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Normalization strategy for selection of reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis in left ventricles of failing human hearts. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2022; 22:180. [PMID: 35439923 PMCID: PMC9019989 DOI: 10.1186/s12872-022-02614-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Quantitative RT-PCR is a valuable tool for assessing the gene expression in different human tissues, particularly due to its exceptional sensitivity, accuracy and reliability. However, the choice of adequate control for normalization is a crucial step, greatly affecting the results of all subsequent analyses. So far, only a few studies were focused on the selection of optimal reference genes in left ventricles of failing human hearts, leading to several disparities in experimental results focused on differential gene expression in this area. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to identify a set of suitable reference genes in normal and failing left ventricle tissues, which could increase the reliability of RT-qPCR-based studies in the future. Methods We analyzed the expression of 15 commonly used housekeeping genes (ACTB, B2M, GAPDH, GUSB, HMBS, HPRT1, IPO8, PGK1, POLR2A, PPIA, RPLP0, TBP, TFRC, UBC and YWHAZ) in left ventricles of normal and failed hearts with two-step approach. In the first step, we excluded genes which are variantly expressed using ANOVA-based statistical method. Afterwards, the remaining genes were analyzed using geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper algorithms, together with delta Cq method. Finally, the geometric mean of gene rankings across all methods was calculated. Results Our analysis identified IPO8 and POLR2A as the most stably expressed genes, whereas ACTB and B2M were found to be expressed variantly, suggesting a potential role of these genes in the pathophysiological processes in failing human hearts. Discussion/conclusion Using our two-step approach, we identified and validated two reference genes expressed invariantly in left ventricles of both healthy and failing human hearts, as well as provided a guideline for the selection of reference genes in studies comparing gene expression in these types of tissues. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-022-02614-9.
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Ragusa R, Di Molfetta A, Amodeo A, Trivella MG, Caselli C. Pathophysiology and molecular signalling in pediatric heart failure and VAD therapy. Clin Chim Acta 2020; 510:751-759. [PMID: 32949569 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Heart Failure (HF) is a progressive clinical syndrome characterized by molecular and structural abnormalities that result in impaired ventricular filling and a reduced blood ejection. In pediatric patients, HF represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality, but underlying cause, presentation and disease course remains unclear in many cases. It is evident that a child is not a "small adult" and findings are not comparable. The adoption of a standardized clinical and surgical tools as well as increased biomolecular research and therapeutic trials targeting pediatric patients with HF would greatly improve the management of this special class of patients. This review examines the most current information about the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms related to HF in children to identify gaps in our knowledge base to further improve clinical care and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosetta Ragusa
- Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy; Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Arianna Di Molfetta
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Amodeo
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
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Cabiati M, Botta L, Caselli C, Del Ry S. Transcriptional evaluation of relaxin and endothelin-1 axis in heart failure patients: First evidence of its involvement during left ventricular assist device support. Int J Cardiol 2020; 306:109-115. [PMID: 32143920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.02.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are implanted in patients with end-stage heart failure (ESHF) as a mechanical support for the failing myocardium, which is characterized by an activation of the neuro-hormonal system, with release of vasoactive mediators, such as endothelin (ET)-1 and relaxin (RLX)-2. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether LVAD is able to modulate the RLX-2 and ET-1 system expression in ESHF patients. METHODS Cardiac tissue was collected from ESHF patients before LVAD implantation (pre-LVAD group, n = 22), at the time of cardiac transplantation with concomitant LVAD removal (post-LVAD group, n = 6), and from stable HF patients on medical therapy at the time of cardiac transplantation (HTx group, n = 7). The expression of RLX-2, ET-1 system and inflammatory markers (IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α) were evaluated by Real-Time PCR. RESULTS RLX-2 mRNA resulted similar in pre-LVAD and HTx, but it was significantly increased in post-LVAD (p = 0.02/p = 0.01 respectively). A similar trend was observed for ET-1 and ET-converting enzyme (ECE)-1 while no significant difference was observed for ET-receptors. A positive correlation was found between ET-1 and ET-A (p = 0.031) and ECE-1 (p < 0.0001). The inflammatory markers resulted activated in all the three groups. A significant correlation between RLX-2 and ET-1 in pre-LVAD, as well as between RLX-2 and IL-8/IL-6, was found. CONCLUSIONS Our research investigates for the first time the involvement of RLX-2 and ET-1 system in ESHF patients supported by LVAD, demonstrating their potential ability to partially recover the failing myocardium, indicating their possible clinical role as biomarkers or pharmacological agents in LVAD patients. TRANSLATIONAL ASPECT The study of novel biomarkers in patients supported by continuous axial flow devices may be a starting point analysis applicable to patients with centrifugal flow devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Botta
