Association of astragaloside IV-inhibited autophagy and mineralization in vascular smooth muscle cells with lncRNA H19 and DUSP5-mediated ERK signaling

Vascular calcification and cellular signaling pathways as potential therapeutic targets

Increased vascular calcification (VC) is observed in patients with cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. VC is divided into three types according to its location: intimal, medial, and valvular. Various cellular signaling pathways are associated with VC, including the Wnt, mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt, cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin, Ras homologous GTPase, apoptosis, Notch, and cytokine signaling pathways. In this review, we discuss the literature concerning the key cellular signaling pathways associated with VC and their role as potential therapeutic targets. Inhibitors to these pathways represent good candidates for use as potential therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of VC.

The Mechanism of Astragaloside IV in NOD-like Receptor Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 Inflammasome-mediated Pyroptosis after Intracerebral Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most common subtypes of stroke.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on inflammatory injury after ICH.

METHODS

The ICH model was established by the injection of collagenase and treated with ASIV (20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg). The neurological function, water content of the bilateral cerebral hemisphere and cerebellum, and pathological changes in brain tissue were assessed. The levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and IL-10 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), GSDMD-N, and cleaved-caspase-1 were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assay. The binding relationship between KLF2 and NLRP3 was verified by chromatin-immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase assays. KLF2 inhibition or NLRP3 overexpression was achieved in mice to observe pathological changes.

RESULTS

The decreased neurological function, increased water content, severe pathological damage, and inflammatory response were observed in mice after ICH, with increased levels of NLRP3/GSDMD-N/cleaved-caspase-1/IL-1β/IL-18 and poorly-expressed KLF2 in brain tissue. After AS-IV treatment, the neurological dysfunction, high brain water content, inflammatory response, and pyroptosis were alleviated, while KLF2 expression was increased. KLF2 bonded to the NLRP3 promoter region and inhibited its transcription. Down-regulation of KLF2 or upregulation of NLRP3 reversed the effect of AS-IV on inhibiting pyroptosis and reducing inflammatory injury in mice after ICH.

CONCLUSION

AS-IV inhibited NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis by promoting KLF2 expression and alleviated inflammatory injury in mice after ICH.

L-type calcium ion channel-mediated activation of autophagy in vascular smooth muscle cells via thonningianin A (TA) alleviates vascular calcification in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Vascular calcification (VC) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The pathogenesis of vascular calcification is incompletely understood, and until now, there have been no effective therapeutics for vascular calcification. The L-type calcium ion channel in the cell membrane is vital for Ca2+ influx. The effect of L-type calcium ion channels on autophagy remains to be elucidated. Here, the natural compound thonningianin A (TA) was found to ameliorate vascular calcification in T2DM via the activation of L-type calcium ion channels. The results showed that TA had a concentration-dependent ability to decrease the transcriptional and translational expression of the calcification-related proteins runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and osteopontin (OPN) (P < 0.01) via ATG7-dependent autophagy in β-glycerophosphate (β-GP)- and high glucose (HG)-stimulated primary mouse aortic smooth muscle cells (MASMCs) and alleviate aortic vascular calcification in VitD3-stimulated T2DM mice. However, nifedipine, an inhibitor of L-type calcium ion channels, reversed TA-induced autophagy and Ca2+ influx in MASMCs. Molecular docking analysis revealed that TA was located in the hydrophobic pocket of Cav1.2 α1C and was mainly composed of the residues Ile, Phe, Ala and Met, which confirmed the efficacy of TA in targeting the L-type calcium channel of Cav1.2 on the cell membrane. Moreover, in an in vivo model of vascular calcification in T2DM mice, nifedipine reversed the protective effects of TA on aortic calcification and the expression of the calcification-related proteins RUNX2, BMP2 and OPN (P < 0.01). Collectively, the present results reveal that the activation of cell membrane L-type calcium ion channels can induce autophagy and ameliorate vascular calcification in T2DM. Thonningianin A (TA) can target and act as a potent activator of L-type calcium ion channels. Thus, this research revealed a novel mechanism for autophagy induction via L-type calcium ion channels and provided a potential therapeutic for vascular calcification in T2DM.

Anti-atherosclerosis mechanisms associated with regulation of non-coding RNAs by active monomers of traditional Chinese medicine

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of numerous cardiovascular diseases with a high mortality rate. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), RNA molecules that do not encode proteins in human genome transcripts, are known to play crucial roles in various physiological and pathological processes. Recently, researches on the regulation of atherosclerosis by ncRNAs, mainly including microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, have gradually become a hot topic. Traditional Chinese medicine has been proved to be effective in treating cardiovascular diseases in China for a long time, and its active monomers have been found to target a variety of atherosclerosis-related ncRNAs. These active monomers of traditional Chinese medicine hold great potential as drugs for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Here, we summarized current advancement of the molecular pathways by which ncRNAs regulate atherosclerosis and mainly highlighted the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine monomers in regulating atherosclerosis through targeting ncRNAs.

