Fibroblast growth factor-2 transiently activates the p53 oncosuppressor protein in human primary vascular smooth muscle cells: Implications for atherogenesis

The Role of Genetic Mutations in Mitochondrial-Driven Cancer Growth in Selected Tumors: Breast and Gynecological Malignancies

There is an increasing understanding of the molecular and cytogenetic background of various tumors that helps us better conceptualize the pathogenesis of specific diseases. Additionally, in many cases, these molecular and cytogenetic alterations have diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic applications that are heavily used in clinical practice. Given that there is always room for improvement in cancer treatments and in cancer patient management, it is important to discover new therapeutic targets for affected individuals. In this review, we discuss mitochondrial changes in breast and gynecological (endometrial and ovarian) cancers. In addition, we review how the frequently altered genes in these diseases (BRCA1/2, HER2, PTEN, PIK3CA, CTNNB1, RAS, CTNNB1, FGFR, TP53, ARID1A, and TERT) affect the mitochondria, highlighting the possible associated individual therapeutic targets. With this approach, drugs targeting mitochondrial glucose or fatty acid metabolism, reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial biogenesis, mtDNA transcription, mitophagy, or cell death pathways could provide further tailored treatment.

Analysis of Time Series Gene Expression and DNA Methylation Reveals the Molecular Features of Myocardial Infarction Progression

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, and the changes at the molecular level after MI and the DNA methylation features are not clear. Understanding the molecular characteristics of the early stages of MI is of significance for the treatment of the disease. In this study, RNA-seq and MeDIP-seq were performed on heart tissue from mouse models at multiple time points (0 h, 10 min, 1, 6, 24, and 72 h) to explore genetic and epigenetic features that influence MI progression. Analysis based on a single point in time, the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) increased with the time of myocardial infarction, using 0 h as a control group. Moreover, within 10 min of MI onset, the cells are mainly in immune response, and as the duration of MI increases, apoptosis begins to occur. Analysis based on time series data, the expression of 1012 genes was specifically downregulated, and these genes were associated with energy metabolism. The expression of 5806 genes was specifically upregulated, and these genes were associated with immune regulation, inflammation and apoptosis. Fourteen transcription factors were identified in the genes involved in apoptosis and inflammation, which may be potential drug targets. Analysis based on MeDIP-seq combined with RNA-seq methodology, focused on methylation at the promoter region. GO revealed that the downregulated genes with hypermethylation at 72 h were enriched in biological processes such as cardiac muscle contraction. In addition, the upregulated genes with hypomethylation at 72 h were enriched in biological processes, such as cell-cell adhesion, regulation of the apoptotic signaling pathway and regulation of angiogenesis. Among these genes, the Tnni3 gene was also present in the downregulated model. Hypermethylation of Tnni3 at 72 h after MI may be an important cause of exacerbation of MI.

Visfatin: An emerging adipocytokine bridging the gap in the evolution of cardiovascular diseases

Visfatin/nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is an adipokine expressed predominately in visceral fat tissues. High circulating levels of visfatin/NAMPT have been implicated in vascular remodeling, vascular inflammation, and atherosclerosis, all of which pose increased risks of cardiovascular events. In this context, increased levels of visfatin have been correlated with several upregulated pro-inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1, IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. Furthermore, visfatin is associated with leukocyte recruitment by endothelial cells and the production of adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1, and E-selectin, which are well known to mediate the progression of atherosclerosis. Moreover, diverse angiogenic factors have been found to mediate visfatin-induced angiogenesis. These include matrix metalloproteinases, vascular endothelial growth factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and fibroblast growth factor 2. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the pro-inflammatory and angiogenic actions of visfatin, with a focus on the pertinent signaling pathways whose dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Most importantly, some hypotheses regarding the integration of the aforementioned factors with the plausible atherogenic effect of visfatin are put forth for consideration in future studies. The pharmacotherapeutic potential of modulating visfatin's roles could be important in the management of cardiovascular disease, which continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide.

Role of thrombospondin‑1 and thrombospondin‑2 in cardiovascular diseases (Review)

Thrombospondin (TSP)-1 and TSP-2 are matricellular proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM), which serve a significant role in the pathological processes of various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The multiple effects of TSP-1 and TSP-2 are due to their ability to interact with various ligands, such as structural components of the ECM, cytokines, cellular receptors, growth factors, proteases and other stromal cell proteins. TSP-1 and TSP-2 regulate the structure and activity of the aforementioned ligands by interacting directly or indirectly with them, thereby regulating the activity of different types of cells in response to environmental stimuli. The pathological processes of numerous CVDs are associated with the degradation and remodeling of ECM components, and with cell migration, dysfunction and apoptosis, which may be regulated by TSP-1 and TSP-2 through different mechanisms. Therefore, investigating the role of TSP-1 and TSP-2 in different CVDs and the potential signaling pathways they are associated with may provide a new perspective on potential therapies for the treatment of CVDs. In the present review, the current understanding of the roles TSP-1 and TSP-2 serve in various CVDs were summarized. In addition, the interacting ligands and the potential pathways associated with these thrombospondins in CVDs are also discussed.

