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Ding SA, Liu H, Zheng R, Ge Y, Fu Z, Mei J, Tang M. Downregulation of MYBL1 in endothelial cells contributes to atherosclerosis by repressing PLEKHM1-inducing autophagy. Cell Biol Toxicol 2024; 40:40. [PMID: 38797732 PMCID: PMC11128406 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-024-09873-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
MYBL1 is a strong transcriptional activator involved in the cell signaling. However, there is no systematic study on the role of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role and mechanism of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis. GSE28829, GSE43292 and GSE41571 were downloaded from NCBI for differentially expressed analysis. The expression levels of MYBL1 in atherosclerotic plaque tissue and normal vessels were detected by qRT-PCR, Western blot and Immunohistochemistry. Transwell and CCK-8 were used to detect the migration and proliferation of HUVECs after silencing MYBL1. RNA-seq, Western blot, qRT-PCR, Luciferase reporter system, Immunofluorescence, Flow cytometry, ChIP and CO-IP were used to study the role and mechanism of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis. The microarray data of GSE28829, GSE43292, and GSE41571 were analyzed and intersected, and then MYBL1 were verified. MYBL1 was down-regulated in atherosclerotic plaque tissue. After silencing of MYBL1, HUVECs were damaged, and their migration and proliferation abilities were weakened. Overexpression of MYBL1 significantly enhanced the migration and proliferation of HUVECs. MYBL1 knockdown induced abnormal autophagy in HUVEC cells, suggesting that MYBL1 was involved in the regulation of HUVECs through autophagy. Mechanistic studies showed that MYBL1 knockdown inhibited autophagosome and lysosomal fusion in HUVECs by inhibiting PLEKHM1, thereby exacerbating atherosclerosis. Furthermore, MYBL1 was found to repress lipid accumulation in HUVECs after oxLDL treatment. MYBL1 knockdown in HUVECs was involved in atherosclerosis by inhibiting PLEKHM1-induced autophagy, which provided a novel target of therapy for atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Ao Ding
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zheng
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Ge
- Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng Fu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Ju Mei
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1665 Kongjiang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China.
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van der Ark-Vonk EM, Puijk MV, Pasterkamp G, van der Laan SW. The Effects of FABP4 on Cardiovascular Disease in the Aging Population. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2024; 26:163-175. [PMID: 38698167 PMCID: PMC11087245 DOI: 10.1007/s11883-024-01196-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) plays a role in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health. In this paper, we cover FABP4 biology, its implications in atherosclerosis from observational studies, genetic factors affecting FABP4 serum levels, and ongoing drug development to target FABP4 and offer insights into future FABP4 research. RECENT FINDINGS FABP4 impacts cells through JAK2/STAT2 and c-kit pathways, increasing inflammatory and adhesion-related proteins. In addition, FABP4 induces angiogenesis and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration. FABP4 is established as a reliable predictive biomarker for cardiovascular disease in specific at-risk groups. Genetic studies robustly link PPARG and FABP4 variants to FABP4 serum levels. Considering the potential effects on atherosclerotic lesion development, drug discovery programs have been initiated in search for potent inhibitors of FABP4. Elevated FABP4 levels indicate an increased cardiovascular risk and is causally related to acceleration of atherosclerotic disease, However, clinical trials for FABP4 inhibition are lacking, possibly due to concerns about available compounds' side effects. Further research on FABP4 genetics and its putative causal role in cardiovascular disease is needed, particularly in aging subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen M van der Ark-Vonk
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratory, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mike V Puijk
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratory, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard Pasterkamp
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratory, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sander W van der Laan
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratory, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Wu X, Zhang H. Omics Approaches Unveiling the Biology of Human Atherosclerotic Plaques. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:482-498. [PMID: 38280419 PMCID: PMC10988765 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall, characterized by the buildup of plaques with the accumulation and transformation of lipids, immune cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and necrotic cell debris. Plaques with collagen-poor thin fibrous caps infiltrated by macrophages and lymphocytes are considered unstable because they are at the greatest risk of rupture and clinical events. However, the current histologic definition of plaque types may not fully capture the complex molecular nature of atherosclerotic plaque biology and the underlying mechanisms contributing to plaque progression, rupture, and erosion. The advances in omics technologies have changed the understanding of atherosclerosis plaque biology, offering new possibilities to improve risk prediction and discover novel therapeutic targets. Genomic studies have shed light on the genetic predisposition to atherosclerosis, and integrative genomic analyses expedite the translation of genomic discoveries. Transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic studies have refined the understanding of the molecular signature of atherosclerotic plaques, aiding in data-driven hypothesis generation for mechanistic studies and offering new prospects for biomarker discovery. Furthermore, advancements in single-cell technologies and emerging spatial analysis techniques have unveiled the heterogeneity and plasticity of plaque cells. This review discusses key omics-based discoveries that have advanced the understanding of human atherosclerotic plaque biology, focusing on insights derived from omics profiling of human atherosclerotic vascular specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Wu
- Cardiometabolic Genomics Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Hanrui Zhang
- Cardiometabolic Genomics Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.
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Yuan Y, Wang P, Zhang H, Liu Y. Identification of M2 Macrophage-Related Key Genes in Advanced Atherosclerotic Plaques by Network-Based Analysis. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2024; 83:276-288. [PMID: 38194604 DOI: 10.1097/fjc.0000000000001528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Atherosclerotic plaque accounts for major adverse cardiovascular events because of its vulnerability. The classically activated macrophage (M1) and alternatively activated macrophage (M2) are implicated in the progression and regression of plaque, respectively. However, the therapeutic targets related to M2 macrophages still remain largely elusive. In this study, cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts and weighted gene coexpression network analysis algorithms were used to establish a weighted gene coexpression network for identifying M2 macrophage-related hub genes using GSE43292 data set. The results showed that genes were classified into 7 modules, with the blue module (Cor = 0.67, P = 3e-05) being the one that was most related to M2 macrophage infiltration in advanced plaques, and then 99 hub genes were identified from blue module. Meanwhile, 1289 differentially expressed genes were produced in GSE43292 data set. Subsequently, the intersection genes of hub genes and differentially expressed genes, including AKTIP , ASPN , FAM26E , RAB23 , PLS3 , and PLSCR4 , were obtained by Venn diagrams and named as key genes. Further validation using data sets GSE100927 and GSE41571 showed that 6 key genes all downregulated in advanced and vulnerable plaques compared with early and stable plaque samples (|Log2 (fold change)| > 0.5, P < 0.05 or 0.001), respectively. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated that the 6 key genes might have potential diagnostic value. The validation of key genes in the model in vitro and in vivo also demonstrated decreased mRNA expressions of AKTIP , ASPN , FAM26E , RAB23 , PLS3 , and PLSCR4 ( P < 0.05 or 0.001). Collectively, we identified AKTIP, ASPN, FAM26E, RAB23, PLS3, and PLSCR4 as M2 macrophage-related key genes during atherosclerotic progression, proposing potential intervention targets for advanced atherosclerotic plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University (Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
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Fu Y, Zhang J, Liu Q, Yang L, Wu Q, Yang X, Wang L, Ding N, Xiong J, Gao Y, Ma S, Jiang Y. Unveiling the role of ABI3 and hub senescence-related genes in macrophage senescence for atherosclerotic plaque progression. Inflamm Res 2024; 73:65-82. [PMID: 38062164 PMCID: PMC10776483 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-023-01817-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis, characterized by abnormal arterial lipid deposition, is an age-dependent inflammatory disease and contributes to elevated morbidity and mortality. Senescent foamy macrophages are considered to be deleterious at all stages of atherosclerosis, while the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore the senescence-related genes in macrophages diagnosis for atherosclerotic plaque progression. METHODS The atherosclerosis-related datasets were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and cellular senescence-associated genes were acquired from the CellAge database. R package Limma was used to screen out the differentially expressed senescence-related genes (DE-SRGs), and then three machine learning algorithms were applied to determine the hub DE-SRGs. Next, we established a nomogram model to further confirm the clinical significance of hub DE-SRGs. Finally, we validated the expression of hub SRG ABI3 by Sc-RNA seq analysis and explored the underlying mechanism of ABI3 in THP-1-derived macrophages and mouse atherosclerotic lesions. RESULTS A total of 15 DE-SRGs were identified in macrophage-rich plaques, with five hub DE-SRGs (ABI3, CAV1, NINJ1, Nox4 and YAP1) were further screened using three machine learning algorithms. Subsequently, a nomogram predictive model confirmed the high validity of the five hub DE-SRGs for evaluating atherosclerotic plaque progression. Further, the ABI3 expression was upregulated in macrophages of advanced plaques and senescent THP-1-derived macrophages, which was consistent with the bioinformatics analysis. ABI3 knockdown abolished macrophage senescence, and the NF-κB signaling pathway contributed to ABI3-mediated macrophage senescence. CONCLUSION We identified five cellular senescence-associated genes for atherogenesis progression and unveiled that ABI3 might promote macrophage senescence via activation of the NF-κB pathway in atherogenesis progression, which proposes new preventive and therapeutic strategies of senolytic agents for atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Fu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Juan Zhang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qiujun Liu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lan Yang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qianqian Wu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Xiaomin Yang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lexin Wang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ning Ding
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jiantuan Xiong
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yujing Gao
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Shengchao Ma
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Yideng Jiang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Metabolic Cardiovascular Diseases Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Vascular Injury and Repair Research, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
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Cui HK, Tang CJ, Gao Y, Li ZA, Zhang J, Li YD. An integrative analysis of single-cell and bulk transcriptome and bidirectional mendelian randomization analysis identified C1Q as a novel stimulated risk gene for Atherosclerosis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1289223. [PMID: 38179058 PMCID: PMC10764496 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1289223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The role of complement component 1q (C1Q) related genes on human atherosclerotic plaques (HAP) is less known. Our aim is to establish C1Q associated hub genes using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bulk RNA analysis to diagnose and predict HAP patients more effectively and investigate the association between C1Q and HAP (ischemic stroke) using bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods HAP scRNA-seq and bulk-RNA data were download from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The C1Q-related hub genes was screened using the GBM, LASSO and XGBoost algorithms. We built machine learning models to diagnose and distinguish between types of atherosclerosis using generalized linear models and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses. Further, we scored the HALLMARK_COMPLEMENT signaling pathway using ssGSEA and confirmed hub gene expression through qRT-PCR in RAW264.7 macrophages and apoE-/- mice. Furthermore, the risk association between C1Q and HAP was assessed through bidirectional MR analysis, with C1Q as exposure and ischemic stroke (IS, large artery atherosclerosis) as outcomes. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) was used as the main method. Results We utilized scRNA-seq dataset (GSE159677) to identify 24 cell clusters and 12 cell types, and revealed seven C1Q associated DEGs in both the scRNA-seq and GEO datasets. We then used GBM, LASSO and XGBoost to select C1QA and C1QC from the seven DEGs. Our findings indicated that both training and validation cohorts had satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for identifying patients with HPAs. Additionally, we confirmed SPI1 as a potential TF responsible for regulating the two hub genes in HAP. Our analysis further revealed that the HALLMARK_COMPLEMENT signaling pathway was correlated and activated with C1QA and C1QC. We confirmed high expression levels of C1QA, C1QC and SPI1 in ox-LDL-treated RAW264.7 macrophages and apoE-/- mice using qPCR. The results of MR indicated that there was a positive association between the genetic risk of C1Q and IS, as evidenced by an odds ratio (OR) of 1.118 (95%CI: 1.013-1.234, P = 0.027). Conclusion The authors have effectively developed and validated a novel diagnostic signature comprising two genes for HAP, while MR analysis has provided evidence supporting a favorable association of C1Q on IS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Kai Cui
- Department of Neurological Intervention, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Chao-Jie Tang
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Neurological Intervention, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Zi-Ang Li
- Department of Neurological Intervention, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Neurological Intervention, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Yong-Dong Li
- Department of Neurological Intervention, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Martinez-Campanario MC, Cortés M, Moreno-Lanceta A, Han L, Ninfali C, Domínguez V, Andrés-Manzano MJ, Farràs M, Esteve-Codina A, Enrich C, Díaz-Crespo FJ, Pintado B, Escolà-Gil JC, García de Frutos P, Andrés V, Melgar-Lesmes P, Postigo A. Atherosclerotic plaque development in mice is enhanced by myeloid ZEB1 downregulation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8316. [PMID: 38097578 PMCID: PMC10721632 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43896-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages within the arterial neointima is a critical step in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Here, we show that reduced levels of the cellular plasticity factor ZEB1 in macrophages increase atherosclerotic plaque formation and the chance of cardiovascular events. Compared to control counterparts (Zeb1WT/ApoeKO), male mice with Zeb1 ablation in their myeloid cells (Zeb1∆M/ApoeKO) have larger atherosclerotic plaques and higher lipid accumulation in their macrophages due to delayed lipid traffic and deficient cholesterol efflux. Zeb1∆M/ApoeKO mice display more pronounced systemic metabolic alterations than Zeb1WT/ApoeKO mice, with higher serum levels of low-density lipoproteins and inflammatory cytokines and larger ectopic fat deposits. Higher lipid accumulation in Zeb1∆M macrophages is reverted by the exogenous expression of Zeb1 through macrophage-targeted nanoparticles. In vivo administration of these nanoparticles reduces atherosclerotic plaque formation in Zeb1∆M/ApoeKO mice. Finally, low ZEB1 expression in human endarterectomies is associated with plaque rupture and cardiovascular events. These results set ZEB1 in macrophages as a potential target in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Martinez-Campanario
