Dysregulation of gene expression in human fetal endothelial cells from gestational diabetes in response to TGF-β1

Changes of miR-139-5p, TGFB1, and COL1A1 in the placental tissue of cases with gestational diabetes mellitus

There are structural changes in the placenta of cases with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). TGF-β and collagen pathways have crucial roles in tissue remodeling and TGF-β1 and COL1A1 are important genes in these signalling respectively. Also, lncRNA NEAT1, and miRNA hsa-miR-139-5p and hsa-miR-129-5p have regulatory effects on TGF-β1 and COL1A1. Here we aimed to assess their expressions in the placenta tissue of GDM cases. 30 patients with GDM and 30 healthy pregnant women participated in the study. Placental tissues taken during normal or cesarean delivery were used and total RNA was isolated from the tissues. mRNA levels were determined by qPCR and protein levels were determined by ELISA methods. An in silico analysis was done to elucidate the possible relation of TGF-β1 and COL1A1 gene networks with GDM. We determined that NEAT1 and miR-129-5p expression levels did not differ between GDM and healthy control groups (p = 0.697 and 0.412, respectively). But, miR-139-5p mRNA level, TGFB1 and COL1A1 protein levels significantly differ between the GDM and control groups (p = 0.000, p = 0.000 and p = 0.001, respectively). The in silico analysis revealed that TGFB1 and COL1A1 genes network may have important role in the GDM with their variety of members and regulatory molecules NEAT1, hsa-miR-139-5p, and hsa-miR-129-5p can control their functions. The expression of TGFB1, COL1A1 and miR-139-5p is changed in placenta tissue of GDM cases and many genes in the interacting networks of TGFB1 and COL1A1 could contribute to the pathogenicity of GDM.

Deep Insight of the Pathophysiology of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a severe metabolic disorder, which consistently requires medical care and self-management to restrict complications, such as obesity, kidney damage and cardiovascular diseases. The subtype gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurs during pregnancy, which severely affects both the mother and the growing foetus. Obesity, uncontrolled weight gain and advanced gestational age are the prominent risk factors for GDM, which lead to high rate of perinatal mortality and morbidity. In-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in GDM will help researchers to design drugs for the optimal management of the condition without affecting the mother and foetus. This review article is focused on the molecular mechanism involved in the pathophysiology of GDM and the probable biomarkers, which can be helpful for the early diagnosis of the condition. The early diagnosis of the metabolic disorder, most preferably in first trimester of pregnancy, will lead to its effective long-term management, reducing foetal developmental complications and mortality along with safety measures for the mother.

Up-regulation of TGFBI and TGFB2 in the plasma of gestational diabetes mellitus patients and its clinical significance

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) reflects a deficiency in the relative need for insulin during pregnancy, as well as temporary metabolic stress in the placenta and fetus. Our study aimed to research the potential diagnostic value of transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein ig-h3 (TGFBI) and transforming growth factor beta-2 proprotein (TGFB2) for GDM patients.

METHODS

Online database Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was used to screen for different expressed genes (DEGs) associated with GDM. Meanwhile, KEGG and GO were used to analyze the molecular functions as well as pathways of enriched DEGs. One hundred ten pregnant women diagnosed with GDM and 110 healthy controls were enrolled, of whose placenta and fasting venous blood samples were collected. mRNA expression levels were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured by the clinical lab of hospital. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of detection indexed in the placenta and plasma of GDM patients. Finally, Pearson and Spearman analysis was used for the correlation analysis.

RESULTS

After GEO data analysis, TGFBI and TGFB2 were identified as the most significantly up-regulated genes of GDM. TGFBI and TGFB2 expressions in placenta and plasma samples of GDM patients were in line with bioinformatic analysis. Meanwhile, the area under the curve (AUC) of TGFBI in the placenta and plasma for the diagnosis of GDM were 0.8783 (95% CI, 0.8281 to 0.9284) and 0.7832 (95% CI, 0.7215 to 0.8449) while for TGFB2 were 0.9225 (95% CI, 0.8829 to 0.9621) and 0.8961 (95% CI, 0.8526 to 0.9396). Besides, levels of TGFBI along with TGFB2 in the placenta were positively correlated with that in the plasma of GDM patients. Furthermore, both TGFBI and TGFB2 expressions in the plasma were positively correlated with FBG levels of the GDM patients.

CONCLUSIONS

TGFBI and TGFB2 were up-regulated in the placenta and plasma of GDM patients, and TGFBI and TGFB2 in the plasma are potent to be diagnostic markers for the GDM.

Polymorphisms of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 in Chinese women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy-specific carbohydrate intolerance Which can cause a large number of perinatal and postpartum complications. The members of Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily play key roles in the homeostasis of pancreatic β-cell and may involve in the development of GDM. This study aimed to explore the association between the polymorphisms of TGF-β1, TGF-β3 and the risk to GDM in Chinese women.

Methods

This study included 919 GDM patients (464 with preeclampsia and 455 without preeclampsia) and 1177 healthy pregnant women. TaqMan allelic discrimination real-Time PCR was used to genotype the TGF-β1 (rs4803455) and TGF-β3 (rs2284792 and rs3917201), The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was evaluated by chi-square test.

Results

An increased frequency of TGF-β3 rs2284792 AA and AG genotype carriers was founded in GDM patients (AA vs. AG + GG: χ² = 6.314, P = 0.012, OR = 1.270, 95%CI 1.054–1.530; AG vs. GG + AA: χ² = 8.545, P = 0.003, OR = 0.773, 95%CI 0.650–0.919). But there were no significant differences in the distribution of TGF-β1 rs4803455 and TGF-β3 rs3917201 between GDM and healthy women. In addition, no significant differences were found in allele and genotype frequencies among GDM patients with preeclampsia (PE).