Association of FGF-2 Concentrations with Atheroma Progression in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Atherosclerosis is highly prevalent in CKD. The rate of progression of atherosclerosis is associated with cardiovascular events. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) is a member of the FGF family with potentially both protective and deleterious effects in the development of atherosclerosis. The role of circulating FGF-2 levels in the progression of atherosclerosis in CKD is unknown.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

We used a multicenter, prospective, observational cohorts study of 481 patients with CKD. We determined the presence of atheroma plaque in ten arterial territories by carotid and femoral ultrasounds. Progression of atheromatosis was defined as an increase in the number of territories with plaque after 24 months. Plasma levels of FGF-2 were measured by multiplex analysis. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether plasma FGF-2 levels were associated with atheromatosis progression.

RESULTS

Average age of the population was 61 years. The percentage of patients in each CKD stage was 51% in stage 3, 41% in stages 4-5, and 8% in dialysis. A total of 335 patients (70%) showed plaque at baseline. Atheromatosis progressed in 289 patients (67%). FGF-2 levels were similar between patients with or without plaque at baseline (79 versus 88 pg/ml), but lower in patients with atheromatosis progression after 2 years (78 versus 98 pg/ml; P<0.01). In adjusted analyses, higher plasma FGF-2 was associated with lower risk of atheromatosis progression (odds ratio [OR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.76 to 0.96; per 50 pg/ml increment). Analysis of FGF-2 in tertiles showed that atheroma progression was observed for 102 participants in the lowest tertile of FGF-2 (reference group), 86 participants in the middle tertile of FGF-2 (adjusted OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.40 to 1.20), and 74 participants in the lowest tertile of FGF-2 (adjusted OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.82).

CONCLUSIONS

Low FGF-2 levels are independently associated with atheromatosis progression in CKD.

The anti-proliferative effects of oleanolic acid on A7r5 cells-Role of UCP2 and downstream FGF-2/p53/TSP-1

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is a major contributor to atherosclerosis. This study investigated the inhibitory effects of oleanolic acid (OA) against oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced VSMC proliferation in A7r5 cells and explored underlying molecular mechanism. The cell proliferation was quantified with cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), in which ox-LDL significantly increased A7r5 cells proliferation, while OA pretreatment effectively alleviated such changes without inducing overt cytotoxicity, as indicated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting revealed increased UCP2 and FGF-2 expression levels as well as decreased p53 and TSP-1 expression levels in A7r5 cells following ox-LDL exposure, while OA pretreatment reversed such changes. Furthermore, inhibiting UCP2 with genipin remarkably reversed the changes in the expression levels of FGF-2, p53, and TSP-1 induced by ox-LDL exposure; silencing FGF-2 with siRNA did not significantly change the expression levels of UCP2 but effectively reversed the changes in the expression levels of p53 and TSP-1, and activation of p53 with PRIMA-1 only significantly affected the changes in the expression levels of TSP-1, but not in UCP2 or FGF-2, suggesting a UCP-2/FGF-2/p53/TSP-1 signaling in A7r5 cells response to ox-LDL exposure. Additionally, co-treatment of OA and genipin exhibited similar effects to the expression levels of UCP2, FGF-2, p53, and TSP-1 as OA or genipin solo treatment in ox-LDL-exposed A7r5 cells, suggesting the involvement of UCP-2/FGF-2/p53/TSP-1 in the mechanism of OA. In conclusion, OA inhibits ox-LDL-induced VSMC proliferation in A7r5 cells, the mechanism involves the changes in UCP-2/FGF-2/p53/TSP-1.

Inhibition of MMP-9 expression by ritonavir or saquinavir is associated with inactivation of the AKT/Fra-1 pathway in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia cells

A reduced incidence and decreased clinical progression of uterine cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) has been observed in women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treated with HIV-protease inhibitors (PIs). The HIV-PIs saquinavir (SQV) and ritonavir (RTV) have been demonstrated to efficiently inhibit invasion of human primary CIN cells by downregulating the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. The present study further investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the activity of SQV and RTV in CIN. The results of the present study indicate that the treatment of human primary CIN cells with SQV or RTV directly impairs events leading to MMP-9 expression, including the phosphorylation of AKT and the nuclear localisation of the Fos-related antigen transcription factor. In addition, neither SQV nor RTV affected the expression of human papilloma virus proteins, such as E6 or E7. In view of the important role that the AKT/Fra-1/MMP-9 signalling pathway serves in CIN progression to invasive cervical carcinoma, these data further support the use of HIV-PIs in the treatment of CIN in women infected with HIV and women who are not infected with HIV. Furthermore, the present study identified a molecular mechanism underlying the anti-invasive effects of SQV/RTV, providing useful information for the development of SQV/RTV derivatives, which may be employed as novel anticancer drugs.

