ALDOA protects cardiomyocytes against H/R-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress by regulating the VEGF/Notch 1/Jagged 1 pathway

Recent insights in striated muscle laminopathies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To highlight recent insights in different aspects of striated muscle laminopathies (SMLs) related to LMNA mutations.

RECENT FINDINGS

Clinical and genetic studies allow better patient management and diagnosis, with confirmation of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTA) risk prediction score to help with ICD implantation and development of models to help with classification of LMNA variants of uncertain significance. From a pathophysiology perspective, characterization of lamin interactomes in different contexts revealed new lamin A/C partners. Expression or function modulation of these partners evidenced them as potential therapeutic targets. After a positive phase 2, the first phase 3 clinical trial, testing a p38 inhibitor targeting the life-threatening cardiac disease of SML, has been recently stopped, thus highlighting the need for new therapeutic approaches together with new animal and cell models.

SUMMARY

Since the first LMNA mutation report in 1999, lamin A/C structure and functions have been actively explored to understand the SML pathophysiology. The latest discoveries of partners and altered pathways, highlight the importance of lamin A/C at the nuclear periphery and in the nucleoplasm. Modulation of altered pathways allowed some benefits, especially for cardiac involvement. However, additional studies are still needed to fully assess treatment efficacy and safety.

Identification of hub glycolysis-related genes in acute myocardial infarction and their correlation with immune infiltration using bioinformatics analysis

PURPOSE

Glycolysis and immune metabolism play important roles in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Therefore, this study aimed to identify and experimentally validate the glycolysis-related hub genes in AMI as diagnostic biomarkers, and further explore the association between hub genes and immune infiltration.

METHODS

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from AMI peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed using R software. Glycolysis-related DEGs (GRDEGs) were identified and analyzed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) for functional enrichment. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING database and visualized using Cytoscape software. Immune infiltration analysis between patients with AMI and stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) controls was performed using CIBERSORT, and correlation analysis between GRDEGs and immune cell infiltration was performed. We also plotted nomograms and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to assess the predictive accuracy of GRDEGs for AMI occurrence. Finally, key genes were experimentally validated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting using PBMCs.

RESULTS

A total of 132 GRDEGs and 56 GRDEGs were identified on the first day and 4-6 days after AMI, respectively. Enrichment analysis indicated that these GRDEGs were mainly clustered in the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and metabolic pathways. Five hub genes (HK2, PFKL, PKM, G6PD, and ALDOA) were selected using the cytoHubba plugin. The link between immune cells and hub genes indicated that HK2, PFKL, PKM, and ALDOA were significantly positively correlated with monocytes and neutrophils, whereas G6PD was significantly positively correlated with neutrophils. The calibration curve, decision curve analysis, and ROC curves indicated that the five hub GRDEGs exhibited high predictive value for AMI. Furthermore, the five hub GRDEGs were validated by RT-qPCR and western blotting.

CONCLUSION

We concluded that HK2, PFKL, PKM, G6PD, and ALDOA are hub GRDEGs in AMI and play important roles in AMI progression. This study provides a novel potential immunotherapeutic method for the treatment of AMI.

ADPN Regulates Oxidative Stress-Induced Follicular Atresia in Geese by Modulating Granulosa Cell Apoptosis and Autophagy

Geese are susceptible to oxidative stress during reproduction, which can lead to follicular atresia and impact egg production. Follicular atresia is directly triggered by the apoptosis and autophagy of granulosa cells (GCs). Adiponectin (ADPN), which is secreted by adipose tissue, has good antioxidant and anti-apoptotic capacity, but its role in regulating the apoptosis of GCs in geese is unclear. To investigate this, this study examined the levels of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy in follicular tissues and GCs using RT-qPCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, transcriptomics and other methods. Atretic follicles exhibited high levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis, and autophagic flux was obstructed. Stimulating GCs with H2O2 produced results similar to those of atretic follicles. The effects of ADPN overexpression and knockdown on oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy in GCs were investigated. ADPN was found to modulate autophagy and reduced oxidative stress and apoptosis in GCs, in addition to protecting them from H2O2-induced damage. These results may provide a reasonable reference for improving egg-laying performance of geese.

Scutellarin Protects against Myocardial Ischemia-reperfusion Injury by Enhancing Aerobic Glycolysis through miR-34c-5p/ALDOA Axis

Background

Aerobic glycolysis has recently demonstrated promising potential in mitigating the effects of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Scutellarin (Scu) possesses various cardioprotective properties that warrant investigation. To mimic IR injury in vitro, this study employed hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury.