Astragaloside IV promotes keratinocyte proliferation and migration through upregulating lncRNA H19 recruited ILF3 to enhance the stability of CDK4 mRNA

Skin is the first line of the body to resist pathogen invasion. A potentially fatal infection may result from problems with wound healing. Small molecule drugs like astragaloside IV (AS-IV) show pro-healing activities, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Using real-time quantitative PCR and a western blot assay, the amount of gene expression was evaluated. The proliferation and migration of keratinocytes were determined by MTS and wound healing assay, respectively. The binding of lncRNA H19 to RBP protein ILF3 and the binding of ILF3 protein to CDK4 mRNA were confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation. Treatment with AS-IV enhanced the expression of lncRNA H19, ILF3, and CDK4 and improved the proliferation and migration of keratinocytes HaCaT. Additionally, apoptosis of keratinocytes was attenuated by AS-IV. Further studies showed that both lncRNA H19 and ILF3 were important for AS-IV-mediated keratinocyte growth and migration. In addition, lncRNA H19 recruited ILF3 to increase CDK4 mRNA level and enhanced cell proliferation. We discovered a lncRNA H19/ILF3/CDK4 axis that is activated by AS-IV to promote keratinocyte migration and proliferation. These results elucidate the mechanism of action of AS-IV and justify its application in further application in wound healing treatment.

Extracellular vesicles in atherosclerosis and vascular calcification: the versatile non-coding RNAs from endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells

Atherosclerosis (AS) is characterized by the accumulation of lipids, fibrous elements, and calcification in the innermost layers of arteries. Vascular calcification (VC), the deposition of calcium and phosphate within the arterial wall, is an important characteristic of AS natural history. However, medial arterial calcification (MAC) differs from intimal calcification and cannot simply be explained as the consequence of AS. Endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are directly involved in AS and VC processes. Understanding the communication between ECs and VSMCs is critical in revealing mechanisms underlying AS and VC. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are found as intercellular messengers in kinds of physiological processes and pathological progression. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) encapsulated in EVs are involved in AS and VC, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). The effects of ncRNAs have not been comprehensively understood, especially encapsulated in EVs. Some ncRNAs have demonstrated significant roles in AS and VC, but it remains unclear the functions of the majority ncRNAs detected in EVs. In this review, we summarize ncRNAs encapsulated in EC-EVs and VSMC-EVs, and the signaling pathways that are involved in AS and VC.

Review on the protective mechanism of astragaloside IV against cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease is a global health problem. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a saponin compound extracted from the roots of the Chinese herb Astragalus. Over the past few decades, AS-IV has been shown to possess various pharmacological properties. It can protect the myocardium through antioxidative stress, anti-inflammatory effects, regulation of calcium homeostasis, improvement of myocardial energy metabolism, anti-apoptosis, anti-cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, anti-myocardial fibrosis, regulation of myocardial autophagy, and improvement of myocardial microcirculation. AS-IV exerts protective effects on blood vessels. For example, it can protect vascular endothelial cells through antioxidative stress and anti-inflammatory pathways, relax blood vessels, stabilize atherosclerotic plaques, and inhibit the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells. Thus, the bioavailability of AS-IV is low. Toxicology indicates that AS-IV is safe, but should be used cautiously in pregnant women. In this paper, we review the mechanisms of AS-IV prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in recent years to provide a reference for future research and drug development.

Phytochemicals targeting lncRNAs: A novel direction for neuroprotection in neurological disorders

Neurological disorders with various etiologies impacting the nervous system are prevalent in clinical practice. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) molecules are functional RNA molecules exceeding 200 nucleotides in length that do not encode proteins, but participate in essential activities. Research indicates that lncRNAs may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, and may be potential targets for their treatment. Phytochemicals in traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) have been found to exert neuroprotective effects by targeting lncRNAs and regulating gene expression and various signaling pathways. We aim to establish the development status and neuroprotective mechanism of phytochemicals that target lncRNAs through a thorough literature review. A total of 369 articles were retrieved through manual and electronic searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and CNKI databases from inception to September 2022. The search utilized combinations of natural products, lncRNAs, neurological disorders, and neuroprotective effects as keywords. The included studies, a total of 31 preclinical trials, were critically reviewed to present the current situation and the progress in phytochemical-targeted lncRNAs in neuroprotection. Phytochemicals have demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies of various neurological disorders by regulating lncRNAs. These disorders include arteriosclerotic ischemia-reperfusion injury, ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, glioma, peripheral nerve injury, post-stroke depression, and depression. Several phytochemicals exert neuroprotective roles through mechanisms such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, autophagy regulation, and antagonism of Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. Some phytochemicals targeted lncRNAs and served a neuroprotective role by regulating microRNA and mRNA expression. The emergence of lncRNAs as pathological regulators provides a novel direction for the study of phytochemicals in CHM. Elucidating the mechanism of phytochemicals regulating lncRNAs will help to identify new therapeutic targets and promote their application in precision medicine.

Recent advances of traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common systemic disease with increasing morbidity and mortality worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with characteristics of multiple pathways and targets, presents advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis.

