Pentraxin 3 Regulates miR-21 Expression and Secretion in Brown Adipocytes During Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation

NCOA4 Regulates Iron Recycling and Responds to Hepcidin Activity and Lipopolysaccharide in Macrophages

Macrophages, via erythrophagocytosis, recycle iron from effete erythrocytes to newly developing red blood cells. Conversion of potentially cytotoxic levels of iron from its heme into nonheme form during iron recycling is safely accomplished via coordinated regulations of cellular iron transport and homeostasis. Herein, we demonstrate the roles and regulation of NCOA4 (nuclear receptor coactivator 4)-mediated ferritinophagy in macrophages after erythrophagocytosis using the mouse macrophage cell line J774 cells. Ferritin in J774 cells increased with the rise of nonheme iron by erythrocyte ingestion and declined when total cellular iron contents subsequently decreased. NCOA4, a selective autophagic cargo receptor for ferritin, was responsible for the control of cellular ferritin and total iron contents at the later stage of erythrophagocytosis. A hepcidin analog, which limits the flux of iron through iron-recycling by inhibiting iron export at the plasma membrane, repressed NCOA4 expression and led to accumulation of ferritin in the mouse macrophages. Transcriptome analyses revealed a functional association of immune response with NCOA4-dependent gene expressions, and we confirmed repression of Ncoa4 by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in J774 cells and the spleen of mice. Collectively, our studies indicate that NCOA4 facilitates cellular ferritin turnover and the release of iron by macrophages after erythrophagocytosis and functions as a regulatory target for molecular signals of systemic iron overload and inflammation. These identify macrophage NCOA4 as a potential therapeutic target for disorders of systemic iron dysregulation, including anemia of inflammation and hemochromatosis.

Correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 3 primer untranslated region of PTX3 and the risk of essential hypertension: A case-control study

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3 primer of untranslated region (3'UTR) of the Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) gene and the risk of essential hypertension (EHT).PTX3 genotypes, rs2614, rs111451363, and rs73158510 locus, were found in 260 patients with EHT and 260 healthy controls. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect plasma hsa-miR-4766-5p levels. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect plasma PTX3 levels. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the binding site of hsa-miR-4766-5p to the PTX3.PTX3 rs2614 locus T allele was a high risk factor for EHT (odds ratio [OR] = 2.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.86-4.09, P < .01). Sex and diabetes history affected the correlation between PTX3 gene rs2614 locus SNP and EHT risk. The CCG haplotype was a protective factor for EHT (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.28-0.57, P < .01), whereas the TCG haplotype was a risk factor for EHT (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.51-3.66, P < .01). The plasma PTX3 level of patients with EHT was significantly higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < .01). The area under the curve for EHT diagnosis in plasma PTX3 levels was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.57-0.66, P < .01). The plasma hsa-miR-4766-5p level in patients with EHT was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < .01). The area under the curve for the diagnosis of EHT according to the plasma hsa-miR-4766-5p level was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.91, P < .01). Plasma PTX3 levels were significantly negatively correlated with hsa-miR-4766-5p levels in patients with EHT and the control group (r = -0.87, -0.85, P < .01, P < .01). The PTX3 gene rs2614 locus C allele was the target gene of hsa-miR-4766-5p.The PTX3 rs2614 locus SNP is significantly associated with EHT risk.