Methods and Results

First, we conducted an assessment of the protective properties of Scu against HR in H9c2 cells, encompassing inflammation damage, apoptosis injury, and oxidative stress. Then, we verified the effects of Scu on the Warburg effect in H9c2 cells during HR injury. The findings indicated that Scu augmented aerobic glycolysis by upregulating p-PKM2/PKM2 levels. Following, we built a panel of six long noncoding RNAs and seventeen microRNAs that were reported to mediate the Warburg effect. Based on the results, miR-34c-5p was selected for further experiments. Then, we observed Scu could mitigate the HR-induced elevation of miR-34c-5p. Upregulation of miR-34c-5p could weaken the beneficial impacts of Scu in cellular viability, inflammatory damage, oxidative stress, and the facilitation of the Warburg effect. Subsequently, our investigation revealed a decrease in both ALDOA mRNA and protein levels following HR injury, which could be restored by Scu administration. Downregulation of ALDOA or Mimic of miR-34c-5p could reduce these effects induced by Scu.

Conclusions

Scu provides cardioprotective effects against IR injury by upregulating the Warburg effect via miR-34c-5p/ALDOA.

Prognosis significance and potential association between ALDOA and AKT expression in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract and a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Since many CRC patients are diagnosed already in the advanced stage, and traditional chemoradiotherapy is prone to drug resistance, it is important to find new therapeutic targets. In this study, the expression levels of ALDOA and p-AKT were detected in cancer tissues and paired normal tissues, and it was found that they were significantly increased in CRC tissues, and their high expression indicated poor prognosis. Moreover, a positive correlation between the expression of ALDOA and p-AKT was found in CRC tissues and paired normal tissues. In addition, the Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the group with both negative of ALDOA/p-AKT expression had longer five-year survival rates compared with the other group. Besides, the group with both high expression of ALDOA/p-AKT had a worse prognosis compared with the other group. Based on the expression of ALDOA and p-AKT in tumor tissues, we can effectively distinguish tumor tissues from normal tissues through cluster analysis. Furthermore, we constructed nomograms to predict 3-year and 5-year overall survival, showing that the expression of ALDOA/p-AKT plays a crucial role in predicting the prognosis of CRC patients. Therefore, ALDOA/p-AKT may act as a crucial role in CRC, which may provide new horizons for targeted therapies for CRC.

Shared Proteins and Pathways of Cardiovascular and Cognitive Diseases: Relation to Vascular Cognitive Impairment

One of the primary goals of systems medicine is the detection of putative proteins and pathways involved in disease progression and pathological phenotypes. Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is a heterogeneous condition manifesting as cognitive impairment resulting from vascular factors. The precise mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear, which poses challenges for experimental research. Here, we applied computational approaches like systems biology to unveil and select relevant proteins and pathways related to VCI by studying the crosstalk between cardiovascular and cognitive diseases. In addition, we specifically included signals related to oxidative stress, a common etiologic factor tightly linked to aging, a major determinant of VCI. Our results show that pathways associated with oxidative stress are quite relevant, as most of the prioritized vascular cognitive genes and proteins were enriched in these pathways. Our analysis provided a short list of proteins that could be contributing to VCI: DOLK, TSC1, ATP1A1, MAPK14, YWHAZ, CREB3, HSPB1, PRDX6, and LMNA. Moreover, our experimental results suggest a high implication of glycative stress, generating oxidative processes and post-translational protein modifications through advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). We propose that these products interact with their specific receptors (RAGE) and Notch signaling to contribute to the etiology of VCI.

A clinical proteomics study of exhaled breath condensate and biomarkers for pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism (PE) can be a diagnostic challenge. Current diagnostic markers for PE are unspecific and new diagnostic tools are needed. The air we exhale is a possible new source for biomarkers which can be tapped into by analysing the exhaled breath condensate (EBC). We analysed the EBC from patients with PE and controls to investigate if the EBC is a useful source for new diagnostic biomarkers of PE. We collected and analysed EBC samples from patients with suspected PE and controls matched on age and sex. Patients in whom PE was ruled out after diagnostic work-up were included in the control group to increase the sensitivity and generalizability of the identified markers. EBC samples were collected using an RTube™. The protein composition of the EBCs were analysed using data dependent label-free quantitative nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. EBC samples from 28 patients with confirmed PE, and 49 controls were analysed. A total of 928 EBC proteins were identified in the 77 EBC samples. As expected, a low protein concentration was determined which resulted in many proteins with unmeasurable levels in several samples. The levels of HSPA5, PEBP1 and SFTPA2 were higher and levels of POF1B, EPPK1, PSMA4, ALDOA, and CFL1 were lower in PE compared with controls. In conclusion, the human EBC contained a variety of endogenous proteins and may be a source for new diagnostic markers of PE and other diseases.

