Sox9 Promotes Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis After Acute Myocardial Infarction by Promoting miR-223-3p and Inhibiting MEF2C

Novel therapeutic targets for cardiorenal syndrome

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is an interdependent dysfunction of the heart and kidneys, where failure in one organ precipitates failure in the other. The pathophysiology involves sustained renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and tissue remodeling, culminating in organ dysfunction. Existing therapies targeting the RAAS, diuretics and other agents have limitations, including diuretic resistance and compensatory sodium reabsorption. Therefore, there is a pressing need for novel druggable targets involved in CRS pathogenesis. This review addresses the challenges of existing treatments and emphasizes the importance of discovering new therapeutic targets. It highlights emerging targets such as Klotho, sex-determining region Y box 9 (SOX9), receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), β-amino-isobutyric acid (BAIBA), thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), among others, with their potential roles in CRS.

Screening and identification of key biomarkers associated with endometriosis using bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing data analysis

Background

Endometriosis is a common cause of endometrial-type mucosa outside the uterine cavity with symptoms such as painful periods, chronic pelvic pain, pain with intercourse and infertility. However, the early diagnosis of endometriosis is still restricted. The purpose of this investigation is to identify and validate the key biomarkers of endometriosis.

Methods

Next-generation sequencing dataset GSE243039 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between endometriosis and normal control samples were identified. After screening of DEGs, gene ontology (GO) and REACTOME pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Furthermore, a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and modules were analyzed using the Human Integrated Protein–Protein Interaction rEference database and Cytoscape software, and hub genes were identified. Subsequently, a network between miRNAs and hub genes, and network between TFs and hub genes were constructed using the miRNet and NetworkAnalyst tool, and possible key miRNAs and TFs were predicted. Finally, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to validate the hub genes.

Results

A total of 958 DEGs, including 479 upregulated genes and 479 downregulated genes, were screened between endometriosis and normal control samples. GO and REACTOME pathway enrichment analyses of the 958 DEGs showed that they were mainly involved in multicellular organismal process, developmental process, signaling by GPCR and muscle contraction. Further analysis of the PPI network and modules identified 10 hub genes, including vcam1, snca, prkcb, adrb2, foxq1, mdfi, actbl2, prkd1, dapk1 and actc1. Possible target miRNAs, including hsa-mir-3143 and hsa-mir-2110, and target TFs, including tcf3 (transcription factor 3) and clock (clock circadian regulator), were predicted by constructing a miRNA-hub gene regulatory network and TF-hub gene regulatory network.

Conclusions

This investigation used bioinformatics techniques to explore the potential and novel biomarkers. These biomarkers might provide new ideas and methods for the early diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of endometriosis.

RNA analysis of diet-induced sarcopenic obesity in rats

Obesity has been suggested as a risk factor for sarcopenia. Sarcopenic obesity (SO), as a new category of obesity, is a high-risk geriatric syndrome in elderly individuals. However, knowledge about the molecular pathomechanisms of SO is still sparse. In the present study, starting at 13 months, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and normal diet (ND) for 28 weeks to establish a rodent animal model of SO with an identical protocol, which was further assessed and verified as a successful SO model. Through RNA-seq analysis of gastrocnemius muscle in SO rats, we found that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and alternative splicing events (ASEs) focused mainly on inflammatory, immune-response, skeletal muscle cell differentiation, fat cell differentiation and antigen processing and presentation. Furthermore, as the core regulation factor of skeletal muscle, the mef2c (myocyte enhancer Factor 2C) gene also has a significant alternative 3' splice site (A3SS) and down-regulated expression in HFD-induced SO. The alternative genes targeted by mef2c identified by GO analysis were enriched in transcript regulation of RNA polymerase II promoter. In conclusion, these explorative findings in aging high-fat-fed rats might serve as a firm starting point for understanding the pathway and mechanism of sarcopenic obesity.

Effect and mechanism of safranal on ISO-induced myocardial injury based on network pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Sympathetic hyperactivation is a significant risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. Safranal has shown good myocardial protection in recent studies, but the mechanism of its role in myocardial injury caused by sympathetic hyperactivation remains unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether safranal can effectively reduce isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial injury in rats and H9c2 cells and to reveal its pharmacological action and target in inhibiting myocardial injury caused by sympathetic hyperactivation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was carried out using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro and in vivo experiments. An in vivo model of myocardial injury was established by subcutaneous injection of ISO, and an in vitro model of H9c2 cell injury was induced by ISO.