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy; Department of Cardiac Surgery, AOU Bologna, S. Orsola Hospital, Italy
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Validation of reference genes in human epicardial adipose tissue and left ventricular myocardium in heart failure. Biologia (Bratisl) 2019. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-019-00303-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Selection of optimal reference genes for gene expression studies in chronically hypoxic rat heart. Mol Cell Biochem 2019; 461:15-22. [PMID: 31300984 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-019-03584-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Adaptation to chronic hypoxia renders the heart more tolerant to ischemia/reperfusion injury. To evaluate changes in gene expression after adaptation to chronic hypoxia by RT-qPCR, it is essential to select suitable reference genes. In a chronically hypoxic rat model, no specific reference genes have been identified in the myocardium. This study aimed to select the best reference genes in the left (LV) and right (RV) ventricles of chronically hypoxic and normoxic rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were adapted to continuous normobaric hypoxia (CNH; 12% O2 or 10% O2) for 3 weeks. The expression levels of candidate genes were assessed by RT-qPCR. The stability of genes was evaluated by NormFinder, geNorm and BestKeeper algorithms. The best five reference genes in the LV were Top1, Nupl2, Rplp1, Ywhaz, Hprt1 for the milder CNH and Top1, Ywhaz, Sdha, Nupl2, Tomm22 for the stronger CNH. In the RV, the top five genes were Hprt1, Nupl2, Gapdh, Top1, Rplp1 for the milder CNH and Tomm22, Gapdh, Hprt1, Nupl2, Top1 for the stronger CNH. This study provides validation of reference genes in LV and RV of CNH rats and shows that suitable reference genes differ in the two ventricles and depend on experimental protocol.
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Molina CE, Jacquet E, Ponien P, Muñoz-Guijosa C, Baczkó I, Maier LS, Donzeau-Gouge P, Dobrev D, Fischmeister R, Garnier A. Identification of optimal reference genes for transcriptomic analyses in normal and diseased human heart. Cardiovasc Res 2019; 114:247-258. [PMID: 29036603 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvx182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) has become the method of choice for mRNA quantification, but requires an accurate normalization based on the use of reference genes showing invariant expression across various pathological conditions. Only few data exist on appropriate reference genes for the human heart. The objective of this study was to determine a set of suitable reference genes in human atrial and ventricular tissues, from right and left cavities in control and in cardiac diseases. Methods and results We assessed the expression of 16 reference genes (ACTB, B2M, GAPDH, GUSB, HMBS, HPRT1, IPO8, PGK1, POLR2A, PPIA, RPLP0, TBP, TFRC, UBC, YWHAZ, 18S) in tissues from: right and left ventricles from healthy controls and heart failure (HF) patients; right-atrial tissue from patients in sinus rhythm with (SRd) or without (SRnd) atrial dilatation, patients with paroxysmal (pAF) or chronic (cAF) atrial fibrillation or with HF; and left-atrial tissue from patients in SR or cAF. Consensual analysis (by geNorm and Normfinder algorithms, BestKeeper software tool and comparative delta-Ct method) of the variability scores obtained for each reference gene expression shows that the most stably expressed genes are: GAPDH, GUSB, IPO8, POLR2A, and YWHAZ when comparing either right and left ventricle or ventricle from healthy controls and HF patients; GAPDH, IPO8, POLR2A, PPIA, and RPLP0 when comparing either right and left atrium or right atria from all pathological groups. ACTB, TBP, TFRC, and 18S genes were identified as the least stable. Conclusions The overall most stable reference genes across different heart cavities and disease conditions were GAPDH, IPO8, POLR2A and PPIA. YWHAZ or GUSB could be added to this set for some specific experiments. This study should provide useful guidelines for reference gene selection in RT-qPCR studies in human heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina E Molina
- Inserm, UMR-S 1180, University of Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Heart Research Center Göttingen, University Medical Center, Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eric Jacquet
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, CNRS, University of Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Prishila Ponien
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, UPR 2301, CNRS, University of Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Istvan Baczkó
- Department Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Hungary
| | - Lars S Maier
- Department Internal Medicine II, University Heart Center, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Dobromir Dobrev