The role of glycolytic metabolic pathways in cardiovascular disease and potential therapeutic approaches

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major threat to human health, accounting for 46% of non-communicable disease deaths. Glycolysis is a conserved and rigorous biological process that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, and its primary function is to provide the body with the energy and intermediate products needed for life activities. The non-glycolytic actions of enzymes associated with the glycolytic pathway have long been found to be associated with the development of CVD, typically exemplified by metabolic remodeling in heart failure, which is a condition in which the heart exhibits a rapid adaptive response to hypoxic and hypoxic conditions, occurring early in the course of heart failure. It is mainly characterized by a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation and a rise in the glycolytic pathway, and the rise in glycolysis is considered a hallmark of metabolic remodeling. In addition to this, the glycolytic metabolic pathway is the main source of energy for cardiomyocytes during ischemia-reperfusion. Not only that, the auxiliary pathways of glycolysis, such as the polyol pathway, hexosamine pathway, and pentose phosphate pathway, are also closely related to CVD. Therefore, targeting glycolysis is very attractive for therapeutic intervention in CVD. However, the relationship between glycolytic pathway and CVD is very complex, and some preclinical studies have confirmed that targeting glycolysis does have a certain degree of efficacy, but its specific role in the development of CVD has yet to be explored. This article aims to summarize the current knowledge regarding the glycolytic pathway and its key enzymes (including hexokinase (HK), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1), aldolase (Aldolase), phosphoglycerate metatase (PGAM), enolase (ENO) pyruvate kinase (PKM) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) for their role in cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart failure, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis) and possible emerging therapeutic targets.

Native lamin A/C proteomes and novel partners from heart and skeletal muscle in a mouse chronic inflammation model of human frailty

Clinical frailty affects ∼10% of people over age 65 and is studied in a chronically inflamed (Interleukin-10 knockout; "IL10-KO") mouse model. Frailty phenotypes overlap the spectrum of diseases ("laminopathies") caused by mutations in LMNA. LMNA encodes nuclear intermediate filament proteins lamin A and lamin C ("lamin A/C"), important for tissue-specific signaling, metabolism and chromatin regulation. We hypothesized that wildtype lamin A/C associations with tissue-specific partners are perturbed by chronic inflammation, potentially contributing to dysfunction in frailty. To test this idea we immunoprecipitated native lamin A/C and associated proteins from skeletal muscle, hearts and brains of old (21-22 months) IL10-KO versus control C57Bl/6 female mice, and labeled with Tandem Mass Tags for identification and quantitation by mass spectrometry. We identified 502 candidate lamin-binding proteins from skeletal muscle, and 340 from heart, including 62 proteins identified in both tissues. Candidates included frailty phenotype-relevant proteins Perm1 and Fam210a, and nuclear membrane protein Tmem38a, required for muscle-specific genome organization. These and most other candidates were unaffected by IL10-KO, but still important as potential lamin A/C-binding proteins in native heart or muscle. A subset of candidates (21 in skeletal muscle, 30 in heart) showed significantly different lamin A/C-association in an IL10-KO tissue (p < 0.05), including AldoA and Gins3 affected in heart, and Lmcd1 and Fabp4 affected in skeletal muscle. To screen for binding, eleven candidates plus prelamin A and emerin controls were arrayed as synthetic 20-mer peptides (7-residue stagger) and incubated with recombinant purified lamin A "tail" residues 385-646 under relatively stringent conditions. We detected strong lamin A binding to peptides solvent exposed in Lmcd1, AldoA, Perm1, and Tmem38a, and plausible binding to Csrp3 (muscle LIM protein). These results validated both proteomes as sources for native lamin A/C-binding proteins in heart and muscle, identified four candidate genes for Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (CSRP3, LMCD1, ALDOA, and PERM1), support a lamin A-interactive molecular role for Tmem38A, and supported the hypothesis that lamin A/C interactions with at least two partners (AldoA in heart, transcription factor Lmcd1 in muscle) are altered in the IL10-KO model of frailty.