- Group of Gene Regulation in Stem Cells, Cell Plasticity, Differentiation, and Cancer, IDIBAPS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marlies Cortés
- Group of Gene Regulation in Stem Cells, Cell Plasticity, Differentiation, and Cancer, IDIBAPS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alazne Moreno-Lanceta
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Barcelona School of Medicine, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lu Han
- Group of Gene Regulation in Stem Cells, Cell Plasticity, Differentiation, and Cancer, IDIBAPS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chiara Ninfali
- Group of Gene Regulation in Stem Cells, Cell Plasticity, Differentiation, and Cancer, IDIBAPS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verónica Domínguez
- Transgenesis Facility, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB) and Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (UAM-CBMSO), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - María J Andrés-Manzano
- Group of Molecular and Genetic Cardiovascular Pathophysiology, Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical, Research Network in Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), Carlos III Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Farràs
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical Research Sant Pau, University Autonomous of Barcelona, 08041, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research Network in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Carlos III Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Enrich
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Barcelona School of Medicine, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Group of signal transduction, intracellular compartments and cancer, IDIBAPS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco J Díaz-Crespo
- Department of Pathology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, 28007, Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Pintado
- Transgenesis Facility, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB) and Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (UAM-CBMSO), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joan C Escolà-Gil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical Research Sant Pau, University Autonomous of Barcelona, 08041, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research Network in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Carlos III Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo García de Frutos
- Center for Biomedical, Research Network in Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), Carlos III Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Department Of Cell Death and Proliferation, Institute for Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Group of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, IDIBAPS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicente Andrés
- Group of Molecular and Genetic Cardiovascular Pathophysiology, Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical, Research Network in Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), Carlos III Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Melgar-Lesmes
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Barcelona School of Medicine, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Clínic, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research Network in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases (CIBEREHD), Carlos III Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Antonio Postigo
- Group of Gene Regulation in Stem Cells, Cell Plasticity, Differentiation, and Cancer, IDIBAPS, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
- Center for Biomedical Research Network in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases (CIBEREHD), Carlos III Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
- Molecular Targets Program, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, J.G. Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
- ICREA, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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Teng D, Chen H, Jia W, Ren Q, Ding X, Zhang L, Gong L, Wang H, Zhong L, Yang J. Identification and validation of hub genes involved in foam cell formation and atherosclerosis development via bioinformatics. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16122. [PMID: 37810795 PMCID: PMC10557941 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Foam cells play crucial roles in all phases of atherosclerosis. However, until now, the specific mechanisms by which these foam cells contribute to atherosclerosis remain unclear. We aimed to identify novel foam cell biomarkers and interventional targets for atherosclerosis, characterizing their potential mechanisms in the progression of atherosclerosis. Methods Microarray data of atherosclerosis and foam cells were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expression genes (DEGs) were screened using the "LIMMA" package in R software. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation were both carried out. Hub genes were found in Cytoscape after a protein-protein interaction (PPI) enrichment analysis was carried out. Validation of important genes in the GSE41571 dataset, cellular assays, and tissue samples. Results A total of 407 DEGs in atherosclerosis and 219 DEGs in foam cells were identified, and the DEGs in atherosclerosis were mainly involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. CSF1R and PLAUR were identified as common hub genes and validated in GSE41571. In addition, we also found that the expression of CSF1R and PLAUR gradually increased with the accumulation of lipids and disease progression in cell and tissue experiments. Conclusion CSF1R and PLAUR are key hub genes of foam cells and may play an important role in the biological process of atherosclerosis. These results advance our understanding of the mechanism behind atherosclerosis and potential therapeutic targets for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Teng
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hongping Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Wenjuan Jia
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qingmiao Ren
- The Precision Medicine Laboratory, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoning Ding
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Lihui Zhang
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lei Gong
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Yantai, China
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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9
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Hu T, Chen X. Role of neutrophil extracellular trap and immune infiltration in atherosclerotic plaque instability: Novel insight from bioinformatics analysis and machine learning. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e34918. [PMID: 37747003 PMCID: PMC10519497 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000034918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The instability of atherosclerotic plaques increases the risk of acute coronary syndrome. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), mesh-like complexes consisting of extracellular DNA adorned with various protein substances, have been recently discovered to play an essential role in atherosclerotic plaque formation and development. This study aimed to investigate novel diagnostic biomarkers that can identify unstable plaques for early distinction and prevention of plaque erosion or disruption. Differential expression analysis was used to identify the differentially expressed NET-related genes, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed. We filtered the characteristic genes using machine learning and estimated diagnostic efficacy using receiver operating characteristic curves. Immune infiltration was detected using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis and the biological signaling pathways involved in characteristic genes utilizing gene set enrichment analysis were explored. Finally, miRNAs- and transcription factors-target genes networks were established. We identified 8 differentially expressed NET-related genes primarily involved in immune-related pathways. Four were identified as capable of distinguishing unstable plaques. More immune cells infiltrated unstable plaques than stable plaques, and these cells were predominantly positively related to characteristic genes. These 4 diagnostic genes are involved in immune responses and the modulation of smooth muscle contractility. Several miRNAs and transcription factors were predicted as upstream regulatory factors, providing further information on the identification and prevention of atherosclerotic plaques rupture. We identified several promising NET-related genes (AQP9, C5AR1, FPR3, and SIGLEC9) and immune cell subsets that may identify unstable atherosclerotic plaques at an early stage and prevent various complications of plaque disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Hu
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Xiaomin Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
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Zhang G, Cui X, Qin Z, Wang Z, Lu Y, Xu Y, Xu S, Tang L, Zhang L, Liu G, Wang X, Zhang J, Tang J. Atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability quantification system for clinical and biological interpretability. iScience 2023; 26:107587. [PMID: 37664595 PMCID: PMC10470306 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myocardial infarction dominates coronary artery disease mortality. Identifying bio-signatures for plaque destabilization and rupture is important for preventing the transition from coronary stability to instability and the occurrence of thrombosis events. This computational systems biology study enrolled 2,235 samples from 22 independent bulks cohorts and 14 samples from two single-cell cohorts. A machine-learning integrative program containing nine learners was developed to generate a warning classifier linked to atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability signature (APVS). The classifier displays the reliable performance and robustness for distinguishing ST-elevation myocardial infarction from chronic coronary syndrome at presentation, and revealed higher accuracy to 33 pathogenic biomarkers. We also developed an APVS-based quantification system (APVSLevel) for comprehensively quantifying atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability, empowering early-warning capabilities, and accurate assessment of atherosclerosis severity. It unraveled the multidimensional dysregulated mechanisms at high resolution. This study provides a potential tool for macro-level differential diagnosis and evaluation of subtle genetic pathological changes in atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Xiaolin Cui
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Zhen Qin
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yongzheng Lu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yanyan Xu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Shuai Xu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Laiyi Tang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Gangqiong Liu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Jinying Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Junnan Tang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
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Zhu G, Gao Y, Qian J, Lai Y, Lin H, Liu C, Chen F, Liu X. Comprehensive analysis of atherosclerotic plaques reveals crucial genes and molecular mechanisms associated with plaque progression and rupture. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:951242. [PMID: 37057098 PMCID: PMC10089263 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.951242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundPlaque rupture and acute atherothrombosis, resulting from continued progression of atherosclerotic plaques (APs), are major contributors to acute clinical events such as stroke or myocardial infarction. This article aimed to explore the gene signatures and potential molecular mechanisms in the progression and instability of APs and to identify novel biomarkers and interventional targets for AP rupture.MethodsThe microarray data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and grouped into discovery and validation cohorts. In the discovery cohort, Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis was performed for finding co-expression modules, and the Metascape database was used to perform functional enrichment analysis. Differential Expression Genes analysis subsequently was performed in the validation cohort for verification of the obtained results. Common genes were introduced into Metascape database for protein–protein interaction and functional enrichment analysis. We constructed the miRNAs–mRNAs network with the hub genes. Moreover, gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from peripheral blood of patients with plaque rupture were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing, and the diagnostic power of hub genes was verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.ResultsIn the discovery cohort, the brown module in GSE28829 and the turquoise module in GSE163154 were the most significant co-expression modules. Functional enrichment analysis of shared genes suggested that “Neutrophil degranulation” was the most significantly enriched pathway. These conclusions were also demonstrated by the validation cohort. A total of 16 hub genes were identified. The miRNA–mRNA network revealed that hsa-miR-665 and hsa-miR-512-3p might regulate the “Neutrophil degranulation” pathway through PLAU and SIRPA, which might play a significant role in AP progression and instability. Five hub genes, including PLAUR, FCER1G, PLAU, ITGB2, and SLC2A5, showed significantly increased expression in PBMCs from patients with plaque rupture compared with controls. ROC analysis finally identified three hub genes PLAUR, FCER1G, and PLAU that could effectively distinguish patients with APs rupture from controls.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrated that the “neutrophil degranulation” signaling pathways and identified novel mRNA and miRNA candidates are closely associated with plaque progression and instability. The hub genes FCER1G, PLAUR, and PLAU may serve as biomarkers for the prospective prediction of AP rupture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fei Chen
- Correspondence: Xuebo Liu Fei Chen
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Xiong J, Li Z, Tang H, Duan Y, Ban X, Xu K, Guo Y, Tu Y. Bulk and single-cell characterisation of the immune heterogeneity of atherosclerosis identifies novel targets for immunotherapy. BMC Biol 2023; 21:46. [PMID: 36855107 PMCID: PMC9974063 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01540-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune cells that infiltrate lesions are important for atherosclerosis progression and immunotherapies. This study was aimed at gaining important new insights into the heterogeneity of these cells by integrating the sequencing results of multiple samples and using an enhanced single-cell sequencing workflow to overcome the limitations of a single study. RESULTS Integrative analyses identified 28 distinct subpopulations based on gene expression profiles. Further analysis demonstrated that these cells manifested high heterogeneity at the levels of tissue preferences, genetic perturbations, functional variations, immune dynamics, transcriptional regulators, metabolic changes, and communication patterns. Of the T cells, interferon-induced CD8+ T cells were involved in the progression of atherosclerosis. In contrast, proinflammatory CD4+ CD28null T cells predicted a poor outcome in atherosclerosis. Notably, we identified two subpopulations of foamy macrophages that exhibit contrasting phenotypes. Among them, TREM2- SPP1+ foamy macrophages were preferentially distributed in the hypoxic core of plaques. These glycolytic metabolism-enriched cells, with impaired cholesterol metabolism and robust pro-angiogenic capacity, were phenotypically regulated by CSF1 secreted by co-localised mast cells. Moreover, combined with deconvolution of the bulk datasets, we revealed that these dysfunctional cells had a higher proportion of ruptured and haemorrhagic lesions and were significantly associated with poor atherosclerosis prognoses. CONCLUSIONS We systematically explored atherosclerotic immune heterogeneity and identified cell populations underlying atherosclerosis progression and poor prognosis, which may be valuable for developing new and precise immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xiong
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China
| | - Zhaoyue Li
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China
| | - Hao Tang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China
| | - Yuchen Duan
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China
| | - Xiaofang Ban
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China
| | - Yutong Guo
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China
| | - Yingfeng Tu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, China.