- West German Heart and Vascular Center, Institute of Pharmacology, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Rodolphe Fischmeister
- Inserm, UMR-S 1180, University of Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Anne Garnier
- Inserm, UMR-S 1180, University of Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France
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Della Latta V, Cabiati M, Burchielli S, Frenzilli G, Bernardeschi M, Cecchettini A, Viglione F, Morales MA, Del Ry S. Lung inflammation after bleomycin treatment in mice: Selection of an accurate normalization strategy for gene expression analysis in an ex-vivo and in-vitro model. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2017; 88:145-154. [PMID: 28526615 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is the most common and aggressive interstitial lung disease, characterized by a patchy development of fibrosis leading to progressive destruction of the normal lung architecture which is preceded by an inflammatory process. Gene expression studies are important to understand the development of PF but the accuracy and reproducibility of Real-Time PCR depend on appropriate normalization strategies. This study aimed to analyze the expression variability of eight commonly used reference genes during the initial inflammatory phase of bleomycin-induced PF in a mouse model and to verify whether the selected reference genes could be applied to an in-vitro model of BLM-treated primary murine lung fibroblasts. Wild-type C57BL/6 mice (n=40) were used. Real-Time PCR was carried out on lung tissue of mice either BLM (BLM-tm) or physiological solution-treated (PSS-tm), and in primary lung fibroblasts, isolated from healthy C57BL/6 mice. Histological analysis was performed to confirm the inflammation development. During inflammation, the most stable genes resulted: PPIA, HPRT-1 and SDHA for both models; the normalization strategy was tested analyzing mRNA expression of PTX-3 and TNF-α which resulted up-regulated both in ex-vivo and in-vitro with respect to PSS-tm/fibroblasts. Histological analysis supported the results. This study identified a new set of reference genes expressed both in the in-vitro and ex-vivo models. A higher expression of both markers in BLM-tm with respect to PSS-tm indicated that BLM might lead to increased PTX-3 local production by a co-regulation with TNF-α at lung level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Della Latta
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pisa, Italy
| | - Manuela Cabiati
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Giada Frenzilli
- University of Pisa, Dept. Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Federica Viglione
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria-Aurora Morales
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Del Ry
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pisa, Italy.
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Xue Y, Zhao R, Du SH, Zhao D, Li DR, Xu JT, Xie XL, Wang Q. Decreased mRNA levels of cardiac Cx43 and ZO1 in sudden cardiac death related to coronary atherosclerosis: a pilot study. Int J Legal Med 2016; 130:915-922. [PMID: 26972693 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-016-1353-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the most frequent cause of sudden unexplained death in forensic practice. The most common cause of SCD is coronary artery disease related to coronary atherosclerosis. Previous study suggested the possible application of connexin 43 (Cx43) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO1) immunostaining in the early diagnosis of myocardial ischemia. However, there appears to be insufficient data with regard to their mRNA levels. The present study investigated the cardiac mRNA levels of Cx43 and ZO1, using forensic autopsy materials consisting of 41 control cases without any disease or structural abnormality of the heart (group 1), 32 deaths due to acute ischemic heart disease related to coronary atherosclerosis without apparent myocardial necrosis (group 2), and 29 traumatic deaths with coronary atherosclerosis (group 3). Ten candidate reference genes were evaluated in the left ventricles of 10 forensic autopsy cases. EEF1A1, PPIA, TPT1, and RPL13A were identified as the most stable reference genes. Using these validated reference genes, mRNA levels of Cx43 and ZO1 were examined in the bilateral ventricles and atria of the heart. Relative mRNA quantification demonstrated decreased calibrated normalized relative quantity (CNRQ) values of Cx43 and ZO1 in bilateral ventricles of group 2. When using one conventional reference gene (GAPDH or ACTB) for normalization, nearly no difference was detected among the three groups. These findings indicate that ventricular gap junction remodeling may be a key contributor to rhythm disturbances. Analysis of cardiac Cx43 and ZO1 using real-time PCR is useful in diagnosis of SCD, and validation of reference genes is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Xue
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China
| | - Si-Hao Du
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Dong Zhao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization, Beijing, China
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Evidence Science (China University of Political Science and Law), Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Ri Li
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jing-Tao Xu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiao-Li Xie
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Science, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong Province, China.