NR4A1 deletion promotes pro-angiogenic polarization of macrophages derived from classical monocytes in a mouse model of neovascular age-related macular degeneration

BACKGROUND

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration causes vision loss from destructive angiogenesis, termed choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Cx3cr1-/- mice display alterations in non-classical monocytes and microglia with increased CNV size, suggesting that non-classical monocytes may inhibit CNV formation. NR4A1 is a transcription factor that is necessary for maturation of non-classical monocytes from classical monocytes. While Nr4a1-/- mice are deficient in non-classical monocytes, results are confounded by macrophage hyper-activation. Nr4a1se2/se2 mice lack a transcriptional activator, resulting in non-classical monocyte loss without macrophage hyper-activation.

MAIN BODY

We subjected Nr4a1-/- and Nr4a1se2/se2 mice to the laser-induced CNV model and performed multi-parameter flow cytometry. We found that both models lack non-classical monocytes, but only Nr4a1-/- mice displayed increased CNV area. Additionally, CD11c+ macrophages were increased in Nr4a1-/- mice. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis uncovered that CD11c+ macrophages were enriched from Nr4a1-/- mice and expressed a pro-angiogenic transcriptomic profile that was disparate from prior reports of macrophage hyper-activation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that non-classical monocytes are dispensable during CNV, and NR4A1 deficiency results in increased recruitment of pro-angiogenic macrophages.

Dexmedetomidine alleviates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by down-regulating miR-34b-3p to activate the Jagged1/Notch signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a fatal event that usually occurs after reperfusion therapy for myocardial infarction. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of myocardial infarction, however, its underlying mechanism for regulating I/R injury is unclear.

METHODS

H9c2 cell and rat models of I/R injury were established via oxygen-glucose deprivation reoxygenation (OGD/R) and occlusion of the left anterior descending branch of coronary artery, respectively. Flow cytometry, MTT, or DHE assay detected cell activity, ROS, or apoptosis, respectively. The expression levels of miR-34b-3p and related mRNAs were determined using qRT-PCR. Related protein expression levels were detected by Western blotting and ELISA test. The interaction between miR-34b-3p and Jagged1 was assessed by dual luciferase reporter and RIP assays. The morphology of cardiac tissue was examined by TTC, HE, and TUNEL labeling.

RESULTS

Dex markedly inhibited the inflammatory damage and apoptosis caused by OGD/R in H9c2 cells. MiR-34b-3p and Jagged1 levels were increased and decreased in myocardial I/R injury model, respectively, while Dex reversed this effect. Moreover, miR-34b-3p was firstly reported to directly bind and decrease Jagged1 expression, thereby inhibiting Notch signaling pathway. Transfection of agomiR-34b-3p or Jagged1 silencing eliminated Dex's defensive impact on OGD/R-induced cardiomyocytes damage. Dex relieved the myocardial I/R injury of rats via inhibiting miR-34b-3p and further activating Notch signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Dex protected myocardium from I/R injury via suppressing miR-34b-3p to activate Jagged1-mediated Notch signaling pathway. Our findings revealed a novel mechanism underlying of Dex on myocardial I/R injury.

Nogo-B promotes angiogenesis and improves cardiac repair after myocardial infarction via activating Notch1 signaling

Nogo-B (Reticulon 4B) is reportedly a regulator of angiogenesis during the development and progression of cancer. However, whether Nogo-B regulates angiogenesis and post-myocardial infarction (MI) cardiac repair remains elusive. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role and underlying mechanisms of Nogo-B in cardiac repair during MI. We observed an increased expression level of Nogo-B in the heart of mouse MI models, as well as in isolated cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs). Moreover, Nogo-B was significantly upregulated in CMECs exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Nogo-B overexpression in the endothelium via cardiotropic adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) with the mouse endothelial-specific promoter Tie2 improved heart function, reduced scar size, and increased angiogenesis. RNA-seq data indicated that Notch signaling is a deregulated pathway in isolated CMECs along the border zone of the infarct with Nogo-B overexpression. Mechanistically, Nogo-B activated Notch1 signaling and upregulated Hes1 in the MI hearts. Inhibition of Notch signaling using a specific siRNA and γ-secretase inhibitor abolished the promotive effects of Nogo-B overexpression on network formation and migration of isolated cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs). Furthermore, endothelial Notch1 heterozygous deletion inhibited Nogo-B-induced cardioprotection and angiogenesis in the MI model. Collectively, this study demonstrates that Nogo-B is a positive regulator of angiogenesis by activating the Notch signaling pathway, suggesting that Nogo-B is a novel molecular target for ischemic disease.