Conclusions

The AA and AG genotype of TGF-β3 rs2284792 polymorphism may be significantly associated with increased risk of GDM in Chinese population.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-020-03459-w.

BMP9 attenuates occurrence of venous malformation by maintaining endothelial quiescence and strengthening vessel walls via SMAD1/5/ID1/α-SMA pathway

Venous malformation (VM) is a type of vascular morphogenic defect in humans with an incidence of 1%. Although gene mutation is considered as the most common cause of VM, the pathogenesis of those without gene mutation remains to be elucidated. Here, we aimed to explore the relation of bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) and development of VM. At first, we found serum and tissue BMP9 expression in VM patients was significantly lower than that in healthy subjects, detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Next, with wound healing assay, transwell assay and tube formation assay, we discovered BMP9 could inhibit migration and enhance tube formation activity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via receptor activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ALK1). Besides, BMP9 improved the expression of structural proteins alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Desmin in human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMCs) via activation of the SMAD1/5-ID1 pathway, determined by RNA-based next-generation sequencing, qPCR, immunofluorescence and western blotting. Intriguingly, this effect could be blocked by receptor ALK1 inhibitor, SMAD1/5 inhibitor and siRNAs targeting ID1, verifying the BMP9/ALK1/SMAD1/5/ID1/α-SMA pathway. Meanwhile, knocking out BMP9 in C57BL/6 mice embryo led to α-SMA scarcity in walls of lung and mesenteric vessels, as well as walls of small trachea. BMP9-/- zebrafish also exhibited abnormal vascular maturity, indicating a critical role of BMP9 in vascular maturity and remodeling. Finally, a VM mice model revealed that BMP9 might have therapeutic effect in VM progression. Our study discovered that BMP9 might inhibit the occurrence of VM by strengthening the vessel wall and maintaining endothelium quiescence. These findings provide promising evidences of new therapeutic targets that might be used for the management of VM.

miR-335-5p induces insulin resistance and pancreatic islet β-cell secretion in gestational diabetes mellitus mice through VASH1-mediated TGF-β signaling pathway

Multiple studies have reported different methods in treating gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); however, the relationship between miR-335-5p and GDM still remains unclear. Here, this study explores the effect of miR-335-5p on insulin resistance and pancreatic islet β-cell secretion via activation of the TGFβ signaling pathway by downregulating VASH1 expression in GDM mice. The GDM mouse model was established and mainly treated with miR-335-5p mimic, miR-335-5p inhibitor, si-VASH1, and miR-335-5p inhibitor + si-VASH1. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted to detect fasting blood glucose (FBG) fasting insulin (FINS). The OGTT was also used to calculate a homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). A hyperglycemic clamp was performed to measure the glucose infusion rate (GIR), which estimated β-cell function. Expressions of miR-335-5p, VASH1, TGF-β1, and c-Myc in pancreatic islet β-cells were determined by RT-qPCR, western blot analysis, and insulin release by ELISA. The miR-335-5p mimic and si-VASH1 groups showed elevated blood glucose levels, glucose area under the curve (GAUC), and HOMA-IR, but a reduced GIR and positive expression of VASH1. Overexpression of miR-335-5p and inhibition of VASH1 contributed to activated TGFβ1 pathway, higher c-Myc, and lower VASH1 expressions, in addition to downregulated insulin and insulin release levels. These findings provided evidence that miR-335-5p enhanced insulin resistance and suppressed pancreatic islet β-cell secretion by inhibiting VASH1, eventually activating the TGF-β pathway in GDM mice, which provides more clinical insight on the GDM treatment.

MicroRNA‑126 inhibits endothelial permeability and apoptosis in apolipoprotein E‑knockout mice fed a high‑fat diet

Endothelial dysfunction and apoptosis have key roles in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis (AS). AS has been demonstrated to be associated with a high-fat diet, which may increase endothelial permeability and apoptosis; however, the exact mechanisms underlying the development of AS remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are vital for the regulation of cardiovascular disease, and dysregulated miRNAs have been implicated in AS. The present study investigated whether miRNA (miR)-126 regulates high-fat diet-induced endothelial permeability and apoptosis by targeting transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), a secreted protein that controls cellular proliferation and apoptosis. In the present study, apolipoprotein E (apoE)^−/− mice were fed a high-fat diet in order to establish a model of AS. Mice were subcutaneously injected with a miR-126 mimic, a miR-126 antagomir or control miRNA. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to assess miR-126 expression, and a fluorometric assay was used to evaluate caspase-3 activity. The effects of miR-126 on the endothelial permeability of the aortic intima were also explored. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis were used to investigate the effects of miR-126 on B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and transforming growth factor (TGF) β protein expression levels. Furthermore, a luciferase assay was performed to verify whether TGFβ may be a direct target gene of miR-126. In apolipoprotein E-knockout mice, a high-fat diet reduced miR-126 expression and induced apoptosis as determined by the upregulation of caspase-3 activity. A miR-126 antagomir increased endothelial permeability and apoptosis in mice fed a high-fat diet. By contrast, an miR-126 mimic attenuated endothelial permeability and apoptosis. The reduction in miR-126 was associated with a reduction in protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and an increase of TGFβ in mice fed a high-fat diet. In addition, the present study demonstrated that miR-126 reduced TGFβ expression following binding to the 3′-untranslated region of TGFβ mRNA. The current study demonstrated a role for miR-126 in AS and identified TGFβ as a direct target of miR-126. Furthermore, the present study demonstrated that miR-126 contributed to endothelial permeability and apoptosis, and suggested that the downregulation of TGFβ may be involved in the molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of miR-126. miR-126 may therefore have potential as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of AS.