RESULTS

Safranal ameliorated myocardial injury caused by sympathetic hyperactivation by reducing the level of myocardial apoptosis. According to the results of network pharmacological analysis and molecular docking, the mechanism by which safranal alleviates myocardial injury may be closely related to the TNF signaling pathway, and safranal plays a role by regulating the core targets of the TNF signaling pathway. Safranal significantly inhibited the protein expression of TNF, PTGS2, MMP9 and pRELA.

CONCLUSION

Safranal plays a protective role in myocardial injury induced by sympathetic hyperactivation by downregulating the TNF signaling pathway.

miR‑30c reduces myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by targeting SOX9 and suppressing pyroptosis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are commonly involved in regulating myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by binding and silencing their target genes. However, whether miRNAs regulate myocardial I/R-induced pyroptosis remains unclear. The present study established an in vivo rat model of myocardial I/R injury and in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury model in rat primary cardiomyocytes to investigate the function and the underlying mechanisms of miRNAs on I/R injury-induced pyroptosis. RNA sequencing was utilized to select the candidate miRNAs between normal and I/R group. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to detect candidate miRNAs (miR-30c-5p, also known as miR-30c) and SRY-related high mobility group-box gene 9 (SOX9) expression, as well as expression of pyroptosis-associated proteins (NF-κB, ASC, caspase-1, NLRP3) in the myocardial I/R model. ELISA was used to measure pyroptosis-associated inflammatory markers IL-18 and IL-1β. Moreover, the link between miR-30c and SOX9 was predicted using bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assay. In myocardial I/R injured rats, miR-30c was downregulated, while the expression of SOX9 was upregulated. Overexpression of miR-30c inhibited pyroptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, miR-30c negatively regulated SOX9 expression by binding its 3'untranslated region. In conclusion, the miR-30c/SOX9 axis decreased myocardial I/R injury by suppressing pyroptosis, which may be a potential therapeutic target.

MiR-223 and MiR-186 Are Associated with Long-Term Mortality after Myocardial Infarction

Background—The identification and stratification of patients at risk of fatal outcomes after myocardial infarction (MI) is of considerable interest to guide secondary prevention therapies. Currently, no accurate biomarkers are available to identify subjects who are at risk of suffering acute manifestations of coronary heart disease as well as to predict adverse events after MI. Non-coding circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cardiovascular diseases. The aims of the study were to investigate the clinical value of a panel of circulating miRNAs as accurate biomarkers associated with MI and mortality risk prediction in patients with documented MI. Methods and Results—seven circulating plasma miRNAs were analyzed in 67 MI patients and 80 control subjects at a high cardiovascular risk but without known coronary diseases. Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that six miRNAs were independently associated with MI occurrence. Among them, miR-223 and miR-186 reliably predicted long-term mortality in MI patients, in particular miR-223 (HR 1.57 per one-unit increase, p = 0.02), after left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) adjustment. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses provided a predictive threshold value of miR-223 expression (p = 0.028) for long-term mortality. Conclusions—Circulating miR-223 and miR-186 are promising predictive biomarkers for long-term mortality after MI.

Epigenetic modification mechanism of histone demethylase KDM1A in regulating cardiomyocyte apoptosis after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

Hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R) play a prevalent role in heart-related diseases. Histone demethylases are involved in myocardial injury. In this study, the mechanism of the lysine-specific histone demethylase 1A (KDM1A/LSD1) on cardiomyocyte apoptosis after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) was investigated. Firstly, HL-1 cells were treated with H/R to establish the MIRI models. The expressions of KDM1A and Sex Determining Region Y-Box Transcription Factor 9 (SOX9) in H/R-treated HL-1 cells were examined. The cell viability, markers of myocardial injury (LDH, AST, and CK-MB) and apoptosis (Bax and Bcl-2), and Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 protein activities were detected, respectively. We found that H/R treatment promoted cardiomyocyte apoptosis and downregulated KDM1A, and overexpressing KDM1A reduced apoptosis in H/R-treated cardiomyocytes. Subsequently, tri-methylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me3) level on the SOX9 promoter region was detected. We found that KDM1A repressed SOX9 transcription by reducing H3K4me3. Then, HL-1 cells were treated with CPI-455 and plasmid pcDNA3.1-SOX9 and had joint experiments with pcDNA3.1-KDM1A. We disclosed that upregulating H3K4me3 or overexpressing SOX9 reversed the inhibitory effect of overexpressing KDM1A on apoptosis of H/R-treated cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, KDM1A inhibited SOX9 transcription by reducing the H3K4me3 on the SOX9 promoter region and thus inhibited H/R-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes.