Glycoxydation promotes vascular damage via MAPK-ERK/JNK pathways

Roles and mechanisms of garlic and its extracts on atherosclerosis: A review

The prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have achieved initial results, but the number of CVDs patients will increase rapidly in the next 10 years. Atherosclerosis (AS) is a significant risk factor for CVDs. The impact of lifestyle and daily diet varies considerably between different countries and continents and has been shown to affect the development of various diseases such as diabetes and CVDs. Primary and secondary prevention using alternative supplements and methods to avoid or reduce the use of traditional pharmacological drugs have also become popular. One of the reasons for this is that pharmacological drugs with lipid-lowering, and blood pressure-lowering effects cause many side effects that may negatively impact the quality of life. Patients are now emphasizing reliance on lifestyle changes to reduce cardiovascular risks. Garlic is a medicinal and edible plant that has been used for a long time. In order to reveal garlic application in the prevention and treatment of AS, reviewing the latest domestic and international studies through searching databases. The result shows that the antiatherogenic role of garlic is eximious. And the mechanisms are mainly related to hypolipidemic, antioxidant, antithrombotic, inhibiting angiogenesis, protecting endothelial cells, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, inhibiting vascular smooth muscle proliferation, and regulating gut microbiota. The main signaling pathways involve AMPK/TLRs, Keap1/Nrf2, PI3K/AKT, PPARγ/LXRα, GEF-H1/RhoA/Rac, etc. The antiatherogenic actions and molecular mechanism of garlic were reviewed in this study to obtain a robust evidence basis for the clinical application and mechanistic study and provide a theoretical basis for further utilization of garlic.

Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetic Patients: From Etiology to Management

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a widespread chronic disease with a prevalence that is expected to further increase in the near future. The classical management of DM includes the normalization of the glycometabolic profile and the evaluation of cardiac and cerebral vascular health by the intervention of an array of different specialists. However, so far, sexual dysfunctions are still a neglected complication in patients with DM, although there is an elevated prevalence of this long-term complication in male and female patients. Furthermore, some of them may represent a sign of vascular alteration and/or hypogonadism and require timely management to prevent the onset of major adverse cardiac events. This narrative review briefly summarizes the current evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy of erectile dysfunction in male patients with DM to support diabetologists in clinical practice.

[Autophagy regulates the function of vascular smooth muscle cells in the formation and rupture of intracranial aneurysms]

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are the main cellular component of vessel wall. The changes of VSMC functions including phenotypic transformation and apoptosis play a critical role in the pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysm (IA). Autophagy can participate in the regulation of vascular function by regulating cell function. In the initial stage of IA, the activation of autophagy can accelerate the phenotypic transformation of VSMC and inhibit VSMC apoptosis. With the progress of IA, the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis changes from antagonism to synergy or promotion, and a large number of apoptotic VSMC lead to the rupture of IA. In this review, we describe the role of autophagy regulating the function of VSMC in the occurrence, development and rupture of IA, for further understanding the pathogenesis of IA and finding molecular targets to prevent the formation and rupture of IA.

Baicalin modulates apoptosis via RAGE, MAPK, and AP-1 in vascular endothelial cells during Haemophilus parasuis invasion

Glässer’s disease, caused by Haemophilus parasuis, is a chronic disease related to an inflammatory immune response. Baicalin exerts important biological functions. In this study, we explored the protective efficacy of treatment with baicalin and the potential mechanism of activation of the MAPK signaling pathway in porcine aortic vascular endothelial cells (PAVECs) induced by H. parasuis. H. parasuis stimulated expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products, induced a significant increase in the level of protein kinase-α and protein kinase-δ phosphorylation, and significantly up-regulated ERK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 phosphorylation in PAVECs. H. parasuis also up-regulated the levels of apoptotic genes (Bax, C-myc, and Fasl) and the expression levels of c-Jun and c-Fos, and induced S-phase arrest in PAVECs. However, treatment with baicalin inhibited expression of RAGE, suppressed H. parasuis-induced protein kinase-α and protein kinase-δ phosphorylation, reduced ERK, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 phosphorylation, down-regulated apoptotic genes (Bax, C-myc, and Fasl), attenuated phospho-c-Jun production from the extracellular to the nuclei, and reversed S-phase arrest in PAVECs. In conclusion, baicalin treatment inhibited the MAPK signaling pathway, thereby achieving its anti-inflammatory responses, which provides a new strategy to control H. parasuis infection.