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Liu C, Tang L, Zhou Y, Tang X, Zhang G, Zhu Q, Zhou Y. Immune-associated biomarkers identification for diagnosing carotid plaque progression with uremia through systematical bioinformatics and machine learning analysis. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:92. [PMID: 36823662 PMCID: PMC9948329 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01043-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uremia is one of the most challenging problems in medicine and an increasing public health issue worldwide. Patients with uremia suffer from accelerated atherosclerosis, and atherosclerosis progression may trigger plaque instability and clinical events. As a result, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications are more likely to occur. This study aimed to identify diagnostic biomarkers in uremic patients with unstable carotid plaques (USCPs). METHODS Four microarray datasets (GSE37171, GSE41571, GSE163154, and GSE28829) were downloaded from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus database. The Limma package was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in uremia and USCP. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to determine the respective significant module genes associated with uremia and USCP. Moreover, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and three machine learning algorithms were applied to detect potential diagnostic genes. Subsequently, a nomogram and a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were plotted to diagnose USCP with uremia. Finally, immune cell infiltrations were further analyzed. RESULTS Using the Limma package and WGCNA, the intersection of 2795 uremia-related DEGs and 1127 USCP-related DEGs yielded 99 uremia-related DEGs in USCP. 20 genes were selected as candidate hub genes via PPI network construction. Based on the intersection of genes from the three machine learning algorithms, three hub genes (FGR, LCP1, and C5AR1) were identified and used to establish a nomogram that displayed a high diagnostic performance (AUC: 0.989, 95% CI 0.971-1.000). Dysregulated immune cell infiltrations were observed in USCP, showing positive correlations with the three hub genes. CONCLUSION The current study systematically identified three candidate hub genes (FGR, LCP1, and C5AR1) and established a nomogram to assist in diagnosing USCP with uremia using various bioinformatic analyses and machine learning algorithms. Herein, the findings provide a foothold for future studies on potential diagnostic candidate genes for USCP in uremic patients. Additionally, immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that the dysregulated immune cell proportions were identified, and macrophages could have a critical role in USCP pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjiang Liu
- grid.415644.60000 0004 1798 6662Department of General Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, 312000 China
| | - Liming Tang
- grid.415644.60000 0004 1798 6662Department of General Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, 312000 China
| | - Yue Zhou
- grid.415644.60000 0004 1798 6662Department of General Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, 312000 China
| | - Xiaoqi Tang
- grid.415644.60000 0004 1798 6662Department of General Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, 312000 China
| | - Gang Zhang
- grid.412679.f0000 0004 1771 3402Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000 Anhui China
| | - Qin Zhu
- Hepatobiliary CenterKey Laboratory of Liver TransplantationNHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityChinese Academy of Medical SciencesNanjing Medical University), Nanjing, 210000, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yufei Zhou
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiling Reveals PHACTR1 as a Novel Molecular Target of Resveratrol in Endothelial Homeostasis. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14214518. [DOI: 10.3390/nu14214518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease in which endothelial cells play an important role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Endotheliitis caused by endothelial dysfunction (ED) is the key cause for the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as other vascular system diseases. Resveratrol (RES), a multi-functional polyphenol present in edible plants and fruits, prevents cardiovascular disease by regulating a variety of athero-relevant signaling pathways. By transcriptome profiling of RES-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in-depth bioinformatic analysis, we observed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in KEGG pathways of fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, suggesting that the RES may serve as a good template for a shear stress mimetic drug that hold promise in combating atherosclerosis. A heat map and multiple datasets superimposed screening revealed that RES significantly down-regulated phosphatase and actin modulator 1 (PHACTR1), a pivotal coronary artery disease risk gene associated with endothelial inflammation and polyvascular diseases. We further demonstrate that RES down-regulated the gene and protein expression of PHACTR1 and inhibited TNF-α-induced adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to activated endothelial cells via suppressing the expression of PHACTR1. Taken together, our study reveals that PHACTR1 represents a new molecular target for RES to maintain endothelial cell homeostasis and prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
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Wang J, Kang Z, Liu Y, Li Z, Liu Y, Liu J. Identification of immune cell infiltration and diagnostic biomarkers in unstable atherosclerotic plaques by integrated bioinformatics analysis and machine learning. Front Immunol 2022; 13:956078. [PMID: 36211422 PMCID: PMC9537477 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.956078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The decreased stability of atherosclerotic plaques increases the risk of ischemic stroke. However, the specific characteristics of dysregulated immune cells and effective diagnostic biomarkers associated with stability in atherosclerotic plaques are poorly characterized. This research aims to investigate the role of immune cells and explore diagnostic biomarkers in the formation of unstable plaques for the sake of gaining new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms and providing new perspectives for disease detection and therapy. Method Using the CIBERSORT method, 22 types of immune cells between stable and unstable carotid atherosclerotic plaques from RNA-sequencing and microarray data in the public GEO database were quantitated. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were further calculated and were analyzed for enrichment of GO Biological Process and KEGG pathways. Important cell types and hub genes were screened using machine learning methods including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and random forest. Single-cell RNA sequencing and clinical samples were further used to validate critical cell types and hub genes. Finally, the DGIdb database of gene–drug interaction data was utilized to find possible therapeutic medicines and show how pharmaceuticals, genes, and immune cells interacted. Results A significant difference in immune cell infiltration was observed between unstable and stable plaques. The proportions of M0, M1, and M2 macrophages were significantly higher and that of CD8+ T cells and NK cells were significantly lower in unstable plaques than that in stable plaques. With respect to DEGs, antigen presentation genes (CD74, B2M, and HLA-DRA), inflammation-related genes (MMP9, CTSL, and IFI30), and fatty acid-binding proteins (CD36 and APOE) were elevated in unstable plaques, while the expression of smooth muscle contraction genes (TAGLN, ACAT2, MYH10, and MYH11) was decreased in unstable plaques. M1 macrophages had the highest instability score and contributed to atherosclerotic plaque instability. CD68, PAM, and IGFBP6 genes were identified as the effective diagnostic markers of unstable plaques, which were validated by validation datasets and clinical samples. In addition, insulin, nivolumab, indomethacin, and α-mangostin were predicted to be potential therapeutic agents for unstable plaques. Conclusion M1 macrophages is an important cause of unstable plaque formation, and CD68, PAM, and IGFBP6 could be used as diagnostic markers to identify unstable plaques effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Neurovascular Center, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zijian Kang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Naval Medical Center of People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), Shanghai, China
| | - Yandong Liu
- Department of Geriatrics, Navy 905th Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Zifu Li
- Neurovascular Center, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianmin Liu, ; Yang Liu, ; Zifu Li,
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Naval Medical Center of People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), Shanghai, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Institute of Cardiac Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianmin Liu, ; Yang Liu, ; Zifu Li,
| | - Jianmin Liu
- Neurovascular Center, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianmin Liu, ; Yang Liu, ; Zifu Li,
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Bi X, Stankov S, Lee PC, Wang Z, Wu X, Li L, Ko YA, Cheng L, Zhang H, Hand NJ, Rader DJ. ILRUN Promotes Atherosclerosis Through Lipid-Dependent and Lipid-Independent Factors. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2022; 42:1139-1151. [PMID: 35861973 PMCID: PMC9420832 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.121.317156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Common genetic variation in close proximity to the ILRUN gene are significantly associated with coronary artery disease as well as with plasma lipid traits. We recently demonstrated that hepatic inflammation and lipid regulator with ubiquitin-associated domain-like and NBR1-like domains (ILRUN) regulates lipoprotein metabolism in vivo in mice. However, whether ILRUN, which is expressed in vascular cells, directly impacts atherogenesis remains unclear. We sought to determine the role of ILRUN in atherosclerosis development in mice. METHODS For our study, we generated global Ilrun-deficient (IlrunKO) male and female mice on 2 hyperlipidemic backgrounds: low density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LdlrKO) and apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoeKO; double knockout [DKO]). RESULTS Compared with littermate control mice (single LdlrKO or ApoeKO), deletion of Ilrun in DKO mice resulted in significantly attenuated both early and advanced atherosclerotic lesion development, as well as reduced necrotic area. DKO mice also had significantly decreased plasma cholesterol levels, primarily attributable to non-HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Hepatic-specific reconstitution of ILRUN in DKO mice on the ApoeKO background normalized plasma lipids, but atherosclerotic lesion area and necrotic area remained reduced in DKO mice. Further analysis showed that loss of Ilrun increased efferocytosis receptor MerTK expression in macrophages, enhanced in vitro efferocytosis, and significantly improved in situ efferocytosis in advanced lesions. CONCLUSIONS Our results support ILRUN as an important novel regulator of atherogenesis that promotes lesion progression and necrosis. It influences atherosclerosis through both plasma lipid-dependent and lipid-independent mechanisms. These findings support ILRUN as the likely causal gene responsible for genetic association of variants with coronary artery disease at this locus and suggest that suppression of ILRUN activity might be expected to reduce atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Bi
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sylvia Stankov
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Paul C. Lee
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ziyi Wang
- Cardiometabolic Genomics Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xun Wu
- Cardiometabolic Genomics Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Li
- Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lan Cheng
- Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hanrui Zhang
- Cardiometabolic Genomics Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Hand
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel J. Rader
- Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Xu J, Chen C, Yang Y. Identification and Validation of Candidate Gene Module Along With Immune Cells Infiltration Patterns in Atherosclerosis Progression to Plaque Rupture via Transcriptome Analysis. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:894879. [PMID: 35811739 PMCID: PMC9257180 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.894879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) along with infiltrating immune cells landscape and their potential mechanisms in the progression of atherosclerosis from onset to plaque rupture. Methods In this study, three atherosclerosis-related microarray datasets were downloaded from the NCBI-GEO database. The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed for interpreting the biological insights of gene expression data. The CIBERSORTx algorithm was applied to infer the relative proportions of infiltrating immune cells of the atherosclerotic samples. DEGs of the datasets were screened using R. The protein interaction network was constructed via STRING. The cluster genes were analyzed by the Cytoscape software. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment was performed via geneontology.org. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression algorithm and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses were performed to build machine learning models for differentiating atherosclerosis status. The Pearson correlation analysis was carried out to illustrate the relationship between cluster genes and immune cells. The expression levels of the cluster genes were validated in two external cohorts. Transcriptional factors and drug-gene interaction analysis were performed to investigate the promising targets for atherosclerosis intervention. Results Pathways related to immunoinflammatory responses were identified according to GSEA analysis, and the detailed fractions infiltrating immune cells were compared between the early and advanced atherosclerosis. Additionally, we identified 170 DEGs in atherosclerosis progression (|log2FC|≥1 and adjusted p < 0.05). They were mainly enriched in GO terms relating to inflammatory response and innate immune response. A cluster of nine genes, such as ITGB2, C1QC, LY86, CTSS, C1QA, CSF1R, LAPTM5, VSIG4, and CD163, were found to be significant, and their correlations with infiltrating immune cells were calculated. The cluster genes were also validated to be upregulated in two external cohorts. Moreover, C1QA and ITGB2 may exert pathogenic functions in the entire process of atherogenesis. Conclusions We reanalyzed the transcriptomic signature of atherosclerosis development from onset to plaque rupture along with the landscape of the immune cell, as well as revealed new insights and specific prospective DEGs for the investigation of disease-associated dynamic molecular processes and their regulations with immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital and National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital and National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuejin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital and National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuejin Yang
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Yang Y, Yi X, Cai Y, Zhang Y, Xu Z. Immune-Associated Gene Signatures and Subtypes to Predict the Progression of Atherosclerotic Plaques Based on Machine Learning. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:865624. [PMID: 35559253 PMCID: PMC9086243 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.865624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Our study was conducted for uncovering the roles of immune-associated genes during atherosclerotic plaque progression. Methods: Gene expression profiling of GSE28829, GSE43292, GSE41571, and GSE120521 datasets was retrieved from the GEO database. Three machine learning algorithms, least absolute shrinkage, and selection operator (LASSO), random forest, and support vector machine–recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were utilized for screening characteristic genes among atherosclerotic plaque progression- and immune-associated genes. ROC curves were generated for estimating the diagnostic efficacy. Immune cell infiltrations were estimated via ssGSEA, and immune checkpoints were quantified. CMap analysis was implemented to screen potential small-molecule compounds. Atherosclerotic plaque specimens were classified using a consensus clustering approach. Results: Seven characteristic genes (TNFSF13B, CCL5, CCL19, ITGAL, CD14, GZMB, and BTK) were identified, which enabled the prediction of progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Higher immune cell infiltrations and immune checkpoint expressions were found in advanced-stage than in early-stage atherosclerotic plaques and were positively linked to characteristic genes. Patients could clinically benefit from the characteristic gene-based nomogram. Several small molecular compounds were predicted based on the characteristic genes. Two subtypes, namely, C1 immune subtype and C2 non-immune subtype, were classified across atherosclerotic plaques. The characteristic genes presented higher expression in C1 than in C2 subtypes. Conclusion: Our findings provide several promising atherosclerotic plaque progression- and immune-associated genes as well as immune subtypes, which might enable to assist the design of more accurately tailored cardiovascular immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Yang
- Department of Neurology and Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Yi
- Department of Neurology and Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yue Cai
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xu
- Department of Neurology and Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
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Jamil MA, Singh S, El-Maarri O, Oldenburg J, Biswas A. Exploring Diverse Coagulation Factor XIII Subunit Expression Datasets: A Bioinformatic Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094725. [PMID: 35563115 PMCID: PMC9099568 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) circulates in plasma as a pro-transglutaminase heterotetrameric complex (FXIIIA2B2), which upon activation by thrombin and calcium covalently crosslinks preformed fibrin polymers. The heterotetrameric complex is composed of a catalytic FXIIIA2 subunit and a protective/regulatory FXIII-B2 subunit coded by F13A1 and F13B genes, respectively. The catalytic FXIIIA2 subunit is encoded by the F13A1 gene, expressed primarily in cells of mesenchymal origin, whereas the FXIIIB subunit encoded by the F13B gene is expressed and secreted from hepatocytes. The plasma FXIIIA2 subunit, which earlier was believed to be secreted from cells of megakaryocytic lineage, is now understood to result primarily from resident macrophages. The regulation of the FXIII subunits at the genetic level is still poorly understood. The current study adopts a purely bioinformatic approach to analyze the temporal, time-specific expression array-data corresponding to both the subunits in specific cell lineages, with respect to the gene promoters. We analyze the differentially expressed genes correlated with F13A1 and F13B expression levels in an array of cell types, utilizing publicly available microarray data. We attempt to understand the regulatory mechanism underlying the variable expression of FXIIIA2 subunit in macrophages (M0, M1, M2 and aortic resident macrophages). Similarly, the FXIIIB2 subunit expression data from adult, fetal hepatocytes and embryonic stem cells derived hepatoblasts (hESC-hepatoblast) was analyzed. The results suggest regulatory dependence between the two FXIII subunits at the transcript level. Our analysis also predicts the involvement of the FXIIIA2 subunit in macrophage polarization, plaque stability, and inflammation.
