miR-146a attenuates apoptosis and modulates autophagy by targeting TAF9b/P53 pathway in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity

TNF-α-licensed exosome-integrated titaniumaccelerated T2D osseointegration by promoting autophagy-regulated M2 macrophage polarization

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is on a notable rise worldwide, which leads to unfavorable outcomes during implant treatments. Surface modification of implants and exosome treatment have been utilized to enhance osseointegration. However, there has been insufficient approach to improve adverse osseointegration in T2D conditions. In this study, we successfully loaded TNF-α-treated mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes onto micro/nano-network titanium (Ti) surfaces. TNF-α-licensed exosome-integrated titanium (TNF-exo-Ti) effectively enhanced M2 macrophage polarization in hyperglycemic conditions, with increased secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines and decreased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, TNF-exo-Ti pretreated macrophage further enhanced angiogenesis and osteogenesis of endothelial cells and bone marrow MSCs. More importantly, TNF-exo-Ti markedly promoted osseointegration in T2D mice. Mechanistically, TNF-exo-Ti activated macrophage autophagy to promote M2 polarization through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which could be abolished by PI3K agonist. Thus, this study established TNF-α-licensed exosome-immobilized titanium surfaces that could rectify macrophage immune states and accelerate osseointegration in T2D conditions.

Mechanisms of doxorubicin-induced cardiac inflammation and fibrosis; therapeutic targets and approaches

Doxorubicin plays a pivotal role in the treatment of various malignancies. Despite its efficacy, the cardiotoxicity associated with doxorubicin limits its clinical utility. The cardiotoxic nature of doxorubicin is attributed to several mechanisms, including its interference with mitochondrial function, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the subsequent damage to cardiomyocyte DNA, proteins, and lipids. Furthermore, doxorubicin disrupts the homeostasis of cardiac-specific transcription factors and signaling pathways, exacerbating cardiac dysfunction. Oxidative stress, cell death, and other severe changes, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, activation of pro-oxidant enzymes, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and infiltration of immune cells in the heart after treatment with doxorubicin, may cause inflammatory and fibrotic responses. Fibrosis and inflammation can lead to a range of disorders in the heart, resulting in potential cardiac dysfunction and disease. Various adjuvants have shown potential in preclinical studies to mitigate these challenges associated with cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. Antioxidants, plant-based products, specific inhibitors, and cardioprotective drugs may be recommended to alleviate cardiotoxicity. This review explores the complex mechanisms of doxorubicin-induced heart inflammation and fibrosis, identifies possible cellular and molecular targets, and investigates potential substances that could help reduce these harmful effects.

Swimming training attenuates doxorubicin induced cardiomyopathy by targeting the mir-17-3p/KEAP1/NRF2 axis

Doxorubicin (DOX), as a first-line anticancer drug, is widely used in the treatment of various cancers. However, its clinical application is restricted due to its severe cardiac toxicity. Previous studies have indicated exercise training can alleviate the DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Our research has discovered, post-exercise, an elevated expression level of mir-17-3p, but in DIC its level decreases. Therefore, we further studied the effect of exercise mir-17-3p axis on DIC. In vivo, we simulated DIC mouse model, followed by an intervention using swimming and adenovirus to inhibit mir-17-3p. We found that inhibition of mir-17-3p can weaken the protection of exercise against DIC, presenting as weakened heart function. Besides, the levels of Malondialdehyde and Fe2+ in the cardiac tissue increased, along with diminished glutathione peroxidase 4 and Solute Carrier Family 7 Member 11 levels, and a decline in the concentration of glutathione, causing an increase in ferroptosis. Moreover, in vitro, we used dual-luciferase assay to confirm that Kelch Like ECH Associated Protein 1 (KEAP1) can be a target gene of mir-17-3p. We used Keap1/NFE2 Like BZIP Transcription Factor 2 (NRF2) inhibitor brusatol and Stimulator of Interferon Response CGAMP Interactor 1 (STING) agonist SR-717 to verify the mir-17-3p/KEAP1 axis can affect the Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (CGAS)/STING pathway, leading to further ferroptosis in DIC. This manifested as a reduction in ferroptosis. In summary, our research suggests swimming training enhances the levels of mir-17-3p, thereby activating the KEAP1/NRF2 pathway, and weakening the CGAS/STING pathway, improving ferroptosis in DIC.

Precision Treatment of Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity: An Updated Review

OPINION STATEMENT

Anthracycline (ANT)-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) is a particularly prominent form of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity leading to the limitations of ANTs in clinical practice. Even though AIC has drawn particular attention, the best way to treat it is remaining unclear. Updates to AIC therapy have been made possible by recent developments in research on the underlying processes of AIC. We review the current molecular pathways leading to AIC: 1) oxidative stress (OS) including enzymatic-induced and other mechanisms; 2) topoisomerase; 3) inflammatory response; 4) cardiac progenitor cell damage; 5) epigenetic changes; 6) renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) dysregulation. And we systematically discuss current prevention and treatment strategies and novel pathogenesis-based therapies for AIC: 1) dose reduction and change; 2) altering drug delivery methods; 3) antioxidants, dexrezosen, statina, RAAS inhibitors, and hypoglycemic drugs; 4) miRNA, natural phytochemicals, mesenchymal stem cells, and cardiac progenitor cells. We also offer a fresh perspective on the management of AIC by outlining the current dilemmas and challenges associated with its prevention and treatment.