AIM OF THE STUDY

With the modernization of TCM, the active ingredients and molecular mechanisms of TCM for AS treatment have been gradually revealed. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the existing studies on TCM therapies aimed at regulating AS over the past two decades.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using "atherosclerosis" and "Traditional Chinese medicine" as keywords, all relevant TCM literature published in the last 10 years was collected from electronic databases (such as Elsevier, Springer, PubMed, CNKI, and Web of Science), books and papers until March 2022, and the critical information was statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

In this review, we highlighted extracts of 8 single herbs, a total of 41 single active ingredients, 20 TCM formulae, and 25 patented drugs, which were described with chemical structure, source, model, efficacy and potential mechanism.

CONCLUSION

We summarized the cytopathological basis for the development of atherosclerosis involving vascular endothelial cells, macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells, and categorically elaborated the medicinal TCM used for AS, all of which provide the current evidence on the better management of atherosclerosis by TCM.

Natural compounds from botanical drugs targeting mTOR signaling pathway as promising therapeutics for atherosclerosis: A review

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including coronary artery disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. Hence, the mechanisms of AS are still being explored. A growing compendium of evidence supports that the activity of the mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is highly correlated with the risk of AS. The mTOR signaling pathway contributes to AS progression by regulating autophagy, cell senescence, immune response, and lipid metabolism. Various botanical drugs and their functional compounds have been found to exert anti- AS effects by modulating the activity of the mTOR signaling pathway. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of AS based on the mTOR signaling pathway from the aspects of immune response, autophagy, cell senescence, and lipid metabolism, and comb the recent advances in natural compounds from botanical drugs to inhibit the mTOR signaling pathway and delay AS development. This review will provide a new perspective on the mechanisms and precision treatments of AS.

Review of the pharmacological effects of astragaloside IV and its autophagic mechanism in association with inflammation

Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, known as Huangqi, has been used to treat various diseases for a long time. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is one of the primary active ingredients of the aqueous Huangqi extract. Many experimental models have shown that AS-IV exerts broad beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease, nervous system diseases, lung disease, diabetes, organ injury, kidney disease, and gynaecological diseases. This review demonstrates and summarizes the structure, solubility, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, pharmacological effects, and autophagic mechanism of AS-IV. The autophagic effects are associated with multiple signalling pathways in experimental models, including the PI3KI/Akt/mTOR, PI3K III/Beclin-1/Bcl-2, PI3K/Akt, AMPK/mTOR, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, SIRT1–NF-κB, PI3K/AKT/AS160, and TGF-β/Smad signalling pathways. Based on this evidence, AS-IV could be used as a replacement therapy for treating the multiple diseases referenced above.

Targeting non-coding RNA H19: A potential therapeutic approach in pulmonary diseases

Non-coding RNA is still one of the most popular fields in biology research. In recent years, people paid more attention to the roles of H19 in lung diseases, which expressed abnormally in various pathological process. Therefore, this review focus on the regulatory role of H19 in asthma, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), lung injury, pneumonia, lung cancer, etc. And the potential therapeutic agents and molecular treatments of H19 are collected. The aim is to demonstrate its underlying mechanism in pulmonary diseases and to guide the basic research targeting H19 into clinical drug translation.

Reactive Oxygen Species in Cardiovascular Calcification: Role of Medicinal Plants

Cardiovascular calcification, including vascular calcification and calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), is a serious worldwide health problem, especially in older adults. The mechanisms underlying cardiovascular calcifications are complex and multifactorial. An increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress play important roles in the initiation and development of cardiovascular calcification. This mini-review summarizes the recent evidence that supports the association of ROS with vascular calcification and CAVD and discusses the role of medicinal plants for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular calcification.

ATP2B1-AS1 Promotes Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Through Regulating the miR-330-5p/TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB Signaling Pathway

We aim to explore the expression and function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ATP2B1-AS1 in a cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In this study, we established a middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/IR) rat model and an OGD/R PC12 cell model to evaluate the expression and role of ATP2B1-AS1 in the cerebral I/R injury. We found that the expression of ATP2B1-AS1 was upregulated in both in vitro and in vivo cerebral I/R injury models. Knockdown of ATP2B1-AS1 increased the cell viability, inhibited apoptosis, and decreased the expressions of inflammation cytokines. The target of ATP2B1-AS1 was predicted and validated to be miR-330-5p. MiR-330-5p abrogated the regulatory effect of ATP2B1-AS1 on cell viability, apoptosis, and cytokines of OGD/R PC12 cells. Furthermore, the results showed that miR-330-5p targeted TLR4, which was also upregulated in the infarcted area of MCAO/IR rats and OGD/R PC12 cells. Overexpression of ATP2B1-AS1 increased the expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB p65 of OGD/R PC12 cells, while the effect of ATP2B1-AS1 was abrogated by miR-330-5p. In addition, knockdown of ATP2B1-AS1 decreased the latency time, increased the time of passing the platform position, reduced the cerebral infarct volume, decreased neurological deficit scores, and reduced the number of damaged neurons of MCAO/IR rats that were subjected to the Morris water maze test. Taken together, our study indicates that ATP2B1-AS1 may be an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of cerebral ischemic injuries.