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Zhao W, Zhang Q, Wang J, Yu H, Zhen X, Li L, Qu Y, He Y, Zhang J, Li C, Zhang S, Luo B, Huang J, Gao Y. Novel Indel Variation of NPC1 Gene Associates With Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death. Front Genet 2022; 13:869859. [PMID: 35480314 PMCID: PMC9035640 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.869859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) was defined as an unexpected death from cardiac causes during a very short duration. It has been reported that Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) gene mutations might be related to cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether common genetic variants of NPC1 is involved in SCD susceptibility. Methods: Based on a candidate-gene-based approach and systematic screening strategy, this study analyzed an 8-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism (rs150703258) within downstream of NPC1 for the association with SCD risk in Chinese populations using 158 SCD cases and 524 controls. The association of rs150703258 and SCD susceptibility was analyzed using logistic regression. Genotype-phenotype correlation analysis was performed using public database including 1000G, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL), and further validated by human heart tissues using PCR. Dual-luciferase assay was used to explore the potential regulatory role of rs150703258. Gene expression profiling interactive analysis and transcription factors prediction were performed. Results: Logistic regression analysis exhibited that the deletion allele of rs150703258 significantly increased the risk of SCD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.329; 95% confidence interval (95%CI):1.03–1.72; p = 0.0289]. Genotype-phenotype correlation analysis showed that the risk allele was significantly associated with higher expression of NPC1 at mRNA and protein expressions level in human heart tissues. eQTL analysis showed NPC1 and C18orf8 (an adjacent gene to NPC1) are both related to rs150703258 and have higher expression level in the samples with deletion allele. Dual-luciferase activity assays indicate a significant regulatory role for rs150703258. Gene expression profiling interactive analysis revealed that NPC1 and C18orf8 seemed to be co-regulated in human blood, arteries and heart tissues. In silico analysis showed that the rs150703258 deletion variant may create transcription factor binding sites. In addition, a rare 12-bp allele (4-bp longer than the insertion allele) of rs150703258 was discovered in the current cohort. Conclusion: In summary, our study revealed that rs150703258 might contribute to SCD susceptibility by regulating NPC1 and C18orf8 expression. This indel may be a potential marker for risk stratification and molecular diagnosis of SCD. Validations in different ethnic groups with larger sample size and mechanism explorations are warranted to confirm our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Zhao
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jiawen Wang
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Huan Yu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Zhen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Li
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yan Qu
- Department of Biological Science, Science School of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yan He
- Department of Epidemiology, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengtao Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Suhua Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Luo
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Luo, ; Jiang Huang, ; Yuzhen Gao,
| | - Jiang Huang
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Luo, ; Jiang Huang, ; Yuzhen Gao,
| | - Yuzhen Gao
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Luo, ; Jiang Huang, ; Yuzhen Gao,
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21
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Dasagrandhi D, Muthuswamy A, Swaminathan JK. Atherosclerosis: nexus of vascular dynamics and cellular cross talks. Mol Cell Biochem 2022; 477:571-584. [PMID: 34845570 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-021-04307-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the foremost cause of mortality worldwide. Atherosclerosis is the underlying pathology behind CVDs. Atherosclerosis is manifested predominantly by lipid deposition, plaque formation, and inflammation in vascular intima. Initiation and progression of plaque require many years. With aging, atherosclerotic plaques become vulnerable. Localization of these plaques in the coronary artery leads to myocardial infarction. A complete understanding of the pathophysiology of this multifaceted disease is necessary to achieve the clinical goal to provide early diagnosis and the best therapeutics. The triggering factors of atherosclerosis are biomechanical forces, hyperlipidemia, and chronic inflammatory response. The current review focuses on crucial determinants involved in the disease, such as location, hemodynamic factors, oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, and the role of endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and immune cells, and better therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Dasagrandhi
- Drug Discovery and Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, India
| | - Anusuyadevi Muthuswamy
- Molecular Neurogerontology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, India
| | - Jayachandran Kesavan Swaminathan
- Drug Discovery and Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, India.
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22
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Comprehensive Analysis to Identify Key Genes Involved in Advanced Atherosclerosis. DISEASE MARKERS 2021; 2021:4026604. [PMID: 34925641 PMCID: PMC8683248 DOI: 10.1155/2021/4026604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background The study was aimed at finding accurate and effective therapeutic targets and deepening our understanding of the mechanisms of advanced atherosclerosis (AA). Methods We downloaded the gene expression datasets GSE28829, GSE120521, and GSE43292 from Gene Expression Omnibus. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed for GSE28829, and functional enrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction network analysis were conducted on the key module. Significant genes in the key module were analyzed by molecular complex detection, and genes in the most important subnetwork were defined as hub genes. Multiple dataset analyses for hub genes were conducted. Genes that overlapped between hub genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of GSE28829 and GSE120521 were defined as key genes. Further validation for key genes was performed using GSE28829 and GSE43292. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to key genes. Results A total of 77 significant genes in the key module of GSE28829 were screened out that were mainly associated with inflammation and immunity. The subnetwork was obtained from significant genes, and 18 genes in this module were defined as hub genes, which were related to immunity and expressed in multiple diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus. Some hub genes were regulated by SPI1 and associated with the blood, spleen, and lung. After overlapping with DEGs of GSE28829 and GSE120521, a total of 10 genes (HCK, ITGAM, CTSS, TYROBP, LAPTM5, FCER1G, ITGB2, NCF2, AIF1, and CD86) were identified as key genes. All key genes were validated and evaluated successfully and were related to immune response pathways. Conclusion Our study suggests that the key genes related to immune and inflammatory responses are involved in the development of AA. This may deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of and provide valuable therapeutic targets for AA.
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23
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Miroshnikova VV, Polyakova EA, Pobozheva IA, Panteleeva AA, Razgildina ND, Kolodina DA, Belyaeva OD, Berkovich OA, Pchelina SN, Baranova EI. FABP4 and omentin-1 gene expression in epicardial adipose tissue from coronary artery disease patients. Genet Mol Biol 2021; 44:e20200441. [PMID: 34609443 PMCID: PMC8485182 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2020-0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Omentin-1 and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) are adipose tissue adipokines linked to obesity-associated cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to investigate epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) omentin-1 and FABP4 gene expression in obese and non-obese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Omentin-1 and FABP4 mRNA levels in EAT and paired subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) as well as adipokine serum concentrations were assessed in 77 individuals (61 with CAD; 16 without CAD (NCAD)). EAT FABP4 mRNA level was decreased in obese CAD patients when compared to obese NCAD individuals (p=0.001). SAT FABP4 mRNA level was decreased in CAD patients compared to NCAD individuals without respect to their obesity status (p=0.001). Omentin-1 mRNA level in EAT and SAT did not differ between the CAD and NCAD groups. These findings suggest that omentin-1 gene expression in adipose tissue is not changed during CAD; downregulated FABP4 gene expression in SAT is associated with CAD while EAT FABP4 gene expression is decreased only in obesity-related CAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina V Miroshnikova
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation.,National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, Russian Federation
| | - Ekaterina A Polyakova
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Irina A Pobozheva
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation.,National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, Russian Federation
| | - Aleksandra A Panteleeva
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation.,National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, Russian Federation
| | - Natalia D Razgildina
- National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, Russian Federation
| | - Diana A Kolodina
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Olga D Belyaeva
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Olga A Berkovich
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Sofya N Pchelina
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation.,National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, Russian Federation
| | - Elena I Baranova
- Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation
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24
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Li J, Zhang X, Yang M, Yang H, Xu N, Fan X, Liu G, Jiang X, Fan J, Zhang L, Zhang H, Zhou Y, Li R, Gao S, Jin J, Jin Z, Zheng J, Tu Q, Ren J. DNA methylome profiling reveals epigenetic regulation of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 in human vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:161. [PMID: 34419168 PMCID: PMC8379831 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01152-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability is a key feature of atheroprogression and precipitating acute cardiovascular events. Although the pivotal role of epigenetic regulation in atherosclerotic plaque destabilization is being recognized, the DNA methylation profile and its potential role in driving the progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains largely unknown. We conducted a genome-wide analysis to identify differentially methylated genes in vulnerable and non-vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions to understand more about pathogenesis. RESULTS We compared genome-wide DNA methylation profiling between carotid artery plaques of patients with clinically symptomatic (recent stroke or transient ischemic attack) and asymptomatic disease (no recent stroke) using Infinium Methylation BeadChip arrays, which revealed 90,368 differentially methylated sites (FDR < 0.05, |delta beta|> 0.03) corresponding to 14,657 annotated genes. Among these genomic sites, 30% were located at the promoter regions and 14% in the CpG islands, according to genomic loci and genomic proximity to the CpG islands, respectively. Moreover, 67% displayed hypomethylation in symptomatic plaques, and the differentially hypomethylated genes were found to be involved in various aspects of inflammation. Subsequently, we focus on CpG islands and revealed 14,596 differentially methylated sites (|delta beta|> 0.1) located at the promoter regions of 7048 genes. Integrated analysis of methylation and gene expression profiles identified that 107 genes were hypomethylated in symptomatic plaques and showed elevated expression levels in both advanced plaques and ruptured plaques. The imprinted gene PLA2G7, which encodes lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), was one of the top hypomethylated genes with an increased expression upon inflammation. Further, the hypomethylated CpG site at the promoter region of PLA2G7 was identified as cg11874627, demethylation of which led to increased binding of Sp3 and expression of Lp-PLA2 through bisulfate sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These effects were further enhanced by deacetylase. CONCLUSION Extensive DNA methylation modifications serve as a new and critical layer of biological regulation that contributes to atheroprogression and destabilization via inflammatory processes. Revelation of this hitherto unknown epigenetic regulatory mechanism could rejuvenate the prospects of Lp-PLA2 as a therapeutic target to stabilize the atherosclerotic plaque and reduce clinical sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjin Li
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping Zhang
- Beijing Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University and Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Mengxi Yang
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xueqiang Fan
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xintong Jiang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiasai Fan
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lifang Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Si Gao
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangli Jin
- Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zening Jin
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingang Zheng
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Tu
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyi Ren
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China. .,Vascular Health Research Center of Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
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25
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Seneviratne A, Cave L, Hyde G, Moestrup SK, Carling D, Mason JC, Haskard DO, Boyle JJ. Metformin directly suppresses atherosclerosis in normoglycaemic mice via haematopoietic adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 117:1295-1308. [PMID: 32667970 PMCID: PMC8064441 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Atherosclerotic vascular disease has an inflammatory pathogenesis. Heme from intraplaque haemorrhage may drive a protective and pro-resolving macrophage M2-like phenotype, Mhem, via AMPK and activating transcription factor 1 (ATF1). The antidiabetic drug metformin may also activate AMPK-dependent signalling. Hypothesis: Metformin systematically induces atheroprotective genes in macrophages via AMPK and ATF1, thereby suppresses atherogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS Normoglycaemic Ldlr-/- hyperlipidaemic mice were treated with oral metformin, which profoundly suppressed atherosclerotic lesion development (P < 5 × 10-11). Bone marrow transplantation from AMPK-deficient mice demonstrated that metformin-related atheroprotection required haematopoietic AMPK [analysis of variance (ANOVA), P < 0.03]. Metformin at a clinically relevant concentration (10 μM) evoked AMPK-dependent and ATF1-dependent increases in Hmox1, Nr1h2 (Lxrb), Abca1, Apoe, Igf1, and Pdgf, increases in several M2-markers and decreases in Nos2, in murine bone marrow macrophages. Similar effects were seen in human blood-derived macrophages, in which metformin-induced protective genes and M2-like genes, suppressible by si-ATF1-mediated knockdown. Microarray analysis comparing metformin with heme in human macrophages indicated that the transcriptomic effects of metformin were related to those of heme, but not identical. Metformin-induced lesional macrophage expression of p-AMPK, p-ATF1, and downstream M2-like protective effects. CONCLUSION Metformin activates a conserved AMPK-ATF1-M2-like pathway in mouse and human macrophages, and results in highly suppressed atherogenesis in hyperlipidaemic mice via haematopoietic AMPK.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luke Cave