Signaling pathways and targeted therapy for myocardial infarction

Although the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) has improved considerably, it is still a worldwide disease with high morbidity and high mortality. Whilst there is still a long way to go for discovering ideal treatments, therapeutic strategies committed to cardioprotection and cardiac repair following cardiac ischemia are emerging. Evidence of pathological characteristics in MI illustrates cell signaling pathways that participate in the survival, proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy of cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, monocytes, and stem cells. These signaling pathways include the key players in inflammation response, e.g., NLRP3/caspase-1 and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB; the crucial mediators in oxidative stress and apoptosis, for instance, Notch, Hippo/YAP, RhoA/ROCK, Nrf2/HO-1, and Sonic hedgehog; the controller of myocardial fibrosis such as TGF-β/SMADs and Wnt/β-catenin; and the main regulator of angiogenesis, PI3K/Akt, MAPK, JAK/STAT, Sonic hedgehog, etc. Since signaling pathways play an important role in administering the process of MI, aiming at targeting these aberrant signaling pathways and improving the pathological manifestations in MI is indispensable and promising. Hence, drug therapy, gene therapy, protein therapy, cell therapy, and exosome therapy have been emerging and are known as novel therapies. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic strategies for MI by regulating these associated pathways, which contribute to inhibiting cardiomyocytes death, attenuating inflammation, enhancing angiogenesis, etc. so as to repair and re-functionalize damaged hearts.

Characterization and Duodenal Transcriptome Analysis of Chinese Beef Cattle With Divergent Feed Efficiency Using RNA-Seq

Residual feed intake (RFI) is an important measure of feed efficiency for agricultural animals. Factors associated with cattle RFI include physiology, dietary factors, and the environment. However, a precise genetic mechanism underlying cattle RFI variations in duodenal tissue is currently unavailable. The present study aimed to identify the key genes and functional pathways contributing to variance in cattle RFI phenotypes using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Six bulls with extremely high or low RFIs were selected for detecting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by RNA-seq, followed by conducting GO, KEGG enrichment, protein-protein interaction (PPI), and co-expression network (WGCNA, n = 10) analysis. A total of 380 differentially expressed genes was obtained from high and low RFI groups, including genes related to energy metabolism (ALDOA, HADHB, INPPL1), mitochondrial function (NDUFS1, RFN4, CUL1), and feed intake behavior (CCK). Two key sub-networks and 26 key genes were detected using GO analysis of DEGs and PPI analysis, such as TPM1 and TPM2, which are involved in mitochondrial pathways and protein synthesis. Through WGCNA, a gene network was built, and genes were sorted into 27 modules, among which the blue (r = 0.72, p = 0.03) and salmon modules (r = -0.87, p = 0.002) were most closely related with RFI. DEGs and genes from the main sub-networks and closely related modules were largely involved in metabolism; oxidative phosphorylation; glucagon, ribosome, and N-glycan biosynthesis, and the MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Through WGCNA, five key genes, including FN1 and TPM2, associated with the biological regulation of oxidative processes and skeletal muscle development were identified. Taken together, our data suggest that the duodenum has specific biological functions in regulating feed intake. Our findings provide broad-scale perspectives for identifying potential pathways and key genes involved in the regulation of feed efficiency in beef cattle.

Hsp22 Deficiency Induces Age-Dependent Cardiac Dilation and Dysfunction by Impairing Autophagy, Metabolism, and Oxidative Response

Heat shock protein 22 (Hsp22) is a small heat shock protein predominantly expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Previous studies indicate that Hsp22 plays a vital role in protecting the heart against cardiac stress. However, the essential role of Hsp22 in the heart under physiological conditions remains largely unknown. In this study, we used an Hsp22 knockout (KO) mouse model to determine whether loss of Hsp22 impairs cardiac growth and function with increasing age under physiological conditions. Cardiac structural and functional alterations at baseline were measured using echocardiography and invasive catheterization in Hsp22 KO mice during aging transition compared to their age-matched wild-type (WT) littermates. Our results showed that Hsp22 deletion induced progressive cardiac dilation along with declined function during the aging transition. Mechanistically, the loss of Hsp22 impaired BCL-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) expression and its associated cardiac autophagy, undermined cardiac energy metabolism homeostasis and increased oxidative damage. This study showed that Hsp22 played an essential role in the non-stressed heart during the early stage of aging, which may bring new insight into understanding the pathogenesis of age-related dilated cardiomyopathy.