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Kourou K, Rigas G, Exarchos KP, Goletsis Y, Exarchos TP, Jacobs S, Meyns B, Trivella MG, Fotiadis DI. Prediction of time dependent survival in HF patients after VAD implantation using pre- and post-operative data. Comput Biol Med 2016; 70:99-105. [PMID: 26820445 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Heart failure is one of the most common diseases worldwide. In recent years, Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) have become a valuable option for patients with advanced HF. Although it has been shown that VADs improve patient survival rates, several complications persist during left VAD (LVAD) support. The stratification scores currently employed are mostly generic, i.e. not specifically built for LVAD patients, and are based on pre-implantation patient data. In this work we apply data mining approaches for the prediction of time dependent survival in patients after LVAD implantation. Moreover, the predictions acquired with the use of pre-implantation data are enriched by employing post-implantation data, i.e. follow-up data. Different clinical scenarios have been depicted and the subsequent conditions are tested in order to identify the optimal set of pre- and post-implant features, as well as the most suitable algorithms for feature selection and prediction. The proposed approach is applied to a real dataset of 71 patients, reporting an accuracy of 84.5%, sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 82%. Based on the reported results, expert cardio-surgeons can be supported in planning the treatment of VAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Kourou
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece; Dept of Biological Applications and Technologies, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - George Rigas
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Konstantinos P Exarchos
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Yorgos Goletsis
- Dept of Economics, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Themis P Exarchos
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Steven Jacobs
- Dept of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Meyns
- Dept of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Dimitrios I Fotiadis
- Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Dept of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
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McGowan I, Janocko L, Burneisen S, Bhat A, Richardson-Harman N. Variability of cytokine gene expression in intestinal tissue and the impact of normalization with the use of reference genes. Cytokine 2015; 71:81-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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D'Amico A, Ragusa R, Caruso R, Prescimone T, Nonini S, Cabiati M, Del Ry S, Trivella MG, Giannessi D, Caselli C. Uncovering the cathepsin system in heart failure patients submitted to Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation. J Transl Med 2014; 12:350. [PMID: 25496327 PMCID: PMC4274696 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-014-0350-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In end-stage heart failure (HF), the implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is able to induce reverse remodeling. Cellular proteases, such as cathepsins, are involved in the progression of HF. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of cathepsin system in HF patients supported by LVAD, in order to determine their involvement in cardiac remodeling. Methods The expression of cysteine (CatB, CatK, CatL, CatS) and serine cathepsin (CatG), and relative inhibitors (Cystatin B, C and SerpinA3, respectively) was determined in cardiac biopsies of 22 patients submitted to LVAD (pre-LVAD) and compared with: 1) control stable chronic HF patients on medical therapy at the moment of heart transplantation without prior LVAD (HT, n = 7); 2) patients supported by LVAD at the moment of transplantation (post-LVAD, n = 6). Results The expression of cathepsins and their inhibitors was significantly higher in pre-LVAD compared to the HT group and LVAD induced a further increase in the cathepsin system. Significant positive correlations were observed between cardiac expression of cathepsins and their inhibitors as well as inflammatory cytokines. In the pre-LVAD group, a relationship of cathepsins with dilatative etiology and length of hospitalization was found. Conclusions A parallel activation of cathepsins and their inhibitors was observed after LVAD support. The possible clinical importance of these modifications is confirmed by their relation with patients’ outcome. A better discovery of these pathways could add more insights into the cardiac remodeling during HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea D'Amico
- Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Institute of Life Sciences, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Rosetta Ragusa
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca - Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Raffaele Caruso
- Cardiovascular Department, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Niguarda Cà Granda Hospital, 20162, Milan, Italy.
| | - Tommaso Prescimone
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca - Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Sandra Nonini
- Cardiovascular Department, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, 20162, Milan, Italy.
| | - Manuela Cabiati
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca - Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Silvia Del Ry
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca - Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Maria Giovanna Trivella
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca - Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Daniela Giannessi
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca - Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Chiara Caselli
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca - Via Moruzzi, 1, 56100, Pisa, Italy.