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Gareth Hyde
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - David Carling
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Justin C Mason
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dorian O Haskard
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Yang R, Yao L, Du C, Wu Y. Identification of key pathways and core genes involved in atherosclerotic plaque progression. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:267. [PMID: 33708894 PMCID: PMC7940950 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Atherosclerosis leads to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to atherosclerotic plaque rupture are incompletely characterized. We aimed to identify the genes related to atherosclerotic plaque progression that could serve as novel biomarkers and interventional targets for plaque progression. Methods The datasets of GSE28829 in early vs. advanced atherosclerotic plaques and those of GSE41571 in stable vs. ruptured plaques from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed by using bioinformatics methods. In addition, we used quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to verify the expression level of core genes in a mouse atherosclerosis model. Results There were 29 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the GSE28829 and GSE41571 datasets, and the DEGs were mainly enriched in the chemokine signaling pathway and the Staphylococcus aureus infection pathway (P<0.05). We identified 6 core genes (FPR3, CCL18, MS4A4A, CXCR4, CXCL2, and C1QB) in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, 3 of which (CXCR4, CXCL2, and CCL18) were markedly enriched in the chemokine signaling pathway. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the messenger RNA levels of two core genes (CXCR4 and CXCL2) increased significantly during plaque progression in the mouse atherosclerosis model. Conclusions In summary, bioinformatics techniques proved useful for the screening and identification of novel biomarkers of disease. A total of 29 DEGs and 6 core genes were linked to atherosclerotic plaque progression, in particular the CXCR4 and CXCL2 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Yang
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Linpeng Yao
- Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengli Du
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yihe Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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27
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Tsai HY, Wu YW, Tseng WK, Leu HB, Yin WH, Lin TH, Chang KC, Wang JH, Yeh HI, Wu CC, Chen JW, Wu YW, Tseng WK, Leu HB, Yin WH, Lin TH, Chang KC, Wang JH, Yeh HI, Wu CC, Chen JW. Circulating fatty-acid binding-protein 4 levels predict CV events in patients after coronary interventions. J Formos Med Assoc 2021; 120:728-736. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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28
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Qian C, Xia M, Yang X, Chen P, Ye Q. Long Noncoding RNAs in the Progression of Atherosclerosis: An Integrated Analysis Based on Competing Endogenous RNA Theory. DNA Cell Biol 2020; 40:283-292. [PMID: 33332208 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2020.6106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been increasingly accepted to function importantly in human diseases by serving as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). To date, the ceRNA mechanisms of lncRNAs in the progression of atherosclerosis (AS) remain largely unclear. On the basis of ceRNA theory, we implemented a multistep computational analysis to construct an lncRNA-mRNA network for AS progression (ASpLMN). The probe reannotation method and microRNA-target interactions from databases were systematically integrated. Three lncRNAs (GS1-358P8.4, OIP5-AS1, and TUG1) with central topological features in the ASpLMN were firstly identified. By using subnetwork analysis, we then obtained two highly clustered modules and one dysregulated module from the ASpLMN network. These modules, sharing three lncRNAs (GS1-358P8.4, OIP5-AS1, and RP11-690D19.3), were significantly enriched in biological pathways such as regulation of actin cytoskeleton, tryptophan metabolism, lysosome, and arginine and proline metabolism. In addition, random walking in the ASpLMN network indicated that lncRNA RP1-39G22.7 and MBNL1-AS1 may also play an essential role in the pathology of AS progression. The identified six lncRNAs from the aforementioned steps could distinguish advanced- from early-staged AS, with a strong diagnostic power for AS occurrence. In conclusion, the results of this study will improve our understanding about the ceRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms in AS progression, and provide novel lncRNAs as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for acute cardiovascular events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Qian
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Meng Xia
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xueying Yang
- Department of Medical Records, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, Hubei Province, China
| | - Pengfei Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiang Ye
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China
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Wu YW, Chang TT, Chang CC, Chen JW. Fatty-Acid-Binding Protein 4 as a Novel Contributor to Mononuclear Cell Activation and Endothelial Cell Dysfunction in Atherosclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239245. [PMID: 33287461 PMCID: PMC7730098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background—Elevated circulating fatty-acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) levels may be linked with cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate the mechanistic role of FABP4 in atherosclerosis. Methods—We recruited 22 patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) and 40 control subjects. Mononuclear cells (MNCs) and human coronary endothelial cells (HCAECs) were used for in vitro study. Results—Patients with CAD were predominantly male with an enhanced prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and smoking history. FABP4 concentrations were up-regulated in culture supernatants of MNCs from CAD patients, which were positively correlated with the patients’ age, waist–hip ratio, body mass index, serum creatinine, type 2 diabetes, and the presence of hypertension. The adhesiveness of HCAECs to monocytic cells can be activated by FABP4, which was reversed by an FABP4 antibody. FABP4 blockade attenuated the oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and P-selectin. FABP4 impaired the tube formation and migration via the ERK/JNK/STAT-1 signaling pathway. FABP4 suppressed phosphorylation of eNOS and expression of SDF-1 protein, both of which can be reversed by treatment with VEGF. Blockade of FABP4 also improved the oxLDL-impaired cell function. Conclusion—We discovered a novel pathogenic role of FABP4 in MNC activation and endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerosis. FABP4 may be a therapeutic target for modulating atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Wen Wu
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Medical Center, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 220, Taiwan;
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan;
| | - Ting-Ting Chang
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan;
- Department and Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Chi Chang
- Healthcare and Services Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan;
| | - Jaw-Wen Chen
- Healthcare and Services Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan;
- Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-2-28712121; Fax: +886-2-28711601
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30
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Zhang K, Qin X, Zhou X, Zhou J, Wen P, Chen S, Wu M, Wu Y, Zhuang J. Analysis of genes and underlying mechanisms involved in foam cells formation and atherosclerosis development. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10336. [PMID: 33240650 PMCID: PMC7678445 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Foam cells (FCs) play crucial roles in the process of all stages of atherosclerosis. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and macrophages are the major sources of FCs. This study aimed to identify the common molecular mechanism in these two types of FCs. Methods GSE28829, GSE43292, GSE68021, and GSE54666 were included to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with FCs derived from SMCs and macrophages. Gene Ontology biological process (GO-BP) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed by using the DAVID database. The co-regulated genes associated with the two origins of FCs were validated (GSE9874), and their expression in vulnerable atherosclerosis plaques (GSE120521 and GSE41571) was assessed. Results A total of 432 genes associated with FCs derived from SMCs (SMC-FCs) and 81 genes associated with FCs derived from macrophages (M-FCs) were identified, and they were mainly involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation, cell cycle/apoptosis. Furthermore, three co-regulated genes associated with FCs were identified: GLRX, RNF13, and ABCA1. These three common genes showed an increased tendency in unstable or ruptured plaques, although in some cases, no statistically significant difference was found. Conclusions DEGs related to FCs derived from SMCs and macrophages have contributed to the understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the formation of FCs and atherosclerosis. GLRX, RNF13, and ABCA1 might be potential targets for atherosclerosis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xianyu Qin
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xianwu Zhou
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianrong Zhou
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Pengju Wen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shaoxian Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yueheng Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Zhuang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital & Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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31
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Sathyan S, Ayers E, Gao T, Milman S, Barzilai N, Verghese J. Plasma proteomic profile of frailty. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13193. [PMID: 32762010 PMCID: PMC7511877 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Frailty is a state of decreased physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes in aging, and is characterized by dysregulation across various biological pathways. Frailty may manifest biologically as alteration in protein expression, possibly regulated at genetic, transcriptional and epigenetic levels. In this study, we examined the proteomic profile associated with frailty defined by an established cumulative frailty index (FI). Using the SomaScan® assay, 4265 proteins were measured in plasma, of which 55 were positively associated and 88 were negatively associated with the FI. The proteins most strongly associated with frailty were fatty acid-binding proteins, including fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) (p = 1.96 × 10-19 ) and FABPA (p = 8.10 × 10-16 ), leptin (p = 1.43 × 10-14 ), and ANTR2 (p = 7.95 × 10-20 ). Pathway analysis with the top 143 frailty-associated proteins revealed enrichment for proteins in pathways related to lipid metabolism, musculoskeletal development and function, cell-to-cell signaling and interaction, cellular assembly, and organization. Frailty prediction model constructed with elastic net regression utilizing 110 proteins demonstrated a correlation between predicted frailty and observed frailty (r = 0.57, p < 2.2 × 10-16 ). Predicted frailty was also more strongly correlated with chronological age (r = 0.54, p < 2.2 × 10-16 ) than observed frailty (r = 0.37, p = 1.2 × 10-15 ). This study identified novel proteins and pathways related to frailty that may offer improved frailty phenotyping and prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanish Sathyan
- Department of NeurologyAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
| | - Emmeline Ayers
- Department of NeurologyAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
| | - Tina Gao
- Institute for Aging Research, Department of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
| | - Sofiya Milman
- Institute for Aging Research, Department of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
- Department of GeneticsAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
| | - Nir Barzilai
- Institute for Aging Research, Department of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
- Department of GeneticsAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
| | - Joe Verghese
- Department of NeurologyAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
- Institute for Aging Research, Department of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNYUSA
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32
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Ehinger E, Ghosheh Y, Pramod AB, Lin J, Hanna DB, Mueller K, Durant CP, Baas L, Qi Q, Wang T, Buscher K, Anastos K, Lazar JM, Mack WJ, Tien PC, Cohen MH, Ofotokun I, Gange S, Heath SL, Hodis HN, Tracy RP, Landay AL, Kaplan RC, Ley K. Classical monocyte transcriptomes reveal significant anti-inflammatory statin effect in women with chronic HIV. Cardiovasc Res 2020; 117:1166-1177. [PMID: 32658258 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS During virally suppressed chronic HIV infection, persistent inflammation contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a major comorbidity in people living with HIV (LWH). Classical blood monocytes (CMs) remain activated during antiretroviral therapy and are a major source of pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic factors that contribute to atherosclerotic plaque development and instability. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, we identify transcriptomic changes in circulating CMs in peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study, selected by HIV and subclinical CVD (sCVD) status. We flow-sorted CM from participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study and deep-sequenced their mRNA (n = 92). CMs of HIV+ participants showed elevated interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and IL-12β, overlapping with many transcripts identified in sCVD+ participants. In sCVD+ participants LWH, those reporting statin use showed reduced pro-inflammatory gene expression to a level comparable with healthy (HIV-sCVD-) participants. Statin non-users maintained an elevated inflammatory profile and increased cytokine production. CONCLUSION Statin therapy has been associated with a lower risk of cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction in the general population, but not in those LWH. Our data suggest that women LWH may benefit from statin therapy even in the absence of overt CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Ehinger
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yanal Ghosheh
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Akula Bala Pramod
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Juan Lin
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - David B Hanna
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Karin Mueller
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Christopher P Durant
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Livia Baas
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Qibin Qi
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Konrad Buscher
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kathryn Anastos
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jason M Lazar
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.,Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Wendy J Mack
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Phyllis C Tien
- Department of Medicine and Medical Service, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mardge H Cohen
- Department of Medicine, John Stroger Hospital and Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Igho Ofotokun
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Disease Division and Grady Health Care System, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stephen Gange
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sonya L Heath
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Howard N Hodis
- Departments of Medicine and Preventative Medicine, Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Russell P Tracy
