acid oxidation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Some differentially expressed proteins were confirmed by western blotting. Our study might help to better understand the mechanism of mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic liver damage, and provide novel targets for estimating the protective effects of GSPB2. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Grape seed procyanidin B2 (GSPB2), a polyphenolic component found in red wine and grapes, has beneficial effects such as antioxidative stress, antiapoptosis, and cardiovascular protection. We used proteomics here to identify the differentially expressed mitochondrial proteins in diabetic liver after GSPB2 treatment and to seek the protective targets of GSPB2. We found that the differentially expressed proteins were involved in carbon metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid metabolism, citrate cycle, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. These proteins may play a key role in diabetic hepatic damage as functional proteins. Targeting these proteins including apply of GSPB2 could potentially lead to an effective treatment in the diabetic hepatic disease.