Cardiovascular disease genes come together

Hepatic transcript signatures predict atherosclerotic lesion burden prior to a 2-year high cholesterol, high fat diet challenge

The purpose of this study was to identify molecular mechanisms by which the liver influences total lesion burden in a nonhuman primate model (NHP) of cardiovascular disease with acute and chronic feeding of a high cholesterol, high fat (HCHF) diet. Baboons (47 females, 64 males) were fed a HCHF diet for 2 years (y); liver biopsies were collected at baseline, 7 weeks (w) and 2y, and lesions were quantified in aortic arch, descending aorta, and common iliac at 2y. Unbiased weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed several modules of hepatic genes correlated with lesions at different time points of dietary challenge. Pathway and network analyses were performed to study the roles of hepatic module genes. More significant pathways were observed in males than females. In males, we found modules enriched for genes in oxidative phosphorylation at baseline, opioid signaling at 7w, and EIF2 signaling and HNF1A and HNF4A networks at baseline and 2y. One module enriched for fatty acid β oxidation pathway genes was found in males and females at 2y. To our knowledge, this is the first study of a large NHP cohort to identify hepatic genes that correlate with lesion burden. Correlations of baseline and 7w module genes with lesions at 2y were observed in males but not in females. Pathway analyses of baseline and 7w module genes indicate EIF2 signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, and μ-opioid signaling are possible mechanisms that predict lesion formation induced by HCHF diet consumption in males. Our findings of coordinated hepatic transcriptional response in male baboons but not female baboons indicate underlying molecular mechanisms differ between female and male primate atherosclerosis.

Ultrasound Molecular Imaging of Atherosclerosis for Early Diagnosis and Therapeutic Evaluation through Leucocyte-like Multiple Targeted Microbubbles

Cardiovascular diseases resulting from atherosclerosis have become a serious threat to human health. It is well-known that an ongoing inflammatory response is involved during atherosclerosis progression that ultimately results in the accumulation of lipids and formation of plaques. Monitoring the pathological changes during the inflammatory response will be of great significance for early diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of atherosclerosis. Targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasonography has been shown to be a promising noninvasive imaging technique for evaluating the degree of atherosclerosis and may potentially be translated to clinical imaging in the future. However, inadequate cell adhesion of targeted microbubbles (MBs) in large arterial vessels still remains a great challenge. Methods: By mimicking the leucocytes that are recruited to the vessel wall during the initiation of atherosclerosis through selectin-dependent arrest and cell adhesion molecule-mediated firm cell adhesion, we developed VCAM-1/ICAM-1/P-selectin-targeted MB_VIS by integrating VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 antibodies and synthetic polymeric sialyl Lewis X (sLe^x) onto the MB surface. Results: The resulting MB_VIS had a high affinity to inflammatory bEnd.3 cells in both static and dynamic flow conditions. Significantly enhanced ultrasound imaging signals were achieved by MB_VIS in detecting the atherosclerosis progress when compared with the single- or dual-targeted MBs. Taking advantage of the artificial MB_VIS, less ultrasound imaging signals were found in the atorvastatin-treated, but not placebo-treated, ApoE-deficient mice with atherosclerosis, revealing a potential therapeutic efficacy of atorvastatin for early stage atherosclerosis. This was further confirmed by histologic staining examination. Conclusions: Our study provides a promising ultrasound molecular imaging probe for early-stage diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of atherosclerosis.

Genome-wide DNA methylome alterations in acute coronary syndrome

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a common disease with high mortality and morbidity rates. The methylation status of blood DNA may serve as a potential early diagnosis and prevention biomarker for numerous diseases. The present study was designed to explore novel genome-wide aberrant DNA methylation patterns associated with ACS. The Infinium HumanMethylation450 assay was used to examine genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in 3 pairs of ACS and control group samples. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation, genomic distribution, Gene Ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. The results were confirmed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and Sequenom MassARRAY analyses in ACS, stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) and control samples. A total of 11,342 differentially methylated (DM) 5′-C-phosphate-G-3′ (CpG) sites were identified, including 8,865 hypomethylated and 2,477 hypermethylated CpG sites in the ACS group compared with the control samples. They varied in frequency across genomic compartments, but were particularly notable in gene bodies and shores. The results of GO term and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the methylated genes were associated with certain biological processes and pathways. Despite the considerable variability in methylation data, the candidate selected possessed significant methylation alteration in mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (SMAD3) transcription start site 155 (Chr1:67356838-Chr1:67356942). MSP analysis from 81 ACS samples, 74 SCAD samples and 53 healthy samples, and Sequenom MassARRAY analysis, confirmed that differential CpG methylation of SMAD3 was significantly corrected with the reference results of the HumanMethylation450 array. The data identified an ACS-specific DNA methylation profile with a large number of novel DM CpG sites, some of which may serve as candidate markers for the early diagnosis of ACS.