Astragaloside IV alleviates heart failure by regulating SUMO-specific protease 1

The present study investigated whether the protective effect and mechanism of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on heart failure (HF) involves small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-specific protease 1 (Senp1). Mouse HF was established by aortic constriction, inducing pressure overload. The model was confirmed by echocardiography 6 weeks after surgery. Mice were randomly divided into control, HF, HF+AS-IV, and AS-IV groups. Ventricular function was examined by echocardiography. Morphological changes of myocardial tissues were examined by H&E staining. The protein levels of the apoptosis-related proteins, cleaved caspase-3, caspase-3, Bcl2, Bax, and SUMO-Senp1 were determined by Western blotting. H₂O₂ in isolated mitochondria and cells was determined by Amplex Red. A reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection kit determined ROS levels in isolated mitochondria and HL-1 cells. JC-1 reagent measured mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Apoptosis of HL-1 cells was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling. Compared with the control group, the heart weight and heart mass/body weight ratio increased in the HF group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the ejection fraction and left ventricular shortening fraction decreased (P<0.05), while the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVID;d) and end-systolic diameter (LVID;s) increased (P<0.05). Finally, mitochondrial ROS and H₂O₂ increased (P<0.05), while the ΔΨm decreased (P<0.05). However, AS-IV improved the cardiac function of HF mice, decreased the level of ROS and H₂O₂ in the myocardium, suppressed the decrease in ΔΨm, and decreased the apoptosis of myocardial cells (P<0.05). AS-IV also decreased the Senp1-overexpression. Furthermore, in HL-1 cells, Senp1-overexpression significantly inhibited the protective effects of AS-IV. AS-IV decreased oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes, decreased mitochondrial damage, inhibited ventricular remodeling, and ultimately improved cardiac function by inhibiting HF-induced Senp1-overexpression. This mechanism provides a novel theoretical basis and clinical treatment for HF.

Multiple functions of autophagy in vascular calcification

Background

Vascular calcification is a closely linked to cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension and aging. The extent of vascular calcification is closely correlate with adverse clinical events and cardiovascular all-cause mortality. The role of autophagy in vascular calcification is complex with many mechanistic unknowns.

Methods

In this review, we analyze the current known mechanisms of autophagy in vascular calcification and discuss the theoretical advantages of targeting autophagy as an intervention against vascular calcification.

Results

Here we summarize the functional link between vascular calcification and autophagy in both animal models of and human cardiovascular disease. Firstly, autophagy can reduce calcification by inhibiting the osteogenic differentiation of VSMCs related to ANCR, ERα, β-catenin, HIF-1a/PDK4, p62, miR-30b, BECN1, mTOR, SOX9, GHSR/ERK, and AMPK signaling. Conversely, autophagy can induce osteoblast differentiation and calcification as mediated by CREB, degradation of elastin, and lncRNA H19 and DUSP5 mediated ERK signaling. Secondly, autophagy also links apoptosis and vascular calcification through AMPK/mTOR/ULK1, Wnt/β-catenin and GAS6/AXL synthesis, as apoptotic cells become the nidus for calcium-phosphate crystal deposition. The failure of mitophagy can activate Drp1, BNIP3, and NR4A1/DNA‑PKcs/p53 mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathways, which have been closely linked to the formation of vascular calcification. Additionally, autophagy also plays a role in osteogenesis by regulating vascular calcification, which in turn regulates expression of proteins related to bone development, such as osteocalcin, osteonectin, etc. and regulated by mTOR, EphrinB2 and RhoA. Furthermore, autophagy also promotes vitamin K2-induced MC3T3 E1 osteoblast differentiation and FGFR4/FGF18- and JNK/complex VPS34–beclin-1-related bone mineralization via vascular calcification.

Conclusion

The interaction between autophagy and vascular calcification are complicated, with their interaction affected by the disease process, anatomical location, and the surrounding microenvironment. Autophagy activation in existent cellular damage is considered protective, while defective autophagy in normal cells result in apoptotic activation. Identifying and maintaining cells at the delicate line between these two states may hold the key to reducing vascular calcification, in which autophagy associated clinical strategy could be developed.

A Single, Acute Astragaloside IV Therapy Protects Cardiomyocyte Through Attenuating Superoxide Anion-Mediated Accumulation of Autophagosomes in Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, characterized by myocardial cell death (e.g., apoptosis) and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O₂ ^·-) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), is a serious threat to human health and property. Saponin astragaloside IV (ASIV), extracted from Chinese herbal medicine astragalus, is effective in resolving multiple pathological issues including myocardial I/R injury. Recent studies have shown that autophagy is regulated by ROS and plays an important role in myocardial I/R injury. However, regulation of autophagy by ASIV during myocardial I/R injury and the role of specific ROS involved in the process have been rarely reported. In the present study, we found that SOD2 was downregulated and O₂ ^·- was upregulated in H₂O₂-induced H9C2 cardiac myocyte injury in vitro and myocardial I/R injury in vivo, while such alterations were reversed by ASIV. ASIV possessed the ability to alleviate myocardial I/R injury via attenuating I/R-caused autophagosome accumulation. Upregulate of O₂ ^·- by 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) reversed the effect of ASIV-mediated autophagy regulation, which suggested that O₂ ^·- was vital in this process. In conclusion, our results contribute to understanding the mechanism of ASIV-induced cardioprotective effect.