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Biochemistry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Colchester, VT, USA
| | - Alan L Landay
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Robert C Kaplan
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Public Health Sciences, Seattle WA 98109, USA
| | - Klaus Ley
- Laboratory of Inflammation Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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33
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Mourouzis K, Oikonomou E, Siasos G, Tsalamadris S, Vogiatzi G, Antonopoulos A, Fountoulakis P, Goliopoulou A, Papaioannou S, Tousoulis D. Pro-inflammatory Cytokines in Acute Coronary Syndromes. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 26:4624-4647. [PMID: 32282296 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200413082353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the last decades, the role of inflammation and immune system activation in the initiation and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been established. OBJECTIVES The study aimed to present the interplay between cytokines and their actions preceding and shortly after ACS. METHODS We searched in a systemic manner the most relevant articles to the topic of inflammation, cytokines, vulnerable plaque and myocardial infarction in MEDLINE, COCHRANE and EMBASE databases. RESULTS Different classes of cytokines (intereleukin [IL]-1 family, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) family, chemokines, adipokines, interferons) are implicated in the entire process leading to destabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque, and consequently, to the incidence of myocardial infarction. Especially IL-1 and TNF-α family are involved in inflammatory cell accumulation, vulnerable plaque formation, platelet aggregation, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and adverse remodeling following the myocardial infarction. Several cytokines such as IL-6, adiponectin, interferon-γ, appear with significant prognostic value in ACS patients. Thus, research interest focuses on the modulation of inflammation in ACS to improve clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION Understanding the unique characteristics that accompany each cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction could illuminate the signaling pathways involved in plaque destabilization and indicate future treatment strategies to improve cardiovascular prognosis in ACS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Mourouzis
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelos Oikonomou
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Gerasimos Siasos
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Sotiris Tsalamadris
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Vogiatzi
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexios Antonopoulos
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Petros Fountoulakis
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Athina Goliopoulou
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Spyridon Papaioannou
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Tousoulis
- 1st Department of Cardiology, 'Hippokration' Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
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34
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Egbuche O, Biggs ML, Ix JH, Kizer JR, Lyles MF, Siscovick DS, Djoussé L, Mukamal KJ. Fatty Acid Binding Protein-4 and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: The Cardiovascular Health Study. J Am Heart Assoc 2020; 9:e014070. [PMID: 32248728 PMCID: PMC7428637 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.119.014070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background FABP‐4 (fatty acid binding protein‐4) is a lipid chaperone in adipocytes and has been associated with prognosis in selected clinical populations. We investigated the associations between circulating FABP‐4, risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), and risk of CVD mortality among older adults with and without established CVD. Methods and Results In the Cardiovascular Health Study, we measured FABP4 levels in stored specimens from the 1992–993 visit and followed participants for incident CVD if they were free of prevalent CVD at baseline and for CVD mortality through June 2015. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios for incident CVD and CVD mortality per doubling in serum FABP‐4 adjusted for age, sex, race, field center, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, fasting glucose, and C‐reactive protein. Among 4026 participants free of CVD and 681 with prevalent CVD, we documented 1878 cases of incident CVD and 331 CVD deaths, respectively. In adjusted analyses, FABP‐4 was modestly associated with risk of incident CVD (mean, 34.24; SD, 18.90; HR, 1.10 per doubling in FABP‐4, 95% CI, 1.00–1.21). In contrast, FABP‐4 was more clearly associated with risk of CVD mortality among participants without (HR hazard ratio 1.24, 95% CI, 1.10–1.40) or with prevalent CVD (HR hazard ratio 1.57, 95% CI, 1.24–1.98). These associations were not significantly modified by sex, age, and waist circumference. Conclusions Serum FABP‐4 is modestly associated with risk of incident CVD even after adjustment for standard risk factors, but more strongly associated with CVD mortality among older adults with and without established CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obiora Egbuche
- Division of Cardiovascular Disease Morehouse School of Medicine Atlanta GA
| | - Mary L Biggs
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit University of Washington Seattle WA
| | - Joachim H Ix
- Division of Nephrology Department of Medicine University of California San Diego CA
| | - Jorge R Kizer
- Division of Cardiology Veterans Affairs Medical Center University of California San Francisco CA
| | - Mary F Lyles
- Department of Gerontology School of Medicine Wake Forest University Winston-Salem NC
| | | | - Luc Djoussé
- Division of Aging Department of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston MA
| | - Kenneth J Mukamal
- Division of General Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston MA
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35
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Eslava-Alcon S, Extremera-García MJ, González-Rovira A, Rosal-Vela A, Rojas-Torres M, Beltran-Camacho L, Sanchez-Gomar I, Jiménez-Palomares M, Alonso-Piñero JA, Conejero R, Doiz E, Olarte J, Foncubierta-Fernández A, Lozano E, García-Cozar FJ, Rodríguez-Piñero M, Alvarez-Llamas G, Duran-Ruiz MC. Molecular signatures of atherosclerotic plaques: An up-dated panel of protein related markers. J Proteomics 2020; 221:103757. [PMID: 32247173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of ischemic syndromes such as myocardial infarction or brain stroke, mainly promoted by plaque rupture and subsequent arterial blockade. Identification of vulnerable or high-risk plaques constitutes a major challenge, being necessary to identify patients at risk of occlusive events in order to provide them with appropriate therapies. Clinical imaging tools have allowed the identification of certain structural indicators of prone-rupture plaques, including a necrotic lipidic core, intimal and adventitial inflammation, extracellular matrix dysregulation, and smooth muscle cell depletion and micro-calcification. Additionally, alternative approaches focused on identifying molecular biomarkers of atherosclerosis have also been applied. Among them, proteomics has provided numerous protein markers currently investigated in clinical practice. In this regard, it is quite uncertain that a single molecule can describe plaque rupture, due to the complexity of the process itself. Therefore, it should be more accurate to consider a set of markers to define plaques at risk. Herein, we propose a selection of 76 proteins, from classical inflammatory to recently related markers, all of them identified in at least two proteomic studies analyzing unstable atherosclerotic plaques. Such panel could be used as a prognostic signature of plaque instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Eslava-Alcon
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - M J Extremera-García
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - A González-Rovira
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - A Rosal-Vela
- Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - M Rojas-Torres
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - L Beltran-Camacho
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | | | - M Jiménez-Palomares
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - J A Alonso-Piñero
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - R Conejero
- Angiology & Vascular Surgery Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cadiz, Spain
| | - E Doiz
- Angiology & Vascular Surgery Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cadiz, Spain
| | - J Olarte
- Angiology & Vascular Surgery Unit, Virgen Macarena Hospital, Seville, Spain
| | - A Foncubierta-Fernández
- Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain; UGC Joaquín Pece, Distrito Sanitario Bahía de Cádiz-La Janda, Cádiz, Spain
| | - E Lozano
- Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain; Internal Medicine Unit, Hospital de Jerez, Jerez, Spain
| | - F J García-Cozar
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain
| | - M Rodríguez-Piñero
- Angiology & Vascular Surgery Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cadiz, Spain
| | - G Alvarez-Llamas
- Immunology Department, IIS-Fundación Jimenez Diaz-UAM, Madrid, Spain; REDINREN, Madrid, Spain
| | - M C Duran-Ruiz
- Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health Department, Cadiz University, Spain; Institute of Biomedical Research Cadiz (INIBICA), Spain.
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36
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Oppi S, Nusser-Stein S, Blyszczuk P, Wang X, Jomard A, Marzolla V, Yang K, Velagapudi S, Ward LJ, Yuan XM, Geiger MA, Guillaumon AT, Othman A, Hornemann T, Rancic Z, Ryu D, Oosterveer MH, Osto E, Lüscher TF, Stein S. Macrophage NCOR1 protects from atherosclerosis by repressing a pro-atherogenic PPARγ signature. Eur Heart J 2020; 41:995-1005. [PMID: 31529020 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Nuclear receptors and their cofactors regulate key pathophysiological processes in atherosclerosis development. The transcriptional activity of these nuclear receptors is controlled by the nuclear receptor corepressors (NCOR), scaffolding proteins that form the basis of large corepressor complexes. Studies with primary macrophages demonstrated that the deletion of Ncor1 increases the expression of atherosclerotic molecules. However, the role of nuclear receptor corepressors in atherogenesis is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS We generated myeloid cell-specific Ncor1 knockout mice and crossbred them with low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr) knockouts to study the role of macrophage NCOR1 in atherosclerosis. We demonstrate that myeloid cell-specific deletion of nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCOR1) aggravates atherosclerosis development in mice. Macrophage Ncor1-deficiency leads to increased foam cell formation, enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and atherosclerotic lesions characterized by larger necrotic cores and thinner fibrous caps. The immunometabolic effects of NCOR1 are mediated via suppression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) target genes in mouse and human macrophages, which lead to an enhanced expression of the CD36 scavenger receptor and subsequent increase in oxidized low-density lipoprotein uptake in the absence of NCOR1. Interestingly, in human atherosclerotic plaques, the expression of NCOR1 is reduced whereas the PPARγ signature is increased, and this signature is more pronounced in ruptured compared with non-ruptured carotid plaques. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that macrophage NCOR1 blocks the pro-atherogenic functions of PPARγ in atherosclerosis and suggest that stabilizing the NCOR1-PPARγ binding could be a promising strategy to block the pro-atherogenic functions of plaque macrophages and lesion progression in atherosclerotic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Oppi
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Nusser-Stein
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Przemyslaw Blyszczuk
- Department of Rheumatology, Center of Experimental Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-008 Cracow, Poland
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China
| | - Anne Jomard
- Laboratory of Translational Nutrition Biology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vincenzo Marzolla
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Endocrinology, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, 00163 Rome, Italy
| | - Kangmin Yang
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Srividya Velagapudi
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Liam J Ward
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Xi-Ming Yuan
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Martin A Geiger
- Vascular Diseases Discipline, Clinics Hospital of the University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, Brazil
| | - Ana T Guillaumon
- Vascular Diseases Discipline, Clinics Hospital of the University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, Brazil
| | - Alaa Othman
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thorsten Hornemann
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zoran Rancic
- Clinic for Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dongryeol Ryu
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 16419 Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Maaike H Oosterveer
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Osto
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Translational Nutrition Biology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas F Lüscher
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital Trust, London, SW3 6NP, UK
- Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sokrates Stein
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
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Ménégaut L, Jalil A, Thomas C, Masson D. Macrophage fatty acid metabolism and atherosclerosis: The rise of PUFAs. Atherosclerosis 2019; 291:52-61. [PMID: 31693943 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2019.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Among the pathways involved in the regulation of macrophage functions, the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids is central. Indeed, unsaturated fatty acids act as precursors of bioactive molecules such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, resolvins and related compounds. As components of phospholipids, they have a pivotal role in cell biology by regulating membrane fluidity and membrane-associated cellular processes. Finally, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are also endowed with ligand properties for numerous membrane or nuclear receptors. Although myeloid cells are dependent on the metabolic context for the uptake of essential FAs, recent studies showed that these cells autonomously handle the synthesis of n-3 and n-6 long chain PUFAs such as arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Moreover, targeting PUFA metabolism in macrophages influences pathological processes, including atherosclerosis, by modulating macrophage functions. Omics evidence also supports a role for macrophage PUFA metabolism in the development of cardiometabolic diseases in humans. Currently, there is a renewed interest in the role of n-3/n-6 PUFAs and their oxygenated derivatives in the onset of atherosclerosis and plaque rupture. Purified n-3 FA supplementation appears as a potential strategy in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In this context, the ability of immune cells to handle and to synthesize very long chain PUFA must absolutely be integrated and better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Ménégaut
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LNC UMR1231, F-21000, Dijon, France; FCS Bourgogne-Franche Comté, LipSTIC LabEx, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Antoine Jalil
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LNC UMR1231, F-21000, Dijon, France; FCS Bourgogne-Franche Comté, LipSTIC LabEx, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - Charles Thomas
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LNC UMR1231, F-21000, Dijon, France; FCS Bourgogne-Franche Comté, LipSTIC LabEx, F-21000, Dijon, France
| | - David Masson
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LNC UMR1231, F-21000, Dijon, France; FCS Bourgogne-Franche Comté, LipSTIC LabEx, F-21000, Dijon, France.