Severe Type 2 Diabetes Induces Reversible Modifications of Endothelial Progenitor Cells Which are Ameliorate by Glycemic Control

Background

Circulating endothelial progenitors cells (EPCs) play a critical role in neovascularization and endothelial repair. There is a growing evidence that hyperglycemia related to Diabetes Mellitus (DM) decreases EPC number and function so promoting vascular complications.

Aim of the Study

This study investigated whether an intensive glycemic control regimen in Type 2 DM can increase the number of EPCs and restores their function.

Methods

Sixty-two patients with Type 2 DM were studied. Patients were tested at baseline and after 3 months of an intensive regimen of glycemic control. The Type 2 DM group was compared to control group of subjects without diabetes. Patients with Type 2 DM (mean age 58.2±5.4 years, 25.6% women, disease duration of 15.4±6.3 years) had a baseline HgA1c of 8.7±0.5% and lower EPC levels (CD34+/KDR+) in comparison to healthy controls (p<0.01).

Results

The intensive glycemic control regimen (HgA1c decreased to 6.2±0.3%) was coupled with a significant increase of EPC levels (mean of 18%, p<0.04 vs. baseline) and number of EPCs CFUs (p<0.05 vs. baseline).

Conclusion

This study confirms that number and bioactivity of EPCs are reduced in patients with Type 2 DM and, most importantly, that the intensive glycemic control in Type 2 DM promotes EPC improvement both in their number and in bioactivity.

Valsartan ameliorates ageing-induced aorta degeneration via angiotensin II type 1 receptor-mediated ERK activity

Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays important roles in ageing-related disorders through its type 1 receptor (AT1 R). However, the role and underlying mechanisms of AT1R in ageing-related vascular degeneration are not well understood. In this study, 40 ageing rats were randomly divided into two groups: ageing group which received no treatment (ageing control), and valsartan group which took valsartan (selective AT1R blocker) daily for 6 months. 20 young rats were used as adult control. The aorta structure were analysed by histological staining and electron microscopy. Bcl-2/Bax expression in aorta was analysed by immunohistochemical staining, RT-PCR and Western blotting. The expressions of AT1 R, AT2 R and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were detected. Significant structural degeneration of aorta in the ageing rats was observed, and the degeneration was remarkably ameliorated by long-term administration of valsartan. With ageing, the expression of AT1R was elevated, the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was decreased and meanwhile, an important subgroup of MAPKs, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity was elevated. However, these changes in ageing rats could be reversed to some extent by valsartan. In vitro experiments observed consistent results as in vivo study. Furthermore, ERK inhibitor could also acquire partial effects as valsartan without affecting AT1R expression. The results indicated that AT1R involved in the ageing-related degeneration of aorta and AT1R-mediated ERK activity was an important mechanism underlying the process.

MicroRNA/mRNA profiling and regulatory network of intracranial aneurysm

Background

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is one of the most lethal forms of cerebrovascular diseases characterized by endothelial dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation, inflammation and consequently loss of vessel cells and extracellular matrix degradation. Besides environmental factors, genetics seem to be a very important factor in the genesis of this disease. Previous mRNA expression studies revealed a large number of differentially expressed genes between IA and control tissue. However, microRNAs (miRNA), small non-coding RNAs which are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, have been barely studied. Studying miRNAs could provide a hypothetical mechanism underlying rupture of IA.

Methods

A microarray study was carried out to determine difference in microRNAs and mRNA between patients’ IA tissues and controls. Quantitative RT-PCR assay compared the expression level between two groups (14 IA domes vs. 14 controls) were used for validation. Validated miRNAs were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to identify the networks and pathways.

Results

18 miRNAs were confirmed by qPCR to be robustly down-regulated in 14 ruptured IA patients including hsa-mir-133b, hsa-mir-133a, hsa-mir-1, hsa-mir-143-3p, hsa-mir-145-3p, hsa-mir-145-5p, hsa-mir-455-5p, hsa-mir-143-5p, hsa-mir-23b-3p etc., of which 11 miRNAs are clusters: hsa-mir-1/has-mir-133a, hsa-mir-143/hsa-mir-145, hsa-mir-23b/hsa-mir-24-1, and hsa-mir-29b-2/hsa-mir-29c. 12 predicted functions were generated using IPA which showed significant associations with migration of phagocytes, proliferation of mononuclear leukocytes, cell movement of mononuclear leukocytes, cell movement of smooth muscle cells etc.

Conclusion

These data support common disease mechanisms that may be under miRNA control and provide exciting directions for further investigations aimed at elucidating the miRNA mechanisms and targets that may yield new therapies for IA.