Autophagy-Related Genes in Atherosclerosis

Background

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common chronic vascular inflammatory disease and one of the main causes of cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs). Autophagy-related genes (ARGs) play a crucial part in pathophysiological processes of AS. However, the expression profile of ARGs has rarely been adopted to explore the relationship between autophagy and AS. Therefore, using the expression profile of ARGs to explore the relationship between autophagy and AS may provide new insights for the treatment of CVDs.

Methods

The differentially expressed ARGs of the GSE57691 dataset were obtained from the Human Autophagy Database (HADb) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the GSE57691 dataset contains 9 aortic atheroma tissues and 10 normal aortic tissues. The differentially expressed ARGs of the GSE57691 dataset were analyzed by protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology analysis (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis (KEGG) and were chosen to explore related miRNAs/transcriptional factors.

Results

The GSE57691 dataset had a total of 41 differentially expressed ARGs. The GO analysis results revealed that ARGs were mainly enriched in autophagy, autophagosome, and protein serine/threonine kinase activity. KEGG analysis results showed that ARGs were mainly enriched in autophagy-animal and longevity regulating signaling pathways. Expressions of ATG5, MAP1LC3B, MAPK3, MAPK8, and RB1CC1 were regarded as focus in the PPI regulatory networks. Furthermore, 11 related miRNAs and 6 related transcription factors were obtained by miRNAs/transcription factor target network analysis.

Conclusions

Autophagy and ARGs may play a vital role in regulating the pathophysiology of AS.

LncRNAs as Therapeutic Targets for Autophagy-involved Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review of Molecular Mechanism and T herapy Strategy

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide. The concept of precision medicine in CVD therapy today requires the incorporation of individual genetic and environmental variability to achieve personalized disease prevention and tailored treatment. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved intracellular degradation process, has been demonstrated to be essential in the pathogenesis of various CVDs. Nonetheless, there have been no effective treatments for autophagy- involved CVDs. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are noncoding RNA sequences that play versatile roles in autophagy regulation, but much needs to be explored about the relationship between lncRNAs and autophagy-involved CVDs.

SUMMARY

Increasing evidence has shown that lncRNAs contribute considerably to modulate autophagy in the context of CVDs. In this review, we first summarize the current knowledge of the role lncRNAs play in cardiovascular autophagy and autophagy-involved CVDs. Then, recent developments of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) designed to target lncRNAs to specifically modulate autophagy in diseased hearts and vessels are discussed, focusing primarily on structure-activity relationships of distinct chemical modifications and relevant clinical trials.

PERSPECTIVE

ASOs are promising in cardiovascular drug innovation. We hope that future studies of lncRNA-based therapies would overcome existing technical limitations and help people who suffer from autophagy-involved CVDs.

Curdione Induces Antiproliferation Effect on Human Uterine Leiomyosarcoma via Targeting IDO1

OBJECTIVES

Curdione is one of the active ingredients of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine-Curcuma zedoary and established anti-tumor effects. Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is a rare gynecological malignancy, with no standard therapeutic regimen at present. The aim of this study was to explore the potential anti-tumor impact of curdione in uLMS and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

In vitro functional assays were performed in the SK-UT-1 and SK-LMS-1 cell lines. The in vivo model of uLMS was established by subcutaneously injecting SK-UT-1 cells, and the tumor-bearing mice were intraperitoneally injected with curdione. Tumor weight and volume were measured at specific time points. The biosafety was evaluated by monitoring changes of body weight and the histopathology in the liver and kidney. The expression levels of relevant proteins were analyzed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Curdione decreased the viability and proliferation of uLMS cells in a concentration and time-dependent manner. In addition, the curdione-treated cells exhibited significantly higher rates of apoptosis and autophagic death. Curdione also decreased the tumor weight and volume in the SK-UT-1 xenograft model compared to the untreated control without affecting the body bodyweight or pathological injury of liver and kidney tissues. At the molecular level, the anti-tumor effects of curdione were mediated by indoleamine-2, 3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1).

CONCLUSION

Curdione exhibited an anti-uLMS effect in vitro and in vivo; the underlying mechanism involved in IDO1 mediate apoptosis, autophagy, and G2/M phase arrest.