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McArdle S, Buscher K, Ghosheh Y, Pramod AB, Miller J, Winkels H, Wolf D, Ley K. Migratory and Dancing Macrophage Subsets in Atherosclerotic Lesions. Circ Res 2019; 125:1038-1051. [PMID: 31594470 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.119.315175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Macrophages are essential regulators of atherosclerosis. They secrete cytokines, process lipoproteins and cholesterol, and take up apoptotic cells. Multiple subsets of plaque macrophages exist and their differential roles are emerging. OBJECTIVE Here, we explore macrophage heterogeneity in atherosclerosis plaques using transgenic fluorescent mice in which subsets of macrophages are labeled by GFP (green fluorescent protein), YFP (yellow fluorescent protein), neither, or both. The objective was to define migration patterns of the visible subsets and relate them to their phenotypes and transcriptomes. METHODS AND RESULTS Apoe-/- Cx3cr1GFP Cd11cYFP mice have 4 groups of macrophages in their aortas. The 3 visible subsets show varying movement characteristics. GFP and GFP+YFP+ macrophages extend and retract dendritic processes, dancing on the spot with little net movement while YFP macrophages have a more rounded shape and migrate along the arteries. RNA sequencing of sorted cells revealed significant differences in the gene expression patterns of the 4 subsets defined by GFP and YFP expression, especially concerning chemokine and cytokine expression, matrix remodeling, and cell shape dynamics. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that GFP+ cells have similar transcriptomes to cells found in arteries with tertiary lymphoid organs and regressing plaques while YFP+ cells were associated with progressing and stable plaques. CONCLUSIONS The combination of quantitative intravital imaging with deep transcriptomes identified 4 subsets of vascular macrophages in atherosclerosis that have unique transcriptomic profiles. Our data link vascular macrophage transcriptomes to their in vivo migratory function. Future work on the functional significance of the change in gene expression and motility characteristics will be needed to fully understand how these subsets contribute to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara McArdle
- From the Microscopy Core Facility (S.M.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA.,Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA
| | - Konrad Buscher
- Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA.,Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Muenster, German (K.B.)
| | - Yanal Ghosheh
- Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA
| | - Akula Bala Pramod
- Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA
| | - Jacqueline Miller
- Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA
| | - Holger Winkels
- Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA
| | - Dennis Wolf
- Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA.,University Heart Center and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany (D.W.)
| | - Klaus Ley
- Division of Inflammation Biology (S.M., K.B., Y.G., A.B.P., J.M., H.W., D.W., K.L.), La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego (K.L.)
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Identification and validation of four hub genes involved in the plaque deterioration of atherosclerosis. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:6469-6489. [PMID: 31449494 PMCID: PMC6738408 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, intense research has been conducted to explore the diagnostic value of mRNA expression differences in atherosclerosis (AS). Nevertheless, because various technology platforms are applied and sample sizes are small, the results are inconsistent among the studies. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of a total of 161 tissue samples from 4 published studies after evaluating 230 datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus and ArrayExpress. Adopting the newly published robust rank aggregation approach, combined with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, Gene Ontology functional enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction network construction, we identified four significantly upregulated genes (CCL4, CCL18, MMP9 and SPP1) for diagnosing AS, even in the advanced stage. Then, we performed gene set enrichment analysis to identify the pathways that were most affected by altered mRNA expression in atherosclerotic plaques. We found that four hub genes cooperatively targeted lipid metabolism and inflammatory immune-related pathways and validated their high expression levels in ruptured plaques by qRT-PCR, western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining. In summary, our study showed that these genes can be used as interventional targets for plaque progression, and the results suggested we should focus on small changes in these key indicators in the clinical setting.
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Chai JT, Ruparelia N, Goel A, Kyriakou T, Biasiolli L, Edgar L, Handa A, Farrall M, Watkins H, Choudhury RP. Differential Gene Expression in Macrophages From Human Atherosclerotic Plaques Shows Convergence on Pathways Implicated by Genome-Wide Association Study Risk Variants. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2019; 38:2718-2730. [PMID: 30354237 PMCID: PMC6217969 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.118.311209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Objective— Plaque macrophages are intricately involved in atherogenesis and plaque destabilization. We sought to identify functional pathways in human plaque macrophages that are differentially regulated in respect of (1) plaque stability and (2) lipid content. We hypothesized that differentially regulated macrophage gene sets would relate to genome-wide association study variants associated with risk of acute complications of atherosclerosis. Approach and Results— Forty patients underwent carotid magnetic resonance imaging for lipid quantification before endarterectomy. Carotid plaque macrophages were procured by laser capture microdissection from (1) lipid core and (2) cap region, in 12 recently symptomatic and 12 asymptomatic carotid plaques. Applying gene set enrichment analysis, a number of gene sets were found to selectively upregulate in symptomatic plaque macrophages, which corresponded to 7 functional pathways: inflammation, lipid metabolism, hypoxic response, cell proliferation, apoptosis, antigen presentation, and cellular energetics. Predicted upstream regulators included IL-1β, TNF-α, and NF-κB. In vivo lipid quantification by magnetic resonance imaging correlated most strongly with the upregulation of genes of the IFN/STAT1 pathways. Cross-interrogation of gene set enrichment analysis and meta-analysis gene set enrichment of variant associations showed lipid metabolism pathways, driven by genes coding for APOE and ABCA1/G1 coincided with known risk-associated SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) from genome-wide association studies. Conclusions— Macrophages from recently symptomatic carotid plaques show differential regulation of functional gene pathways. There were additional quantitative relationships between plaque lipid content and key gene sets. The data show a plausible mechanism by which known genome-wide association study risk variants for atherosclerotic complications could be linked to (1) a relevant cellular process, in (2) the key cell type of atherosclerosis, in (3) a human disease-relevant setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Chai
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Ruparelia
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anuj Goel
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Theodosios Kyriakou
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Luca Biasiolli
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Laurienne Edgar
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ashok Handa
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences (A.H.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Farrall
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hugh Watkins
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Robin P Choudhury
- From the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (J.T.C., N.R., A.G., T.K., L.B., L.E., M.F., H.W., R.P.C.), University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Objective Blood lipids are well-known risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to explore the association between 17 lipid-related gene polymorphisms and CHD. Methods The current study examined with 784 CHD cases and 739 non-CHD controls. Genotyping was performed on the MassARRAY iPLEX® assay platform. Results Our analyses revealed a significant association of APOE rs7259620 with CHD (genotype: χ2=6.353, df=2, p=0.042; allele: χ2=5.05, df=1, p=0.025; recessive model: χ2=5.57, df=1, p=0.018). A further gender-based subgroup analysis revealed significant associations of APOE rs7259620 and PPAP2B rs72664392 with CHD in males (genotype: χ2=8.379, df=2, p=0.015; allele: χ2=5.190, df=1, p=0.023; recessive model: χ2=19.3, df=1, p<0.0001) and females (genotype: χ2=9.878, df=2, p=0.007), respectively. Subsequent breakdown analysis by age showed that CETP rs4783961, MLXIPL rs35493868, and PON2 rs12704796 were significantly associated with CHD among individuals younger than 55 years of age (CETP rs4783961: χ2=8.966, df=1, p=0.011 by genotype; MLXIPL rs35493868: χ2=4.87, df=1, p=0.027 by allele; χ2=4.88, df=1, p=0.027 by dominant model; PON2 rs12704796: χ2=6.511, df=2, p=0.039 by genotype; χ2=6.210, df=1, p=0.013 by allele; χ2=5.03, df=1, p=0.025 by dominant model). Significant allelic association was observed between LEPR rs656451 and CHD among individuals older than 65 years of age (χ2=4.410, df=1, p=0.036). Conclusion Our study revealed significant associations of APOE, PPAP2B, CETP, MLXIPL, PON2, and LEPR gene polymorphisms with CHD among the Han Chinese.
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Patro-Małysza J, Trojnar M, Kimber-Trojnar Ż, Mierzyński R, Bartosiewicz J, Oleszczuk J, Leszczyńska-Gorzelak B. FABP4 in Gestational Diabetes-Association between Mothers and Offspring. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8030285. [PMID: 30818771 PMCID: PMC6462903 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8030285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetuses exposed to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a higher risk of abnormal glucose homeostasis in later life. The molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon are still not fully understood. Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) appears to be one of the most probable candidates involved in the pathophysiology of GDM. The main aim of the study was to investigate whether umbilical cord serum FABP4 concentrations are altered in term neonates born to GDM mothers. Two groups of subjects were selected—28 healthy controls and 26 patients with GDM. FABP4, leptin, and ghrelin concentrations in the umbilical cord serum, maternal serum, and maternal urine were determined via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The umbilical cord serum FABP4 levels were higher in the GDM offspring and were directly associated with the maternal serum FABP4 and leptin levels, as well as the prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the BMI at and after delivery; however, they correlated negatively with birth weight and lipid parameters. In the multiple linear regression models, the umbilical cord serum FABP4 concentrations depended positively on the maternal serum FABP4 and negatively on the umbilical cord serum ghrelin levels and the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. There are many maternal variables that can affect the level of FABP4 in the umbilical cord serum, thus, their evaluation requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolanta Patro-Małysza
- Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Marcin Trojnar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Żaneta Kimber-Trojnar
- Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Radzisław Mierzyński
- Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Jacek Bartosiewicz
- Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Jan Oleszczuk
- Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
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Wang H, Liu D, Zhang H. Investigation of the Underlying Genes and Mechanism of Macrophage-Enriched Ruptured Atherosclerotic Plaques Using Bioinformatics Method. J Atheroscler Thromb 2019; 26:636-658. [PMID: 30643084 PMCID: PMC6629752 DOI: 10.5551/jat.45963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: The study aimed to identify the underlying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and mechanism of macrophage-enriched rupture atherosclerotic plaque using bioinformatics methods. Methods: GSE41571, which includes six stable samples and five ruptured atherosclerotic samples, was downloaded from the GEO database. After preprocessing, DEGs between ruptured and stable atherosclerotic samples were identified using LIMMA. Gene Ontology biological process (GO_BP) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integration Discovery (DAVID) online tool. Based on the STRING database, protein-protein interactions (PPIs) network among DEGs were constructed. Regulatory relationships between miRNAs/transcriptional factors (TFs) and target genes were predicted using Enrichr, and regulatory networks were visualized using Cytoscape. Results: A total of 268 DEGs (64 up-regulated and 204 down-regulated DEGs) were identified between ruptured and stable samples. In the PPI network, collagen type III alpha 1 chain (COL3A1), collagen type I alpha 2 chain (COL1A2), and asporin (ASPN) were more than 15 interaction degrees. In the miRNA-target network, miR21 was highlighted with highest degrees and ASPN could be targeted by miR21. Functional enrichment analysis showed that COL3A1 and COL1A2 were significantly enriched in extracellular matrix organization and cell adhesion GO_BP terms. Pre-platelet basic protein (PPBP) was the most significantly up-regulated gene in ruptured atherosclerotic samples and enriched in immune response and inflammatory response GO_BP terms. Conclusions: Down-regulated COL3A1, COL1A2 and ASPN, and up-regulated PPBP might perform critical promotional roles in atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Furthermore, miR21 might be potential target to prevent atherosclerotic rupture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University
| | - Dongyuan Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University
| | - Hongbing Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University
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Liu R, Chen B, Chen J, Lan J. Leptin upregulates smooth muscle cell expression of MMP-9 to promote plaque destabilization by activating AP-1 via the leptin receptor/MAPK/ERK signaling pathways. Exp Ther Med 2018; 16:5327-5333. [PMID: 30542491 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Leptin has been reported to be expressed in carotid atherosclerotic plaques, where it can promote lesion instability. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) produced by smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are known to contribute to the weakening of atherosclerotic plaques via the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The present study investigated whether leptin promotes plaque rupture by increasing the expression of MMP in SMCs in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, the neointima/media ratio and expression of MMP in the carotid artery of ob/ob mice were measured following carotid ligation and systemic administration of leptin. In vitro, the effect of leptin treatment on the expression of MMP in isolated SMCs and the underlying signaling pathways were investigated by gelatin zymography and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that leptin treatment significantly increased the neointima/media ratio and expression of MMP-9 in the carotid artery of mice following carotid ligation. In vitro, leptin also significantly increased the expression and activity of MMP-9 in cultured SMCs in a dose-dependent manner. Leptin also increased the production of MMP-9 by activating leptin receptor and mitogen-activated protein kinases, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which in turn enhanced the binding of the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) to the MMP-9 promoter. The inhibition of leptin-activated phosphorylation of ERK and JNK suppressed the leptin-stimulated expression of AP-1 and MMP-9. Leptin treatment induced the expression of MMP-9 in SMCs, suggesting that leptin may have substantial involvement in plaque rupture by promoting the degradation of ECM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijie Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Dongguan Third People's Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong 523326, P.R. China