Systematic analysis of the molecular mechanism underlying atherosclerosis using a text mining approach

Background

Atherosclerosis is one of the common health threats all over the world. It is a complex heritable disease that affects arterial blood vessels. Chronic inflammatory response plays an important role in atherogenesis. There has been little success in fully identifying functionally important genes in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Results

In the present study, we performed a systematic analysis of atherosclerosis-related genes using text mining. We identified a total of 1312 genes. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that a total of 35 terms exhibited significance (p < 0.05) as overrepresented terms, indicating that atherosclerosis invokes many genes with a wide range of different functions. Pathway analysis demonstrated that the most highly enriched pathway is the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Finally, through gene network analysis, we prioritized 48 genes using the hub gene method.

Conclusions

Our study provides a valuable resource for the in-depth understanding of the mechanism underlying atherosclerosis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40246-016-0075-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The HIV protease inhibitor indinavir down-regulates the expression of the pro-angiogenic MT1-MMP by human endothelial cells

In addition to contrast human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication, the HIV protease inhibitors (HIV-PI) have reduced tumour incidence or clinical progression in infected patients. In this regard, we have previously shown that, independently of its anti-viral activity, the HIV-PI indinavir (IDV) directly blocks matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 proteolytic activation, thus efficiently inhibiting tumour angiogenesis in vitro, in animal models, and in humans. Herein we investigated the molecular mechanism for IDV anti-angiogenic effect. We found that treatment of human primary endothelial cells with therapeutic IDV concentrations decreases the expression of membrane type (MT)1-MMP, which is the major activator of MMP-2. This occurs for both the constitutive expression of MT1-MMP and that up-regulated by angiogenic factors. In either cases, reduction of MT1-MMP levels by IDV is preceded by the inhibition of the binding of the specificity protein (Sp)1 transcription factor to the promoter region of the MT1-MMP gene in endothelial cell nuclei. As MT1-MMP is key for tumour angiogenesis, these results support the use of IDV or its derivatives in anti-cancer therapy. This is recommended by the low toxicity of the drug, and the large body of data on its pharmacokinetic.

Gender-dependent correlations of carotid intima-media thickness with gene expression in blood

The mechanisms underlying gender differences in stroke incidence, risk, and outcome are uncertain. We sought to determine whether transcriptional profiles of circulating blood cells of men and women differentially correlated with carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), a predictor of atherosclerosis and stroke risk. Gene expression in whole blood was measured using Affymetrix expression arrays in men (n=17) and women (n=35), aged 45-64 years, with at least one risk factor for stroke. Mean average CIMT was measured using B-mode ultrasound. Expression levels of 746 genes positively and 292 genes negatively correlated with CIMT only in women (p<0.05); 881 genes positively and 597 genes negatively correlated with CIMT only in men (p<0.05). Forty-one genes correlated with CIMT in men and women, but in opposite directions. These genes were associated with estrogen, cholesterol and lipid metabolism, inflammation, coagulation, and vasoreactivity. This pilot study provides the first proof of principle that gene expression in blood cells correlates with CIMT. These results point to potential pathophysiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in stroke risk. Since the sample size is small, the findings are preliminary and need to be confirmed in independent, larger studies.

Janus-like role of fibroblast growth factor 2 in arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease: atherogenesis and angiogenesis

Angiogenic stimulation is a promising new strategy for treating patients with arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease. This strategy aims to ameliorate cardiac function by improving myocardial perfusion and lowering the risk of myocardial infarction. However, angiogenesis may contribute to the growth of atherosclerotic lesions. Atherogenesis is also a potential side effect of angiogenic therapy. Early clinical trials were performed using fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) protein, which enhances the formation of new collateral vessels to reduce ischaemic symptoms. Conversely, angiogenic stimulation by FGF2 is a dilemma because it could cause negative angiogenic effects, such as atherosclerosis. Thus far, clinical trials in patients with recombinant FGF2 protein therapy have not yet yielded undisputable beneficial effects. Future trials should determine whether an improvement can be obtained in patients with coronary artery disease using a combination of FGF2 and other growth factors or a combination of the FGF2 gene and stem cell therapy. This review summarises the multiple roles of FGF2 in the progression of atherosclerosis, its effect on pro-angiogenesis and improvement of cardiac function in coronary artery disease, and the potentially unfavourable effect of angiogenesis on the prevention and treatment of atherogenesis.