Effects of insulin on the proliferation and global gene expression profile of A7r5 cells

Insulin contributes to atherosclerosis, but the potential mechanisms are kept unclear. In this study, insulin promoted proliferation of A7r5 cells. Microarray analysis indicated that insulin significantly changed 812 probe sets of genes, including 405 upregulated and 407 downregulated ones (fold change ≥ 1.5 or ≤ - 1.5; p < 0.05). Gene ontology analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were involved in a number of processes, including the regulation of cell proliferation/migration/cycle, apoptotic process, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity, lipid metabolic process and extracellular matrix organization. Moreover, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicated that the genes were involved in biosynthesis of amino acids, fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, metabolic pathways, regulation of autophagy, cell cycle and apoptosis, as well as the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, mTOR and NF-κB signaling pathways. Additionally, insulin enhanced phosphorylation of MAPK kinase 1/2 and Akt, suggesting activation of the MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Inhibition of ERK1/2 reduced insulin-induced proliferation. This study revealed the proliferative effects of insulin and displayed global gene expression profile of A7r5 cells stimulated by insulin, suggesting new insight into the molecular pathogenesis of insulin promoting atherosclerosis.

Astragaloside IV attenuates hypoxia‑induced pulmonary vascular remodeling via the Notch signaling pathway

The Notch signaling pathway participates in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation and apoptosis. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is an effective antiproliferative treatment for vascular diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms underlying AS-IV on hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) model rats. Rats were divided into the following four groups: i) normoxia; ii) hypoxia (10% O₂); iii) treatment, hypoxia + intragastrical administration of AS-IV (2 mg/kg) daily for 28 days; and iv) DAPT, hypoxia + AS-IV treatment + subcutaneous administration of DAPT (10 mg/kg) three times daily. The effects of AS-IV treatment on the development of hypoxia-induced PAH, right ventricle (RV) hypertrophy and pulmonary vascular remodeling were examined. Furthermore, PASMCs were treated with 20 µmol/l AS-IV under hypoxic conditions for 48 h. To determine the effect of Notch signaling in vascular remodeling and the potential mechanisms underlying AS-IV treatment, 5 mmol/l γ-secretase inhibitor [N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT)] was used. Cell viability and apoptosis were determined by performing the MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch-3, Jagged-1, hes family bHLH transcription factor 5 (Hes-5) and PCNA were measured via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. Compared with the normoxic group, hypoxia-induced PAH model rats displayed characteristics of PAH and RV hypertrophy, whereas AS-IV treatment alleviated PAH and prevented RV hypertrophy. AS-IV also inhibited hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling, as indicated by reduced wall thickness and increased lumen diameter of pulmonary arterioles, and decreased muscularization of distal pulmonary vasculature in hypoxia-induced PAH model rats. Compared with normoxia, hypoxia promoted PASMC proliferation in vitro, whereas AS-IV treatment inhibited hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation by downregulating PCNA expression in vitro and in vivo. In hypoxia-treated PAH model rats and cultured PASMCs, AS-IV treatment reduced the expression levels of Jagged-1, Notch-3 and Hes-5. Furthermore, Notch signaling inhibition via DAPT significantly inhibited the pulmonary vascular remodeling effect of AS-IV in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, the results indicated that AS-IV effectively reversed hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and PASMC proliferation via the Notch signaling pathway. Therefore, the present study provided novel insights into the mechanism underlying the use of AS-IV for treatment of vascular diseases, such as PAH.

LncRNA-modulated autophagy in plaque cells: a new paradigm of gene regulation in atherosclerosis?

The development of atherosclerosis is accompanied by the functional deterioration of plaque cells, which leads to the escalation of endothelial inflammation, abnormal vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype switching and the accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages within vascular walls. Autophagy, a highly conserved homeostatic mechanism, is critical for the delivery of cytoplasmic substrates to lysosomes for degradation. Moderate levels of autophagy prevent atherosclerosis by safeguarding plaque cells against apoptosis, preventing inflammation, and limiting the lipid burden, whereas excessive autophagy exacerbates cell damage and inflammation and thereby accelerates the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Increasing lines of evidence suggest that long noncoding RNAs can be either beneficial or detrimental to atherosclerosis development by regulating the autophagy level. This review summarizes the research progress related to 1) the significant role of autophagy in atherosclerosis and 2) the effects of the lncRNA-mediated modulation of autophagy on the plaque cell fate, inflammation levels, proliferative capacity, and cholesterol metabolism and subsequently on atherogenesis.

Long noncoding RNA H19 regulates the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in rats with severe acute pancreatitis by sponging miR-138-5p and miR-141-3p

Background

Patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), which is characterized by high morbidity and mortality, account for an increasing medical burden worldwide. We previously found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could attenuate SAP and that expression of long noncoding RNA H19 (LncRNA H19) was upregulated in rats receiving MSCs. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms of LncRNA H19 regulating the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs in the alleviation of SAP.

Methods

MSCs transfected with LncRNA H19 overexpression and knockdown plasmids were intravenously injected into rats 12 h after sodium taurocholate (NaT) administration to induce SAP.

Results

Overexpressing LncRNA H19 in MSCs significantly enhanced the anti-inflammatory capacity of the MSCs, inhibited autophagy via promotion of focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-associated pathways, and facilitated cell proliferation by increasing the level of β-catenin in rats with SAP. LncRNA H19 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA by sponging miR-138-5p and miR-141-3p. Knocking down miR-138-5p in MSCs increased the expression of protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2, encoding FAK) to suppress autophagy, while downregulating miR-141-3p enhanced the level of β-catenin to promote cell proliferation.