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Prescimone T, Masotti S, D’Amico A, Caruso R, Cabiati M, Caselli C, Viglione F, Verde A, Del Ry S, Giannessi D. Cardiac molecular markers of programmed cell death are activated in end-stage heart failure patients supported by left ventricular assist device. Cardiovasc Pathol 2014; 23:272-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Prescimone T, D'Amico A, Caselli C, Cabiati M, Viglione F, Caruso R, Verde A, Del Ry S, Trivella MG, Giannessi D. Caspase-1 transcripts in failing human heart after mechanical unloading. Cardiovasc Pathol 2014; 24:11-8. [PMID: 25200478 DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2014.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Caspase (Casp)-1 has been indicated as a molecular target capable of preventing the progression of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure (HF), due to its central role in promoting inflammation and cardiomyocyte loss. The aim of this study was to assess whether Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation modifies the inflammatory and apoptotic profile in the heart through the modulation of Casp-1 expression level. METHODS Cardiac tissue was collected from end-stage HF patients before LVAD implant (pre-LVAD group, n=22) and at LVAD removal (post-LVAD, n=6), and from stable HF patients on medical therapy without prior circulatory support (HTx, n=7) at heart transplantation, as control. The cardiac expression of Casp-1, of its inhibitors caspase recruitment domain (CARD) only protein (COP) and CARD family, member 18 (ICEBERG), was evaluated by real-time PCR in the three groups of patients. RESULTS Casp-1 was increased in the pre-LVAD group compared to HTx (p=0.006), while on the contrary the ICEBERG level was significantly decreased in pre-LVAD with respect to HTx patients (p<0.001); no difference in COP expression level was found. CONCLUSIONS This study describes a specific pattern of the Casp-1 system associated with inflammation and apoptosis markers in patients who require LVAD insertion. The inflammation could be the key process regulating, in a negative loop, Casp-1 signaling and its down-stream effects, apoptosis included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Prescimone
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Caselli
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa, Italy
| | - Manuela Cabiati
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federica Viglione
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa, Italy
| | - Raffaele Caruso
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Cardiovascular Department, Niguarda Cà Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Verde
- CardioThoracic and Vascular Department, "A. De Gasperis" Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Del Ry
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Trivella
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniela Giannessi
- CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa, Italy.
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14
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Xu B, Yu DM, Liu FS. Effect of siRNA‑induced inhibition of IL‑6 expression in rat cerebral gliocytes on cerebral edema following traumatic brain injury. Mol Med Rep 2014; 10:1863-8. [PMID: 25109513 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effect of RNA interference (RNAi) on the inhibition of interleukin (IL)‑6 expression in rat cerebral gliocytes in vitro and rat cerebral traumatic tissues in vivo, as well as the effect of RNAi on cerebral edema. pSUPER vectors containing IL‑6 small hairpin RNA (pSUPER‑IL‑6 1‑5) were designed, constructed and transfected into C6 rat glioma cells using cationic liposomes. ELISA was used to select the plasmid with the strongest interference effect. A freefall method was used to generate a rat brain injury model and rats were randomly divided into treatment, empty plasmid and control groups (n=14/group). IL‑6 levels, water content and sodium content were determined in the brain tissues at 24 and 72 h post‑injury. pSUPER‑IL‑6 was effectively transfected into C6 cells and was found to inhibit the expression of IL‑6 rather than IL‑8. The pSUPER‑IL‑6 1 vector was most effective in inducing RNAi. In vivo, IL‑6 levels were observed to be lowest in the interference group and there were statistically significant differences in water and sodium content among the experimental groups (P<0.05). RNAi was found to inhibit IL‑6 expression in vivo and in vitro in rat cerebral gliocytes, and the reduction of the IL‑6 levels was found to reduce post‑traumatic cerebral edema.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xu
- Department of Emergency, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Dong-Ming Yu
- Department of Emergency, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Fu-Sheng Liu
- Brain Tumor Research Center, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
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15
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IL-33/ST2 pathway and classical cytokines in end-stage heart failure patients submitted to left ventricular assist device support: a paradoxic role for inflammatory mediators? Mediators Inflamm 2013; 2013:498703. [PMID: 24385685 PMCID: PMC3872445 DOI: 10.1155/2013/498703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. Inflammation is a critical process contributing to heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that IL-33/ST2 pathway, a new mechanism regulated during cardiac stress, may be involved in the functional worsening of end-stage HF patients, candidates for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, and potentially responsible for their outcome. Methods. IL-33, ST2, and conventional cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) were determined in cardiac biopsies and plasma of 22 patients submitted to LVAD implantation (pre-LVAD) and compared with (1) control stable chronic HF patients on medical therapy at the moment of heart transplantation without prior circulatory support (HT); (2) patients supported by LVAD at the moment of LVAD weaning (post-LVAD). Results. Cardiac expression of ST2/IL-33 and cytokines was lower in the pre-LVAD than in the HT group. LVAD determined an increase of inflammatory mediators comparable to levels of the HT group. Only ST2 correlated with outcome indices after LVAD implantation. Conclusions. IL-33/ST2 and traditional cytokines were involved in decline of cardiac function of ESHF patients as well as in hemodynamic recovery induced by LVAD. IL-33/ST2 pathway was also associated to severity of clinical course. Thus, a better understanding of inflammation is the key to achieving more favorable outcome by new specific therapies.
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