| | - Benfa Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Donghua Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Dongguan, Guangdong 523326, P.R. China
| | - Jiemin Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Dongguan Third People's Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong 523326, P.R. China
| | - Jun Lan
- Department of Cardiology, Dongguan Third People's Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong 523326, P.R. China
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Xu S. Transcriptome Profiling in Systems Vascular Medicine. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:563. [PMID: 28970795 PMCID: PMC5609594 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the post-genomic, big data era, our understanding of vascular diseases has been deepened by multiple state-of-the-art “–omics” approaches, including genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics. Genome-wide transcriptomic profiling, such as gene microarray and RNA-sequencing, emerges as powerful research tools in systems medicine and revolutionizes transcriptomic analysis of the pathological mechanisms and therapeutics of vascular diseases. In this article, I will highlight the workflow of transcriptomic profiling, outline basic bioinformatics analysis, and summarize recent gene profiling studies performed in vascular cells as well as in human and mice diseased samples. Further mining of these public repository datasets will shed new light on our understanding of the cellular basis of vascular diseases and offer novel potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suowen Xu
- Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, RochesterNY, United States
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Maier A, Wu H, Cordasic N, Oefner P, Dietel B, Thiele C, Weidemann A, Eckardt KU, Warnecke C. Hypoxia-inducible protein 2 Hig2/Hilpda mediates neutral lipid accumulation in macrophages and contributes to atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. FASEB J 2017; 31:4971-4984. [PMID: 28760743 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201700235r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Recently we identified hypoxia-inducible protein 2 (HIG2)/hypoxia-inducible lipid droplet-associated (HILPDA) as lipid droplet (LD) protein. Because HILPDA is highly expressed in atherosclerotic plaques, we examined its regulation and function in murine macrophages, compared it to the LD adipose differentiation-related protein (Adrp)/perilipin 2 (Plin2), and investigated its effects on atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice. Tie2-Cre-driven Hilpda conditional knockout (cKO) did not affect viability, proliferation, and ATP levels in macrophages. Hilpda proved to be a target of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (Hif-1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. In contrast, Adrp/Plin2 was not induced by Hif-1. Hilpda localized to the endoplasmic reticulum-LD interface, the site of LD formation. Hypoxic lipid accumulation and storage of oxidized LDL, cholesteryl esters and triglycerides were abolished in Hilpda cKO macrophages, independent of the glycolytic switch, fatty acid or lipoprotein uptake. Hilpda depletion reduced resistance against lipid overload and increased production of reactive oxygen species after reoxygenation. LPS-stimulated prostaglandin-E2 production was dysregulated in macrophages, demonstrating the substrate buffer and reservoir function of LDs for eicosanoid production. In ApoE-/- Hilpda cKO mice, total aortic plaque area, plaque macrophages and vascular Vegf expression were reduced. Thus, macrophage Hilpda is crucial to foam-cell formation and lipid deposition, and to controlled prostaglandin-E2 production. By these means Hilpda promotes lesion formation and progression of atherosclerosis.-Maier, A., Wu, H., Cordasic, N., Oefner, P., Dietel, B., Thiele, C., Weidemann, A., Eckardt, K.-U., Warnecke, C. Hypoxia-inducible protein 2 Hig2/Hilpda mediates neutral lipid accumulation in macrophages and contributes to atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Maier
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nada Cordasic
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter Oefner
- Institute for Functional Genomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Dietel
- Department of Molecular Cardiology and Angiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christoph Thiele
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; and
| | - Alexander Weidemann
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Medicine I, Nephrology, Transplantation, and Medical Intensive Care, University Witten/Herdecke, Medical Center Cologne-Merheim, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kai-Uwe Eckardt
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christina Warnecke
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany;
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47
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Michel NA, Zirlik A, Wolf D. CD40L and Its Receptors in Atherothrombosis-An Update. Front Cardiovasc Med 2017; 4:40. [PMID: 28676852 PMCID: PMC5477003 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2017.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
CD40L (CD154), a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily, is a co-stimulatory molecule that was first discovered on activated T cells. Beyond its fundamental role in adaptive immunity-ligation of CD40L to its receptor CD40 is a prerequisite for B cell activation and antibody production-evidence from more than two decades has expanded our understanding of CD40L as a powerful modulator of inflammatory pathways. Although inhibition of CD40L with neutralizing antibodies has induced life-threatening side effects in clinical trials, the discovery of cell-specific effects and novel receptors with distinct functional consequences has opened a new path for therapies that specifically target detrimental properties of CD40L. Here, we carefully evaluate the signaling network of CD40L by gene enrichment analysis and its cell-specific expression, and thoroughly discuss its role in cardiovascular pathologies with a specific emphasis on atherosclerotic and thrombotic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaly Anto Michel
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Zirlik
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dennis Wolf
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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48
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Rodríguez-Calvo R, Girona J, Alegret JM, Bosquet A, Ibarretxe D, Masana L. Role of the fatty acid-binding protein 4 in heart failure and cardiovascular disease. J Endocrinol 2017; 233:R173-R184. [PMID: 28420707 DOI: 10.1530/joe-17-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Obesity and ectopic fat accumulation in non-adipose tissues are major contributors to heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Adipocytes act as endocrine organs by releasing a large number of bioactive molecules into the bloodstream, which participate in a communication network between white adipose tissue and other organs, including the heart. Among these molecules, fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) has recently been shown to increase cardiometabolic risk. Both clinical and experimental evidence have identified FABP4 as a relevant player in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, and it has been directly related to cardiac alterations such as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and both systolic and diastolic cardiac dysfunction. The available interventional studies preclude the establishment of a direct causal role of this molecule in CVD and HF and propose FABP4 as a biomarker rather than as an aetiological factor. However, several experimental reports have suggested that FABP4 may act as a direct contributor to cardiac metabolism and physiopathology, and the pharmacological targeting of FABP4 may restore some of the metabolic alterations that are conducive to CVD and HF. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding FABP4 in the context of HF and CVD as well as the molecular basis by which this protein participates in the regulation of cardiac function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Rodríguez-Calvo
- Vascular Medicine and Metabolism UnitResearch Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, 'Sant Joan' University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Reus, Spain
| | - Josefa Girona
- Vascular Medicine and Metabolism UnitResearch Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, 'Sant Joan' University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Reus, Spain
| | - Josep M Alegret
- Department of CardiologyCardiovascular Research Group, 'Sant Joan' University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
| | - Alba Bosquet
- Vascular Medicine and Metabolism UnitResearch Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, 'Sant Joan' University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Reus, Spain
| | - Daiana Ibarretxe
- Vascular Medicine and Metabolism UnitResearch Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, 'Sant Joan' University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Reus, Spain
| | - Lluís Masana
- Vascular Medicine and Metabolism UnitResearch Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, 'Sant Joan' University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Reus, Spain
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49
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Ruparelia N, Chai JT, Fisher EA, Choudhury RP. Inflammatory processes in cardiovascular disease: a route to targeted therapies. Nat Rev Cardiol 2016; 14:133-144. [PMID: 27905474 DOI: 10.1038/nrcardio.2016.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 315] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Inflammatory processes are firmly established as central to the development and complications of cardiovascular diseases. Elevated levels of inflammatory markers have been shown to be predictive of future cardiovascular events. The specific targeting of these processes in experimental models has been shown to attenuate myocardial and arterial injury, reduce disease progression, and promote healing. However, the translation of these observations and the demonstration of clear efficacy in clinical practice have been disappointing. A major limitation might be that tools currently used to measure 'inflammation' are insufficiently precise and do not provide information about disease site and activity, or discriminate between functionally important activation pathways. The challenge, therefore, is to make measures of inflammation that are more meaningful, and which can guide specific targeted therapies. In this Review, we consider the roles of inflammatory processes in the related pathologies of atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction, by providing an evaluation of the known and emerging inflammatory pathways. We highlight contemporary techniques to characterize and quantify inflammation, and consider how they might be used to guide specific treatments. Finally, we discuss emerging opportunities in the field, including their current limitations and challenges that are the focus of ongoing study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Ruparelia
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Joshua T Chai
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.,Acute Vascular Imaging Centre, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Edward A Fisher
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.,The Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Robin P Choudhury
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.,Acute Vascular Imaging Centre, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
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50
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Ortiz-Miranda S, Ji R, Jurczyk A, Aryee KE, Mo S, Fletcher T, Shaffer SA, Greiner DL, Bortell R, Gregg RG, Cheng A, Hennings LJ, Rittenhouse AR. A novel transgenic mouse model of lysosomal storage disorder. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2016; 311:G903-G919. [PMID: 27659423 PMCID: PMC5130545 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00313.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Knockout technology has proven useful for delineating functional roles of specific genes. Here we describe and provide an explanation for striking pathology that occurs in a subset of genetically engineered mice expressing a rat CaVβ2a transgene under control of the cardiac α-myosin heavy chain promoter. Lesions were limited to mice homozygous for transgene and independent of native Cacnb2 genomic copy number. Gross findings included an atrophied pancreas; decreased adipose tissue; thickened, orange intestines; and enlarged liver, spleen, and abdominal lymph nodes. Immune cell infiltration and cell engulfment by macrophages were associated with loss of pancreatic acinar cells. Foamy macrophages diffusely infiltrated the small intestine's lamina propria, while similar macrophage aggregates packed liver and splenic red pulp sinusoids. Periodic acid-Schiff-positive, diastase-resistant, iron-negative, Oil Red O-positive, and autofluorescent cytoplasm was indicative of a lipid storage disorder. Electron microscopic analysis revealed liver sinusoids distended by clusters of macrophages containing intracellular myelin "swirls" and hepatocytes with enlarged lysosomes. Additionally, build up of cholesterol, cholesterol esters, and triglycerides, along with changes in liver metabolic enzyme levels, were consistent with a lipid processing defect. Because of this complex pathology, we examined the transgene insertion site. Multiple transgene copies inserted into chromosome 19; at this same site, an approximate 180,000 base pair deletion occurred, ablating cholesterol 25-hydroxylase and partially deleting lysosomal acid lipase and CD95 Loss of gene function can account for the altered lipid processing, along with hypertrophy of the immune system, which define this phenotype, and serendipitously provides a novel mouse model of lysosomal storage disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Ortiz-Miranda
- 1Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Grafton, Massachusetts; ,2Department of Microbiology & Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts;
| | - Rui Ji
- 3Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics and Ophthalmology & Visual Science, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky;
| | - Agata Jurczyk
- 4Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; ,5Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts;
| | - Ken-Edwin Aryee
- 4Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts;
| | - Shunyan Mo
- 6Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; ,7Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; and
| | - Terry Fletcher
- 8Departments of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Scott A. Shaffer
- 6Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; ,7Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; and
| | - Dale L. Greiner
- 4Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; ,5Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts;
| | - Rita Bortell
- 4Diabetes Center of Excellence, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; ,5Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts;
| | - Ronald G. Gregg
- 3Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics and Ophthalmology & Visual Science, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky;
| | - Alan Cheng
- 3Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics and Ophthalmology & Visual Science, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky;
| | - Leah J. Hennings
- 8Departments of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas
| | - Ann R. Rittenhouse
- 2Department of Microbiology & Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts;
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