Conclusions

In conclusion, LncRNA H19 effectively increased the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs in rats with SAP via the miR-138-5p/PTK2/FAK and miR-141-3p/β-catenin pathways.

MicroRNAs and Long Noncoding RNAs in Coronary Artery Disease: New and Potential Therapeutic Targets

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs, play an important role in coronary artery disease onset and progression. The ability of ncRNAs to simultaneously regulate many target genes allows them to modulate various key processes involved in atherosclerosis, including lipid metabolism, smooth muscle cell proliferation, autophagy, and foam cell formation. This review focuses on the therapeutic potential of the most important ncRNAs in coronary artery disease. Moreover, various other promising microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs that attract substantial scientific interest as potential therapeutic targets in coronary artery disease and merit further investigation are presented.

The Long Non-Coding RNA Landscape of Atherosclerotic Plaques

Currently, cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death worldwide; therefore, atherosclerosis remains one of the most crucial public health problems. This chronic and complex disease is considered to be a result of aberrant lipid homeostasis and inflammation of the inner wall of arteries that leads to plaque development. In recent years, a specific class of non-coding RNAs that are characterised by transcript lengths longer than 200 nucleotides, called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), has emerged. Moreover, a growing body of evidence indicates that deregulation of lncRNA expression may contribute to the development of many diseases. Despite continuous efforts in deciphering the molecular basis of atherosclerotic plaque (AP) formation, many aspects of this process remain elusive. Therefore, continuing efforts in this area should remain the highest priority in the coming years. Establishment of a standardised experimental pipeline and validation of lncRNAs as possible relevant biomarkers for cardiovascular disease would enable the translation of gathered findings into clinical practice.

Sirt1 antisense long non-coding RNA attenuates pulmonary fibrosis through sirt1-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Long noncoding RNAs sirt1 antisense (sirt1 AS) was reported to play crucial roles in the progression of organ fibrosis. However, the roles of sirt1 AS in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are still unknown. In addition, we have previously demonstrated that astragaloside IV (ASV), a bioactive saponin extract of the Astragalus root, significantly alleviates IPF by inhibiting transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Further investigations into the influence of ASV on lncRNAs expression will be helpful to delineate the complex regulatory networks underlying the biological function of ASV. Here, we found sirt1 AS expression was significantly decreased in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis. We further found that sirt1 AS effectively inhibited TGF-β1-meidated EMT in vitro and alleviated the progression of IPF in vivo. Mechanistically, sirt1 AS was validate to enhance the stability of sirt1 and increased sirt1 expression, thereby to inhibit EMT in IPF. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ASV treatment increased sirt1 AS expression and silencing of sirt1 AS impaired anti-fibrosis effects of ASV on IPF. Collectively, sirt1 AS was critical for ASV-mediated inhibition of IPF progression and targeting of sirt1 AS by ASV could be a potential therapeutic approach for IPF.

The Epigenetic Landscape of Vascular Calcification: An Integrative Perspective

Vascular calcification (VC) is an important complication among patients of advanced age, those with chronic kidney disease, and those with diabetes mellitus. The pathophysiology of VC encompasses passive occurrence of physico-chemical calcium deposition, active cellular secretion of osteoid matrix upon exposure to metabolically noxious stimuli, or a variable combination of both processes. Epigenetic alterations have been shown to participate in this complex environment, through mechanisms including DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, histone modifications, and chromatin changes. Despite such importance, existing reviews fail to provide a comprehensive view of all relevant reports addressing epigenetic processes in VC, and cross-talk between different epigenetic machineries is rarely examined. We conducted a systematic review based on PUBMED and MEDLINE databases up to 30 September 2019, to identify clinical, translational, and experimental reports addressing epigenetic processes in VC; we retrieved 66 original studies, among which 60.6% looked into the pathogenic role of non-coding RNA, followed by DNA methylation (12.1%), histone modification (9.1%), and chromatin changes (4.5%). Nine (13.6%) reports examined the discrepancy of epigenetic signatures between subjects or tissues with and without VC, supporting their applicability as biomarkers. Assisted by bioinformatic analyses blending in each epigenetic component, we discovered prominent interactions between microRNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modification regarding potential influences on VC risk.

Retracted Article: Knockdown of long non-coding RNA OIP5-AS1 suppresses cell proliferation and migration in ox-LDL-induced human vascular smooth muscle cells (hVMSCs) through targeting miR-152-3p/PAPPA axis

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNA Opa-interacting protein 5 antisense RNA 1 (OIP5-AS1) is associated with cellular behaviors among malignant tumors. However, the role of OIP5-AS1 in atherosclerosis remains largely undefined. The aim of this study was to explore the expression and role of OIP5-AS1 in a cell model of atherosclerosis, as well as the underlying mechanism. We found that expression of OIP5-AS1 was upregulated in human vascular smooth muscle cells (hVMSCs) under oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) administration, and knockdown of OIP5-AS1 suppressed cell viability (CCK-8) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein level in ox-LDL-treated hVMSCs, as well as inhibited cell migration rate (wound healing assay) and protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Mechanically, OIP5-AS1 functioned as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to positively regulate PAPPA expression through sponging miRNA-152-3p (miR-152), and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPPA) was identified as a downstream target gene for miR-152. Moreover, expression of miR-152 was downregulated and PAPPA was upregulated in ox-LDL-treated hVMSCs. Similarly to OIP5-AS1 knockdown, miR-215 overexpression could inhibit cell proliferation and migration of hVMSCs administrated by ox-LDL, which was abated by PAPPA upregulation. Moreover, miR-215 downregulation partially reversed the suppressive role of OIP5-AS1 knockdown as well. In conclusion, knockdown of OIP5-AS1 suppressed ox-LDL-treated hVMSC proliferation and migration presumably through targeting miR-152/PAPPA axis, suggesting a novel OIP5-AS1/miR-152/PAPPA pathway in atherogenesis.

Astragaloside IV inhibits oxidized low‑density lipoprotein‑induced endothelial damage via upregulation of miR‑140‑3p

Oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (ox‑LDL)‑mediated endothelial cell injury has an important role in the vascular complications of type 2 diabetes. Astragaloside IV (ASV) is an active component of Radix Astragali, which has been demonstrated to exert protective effects against endothelial damage. The present study explored whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in mediating the protective effects of ASV on ox‑LDL‑induced damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). RNA sequencing and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR analyses revealed that ox‑LDL treatment significantly downregulated miR‑140‑3p expression in HUVECs. miR‑140‑3p overexpression promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in ox‑LDL‑induced HUVECs. However, inhibition of miR‑140‑3p expression could reverse the effects of ASV on ox‑LDL‑induced HUVECs and reactivate ASV‑inhibited PI3K/Akt signaling in ox‑LDL‑induced HUVECs. In addition, Krüppel‑like factor 4 (KLF4) was identified as a target of miR‑140‑3p in ox‑LDL‑treated HUVECs. Subsequent experiments revealed that KLF4 overexpression partially counteracted the protective effects of miR‑140‑3p or ASV treatment in ox‑LDL‑induced HUVECs. Taken together, the current findings demonstrated that the protective effects of ASV on HUVECs were dependent on miR‑140‑3p upregulation and subsequent inhibition of KLF4 expression, which in turn suppressed the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The present results shed light to the molecular mechanism by which ASV alleviated ox‑LDL‑induced endothelial cell damage.

Effects of icariin on long noncoding RNA and mRNA expression profile in the aortas of apoE-deficient mice

Objective: The beneficial effects of icariin (ICA) in ameliorating atherosclerosis (AS) are well known, but the underlying protective mechanism has not been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate altered long noncosing RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA expression profiles in ApoE^−/− mice after ICA treatment.

Method: The atherosclerotic plaque area was evaluated on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced ApoE^−/− mice treated with either ICA or vehicle. LncRNA and mRNA integrated microarrays was performed on aortic tissues. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were utilized to explore the significant function and pathway of the differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs, global signal transduction network were constructed to select key mRNAs, and lncRNA–mRNA co-expression network was built to find out the interactions between lncRNA and mRNA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to further validate the expressions of selected lncRNAs and mRNAs.

Results: Administration of ICA significantly reduced plaque size after 12 weeks (P<0.05). A total of 1512 DE lncRNAs and 2059 DE mRNAs were identified. The mRNAs: protein kinase C, β (Prkcb), Cyp2c65, Mapk10, Calmodulin 5 (Calm5), Calmodulin-like 3 (Calml3) and Camk4 were selected as hub mRNAs, the correlated lncRNAs in co-expression network were identified as important regulatory lncRNAs. The identified target pairs such as lncRNA-NONMMUT000659/Prkcb may play critical roles in AS development mediated by ICA.

Conclusion: Taken together, our study highlights a panel of DE lncRNAs and mRNAs that could explain the molecular mechanism of ICA’s anti-atherosclerotic effects. The work lays a foundation for subsequent genes functional researches, which could contribute to provide new therapeutic targets for AS.

The therapeutic role of long non-coding RNAs in human diseases: A focus on the recent insights into autophagy

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a class of non-coding RNA with ≥200 nucleotides in length which are involved as critical regulators in various cellular processes. LncRNAs contribute to the development and progression of many human diseases. Autophagy is a key catabolic process which helps to maintain the cellular homeostasis through the decay of damaged or unwanted proteins and dysfunctional cytoplasmic organelles. The impairment of the autophagy process has been described in numerous diseases. The autophagy possess can have either a protective or a detrimental role in cells depending on its activation status and other cellular conditions. LncRNAs have been shown to have an important function in the regulation of important biological processes such as autophagy. The relationship between lncRNAs and autophagy has been shown to be involved in the progression and possibly in the prevention of many diseases. In this review, recent findings on the regulatory roles of lncRNAs in the cell autophagy pathway, as well as their relevance to different diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cerebral ischemic stroke and cancer are highlighted.