Research progress on the role and mechanism of Sirtuin family in doxorubicin cardiotoxicity

BACKGROUND

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely utilized anthracycline chemotherapy drug in cancer treatment, yet its efficacy is hindered by both short-term and long-term cardiotoxicity. Although oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction are established factors in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, the precise molecular pathways remain elusive. Further exploration of the pathogenesis and identification of novel molecular targets are imperative. Recent studies have implicated the Sirtuins family in various physiological and pathological processes, suggesting their potential in ameliorating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Moreover, research on Sirtuins has discovered small-molecule compounds or medicinal plants with regulatory effects, representing a notable advancement in preventing and treating DOX-induced cardiac injury.

PURPOSE

In this review, we delve into the pathogenesis of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and explore the therapeutic effects of Sirtuins in mitigating this condition, along with the associated molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we delineate the roles and mechanisms of small-molecule regulators of Sirtuins in the prevention and treatment of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

STUDY-DESIGN/METHODS

Data for this review were sourced from various scientific databases (such as Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct) up to March 2024. Search terms included "Sirtuins," "DOX-induced cardiotoxicity," "DOX," "Sirtuins regulators," "histone deacetylation," among others, as well as several combinations thereof.

RESULTS

Members of the Sirtuins family regulate both the onset and progression of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity through anti-inflammatory, antioxidative stress and anti-apoptotic mechanisms, as well as by maintaining mitochondrial stability. Moreover, natural plant-derived active compounds such as Resveratrol (RES), curcumin, berberine, along with synthetic small-molecule compounds like EX527, modulate the expression and activity of Sirtuins.

CONCLUSION

The therapeutic role of the Sirtuins family in mitigating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity represents a potential molecular target. However, further research is urgently needed to elucidate the relevant molecular mechanisms and to assess the safety and biological activity of Sirtuins regulators. This review offers an in-depth understanding of the therapeutic role of the Sirtuins family in mitigating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, providing a preliminary basis for the clinical application of Sirtuins regulators in this condition.

miR-92a-3p regulates ethanol-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes

The role of miR-92a-3p in the ethanol-induced apoptosis of H9c2 cardiomyocytes remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of miR-92a-3p in the ethanol-induced apoptosis of H9c2 cardiomyocytes and identified its target genes and signaling pathways. H9c2 cells were cultured with or without 100 mM ethanol for 24 h. The differential expression of miR-92a-3p was verified in H9c2 cells through reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). To manipulate the expression of miR-92a-3p, both a mimic and an inhibitor were transfected into H9c2 cells. An Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit and apoptosis-related antibodies were used for apoptosis detection through flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively. Target genes were verified through RT-qPCR, Western blotting, and double luciferase reporter gene assays. miR-92a-3p was significantly overexpressed in ethanol-stimulated H9c2 cardiomyocytes (P < 0.001). After ethanol stimulation, H9c2 myocardial cells exhibited increased apoptosis. The apoptosis rate was higher in the miR-92a-3p mimic group than in the control group. However, the apoptosis rate was lower in the miR-92a-3p inhibitor group than in the control group, indicating that miR-92a-3p promotes the ethanol-induced apoptosis of H9c2 myocardial cells. RT-qPCR and Western blotting revealed that the miR-92a-3p mimic and inhibitor significantly regulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 2 and cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein 3-like protein 2 (CREB3L2), suggesting that miR-92a-3p promotes the apoptosis of H9c2 cardiomyocytes by inhibiting the MSK2/CREB/Bcl-2 pathway. Therefore, the apoptosis of H9c2 cardiomyocytes increases after ethanol stimulation, and miR-92a-3p can directly target MSK2 and CREB3L2, thereby promoting the ethanol-induced apoptosis of H9c2 myocardial cells.

The potential role of SNHG16/ miRNA-146a/ TRAF6 signaling pathway in the protective effect of zoledronate against colorectal cancer and associated osteoporosis in mouse model

Bone fracture as a consequence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and associated osteoporosis (OP) is considered a risk factor for increasing the mortality rate among CRC patients. SNHG16/ miRNA-146a/ TRAF6 signaling pathway is a substantial contributor to neoplastic evolution, progression, and metastasis. Here, we investigated the effect of zoledronate (ZOL) on the growth of CRC and associated OP in a mouse model. Thirty Balb/c mice were divided into Naïve, azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), and ZOL groups. Body weight and small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) expression, microRNA-146a, and TRAF6 in bone, colon, and stool were investigated. Samples of colon and bone were collected and processed for light microscopic, immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin 20 (CK20), nuclear protein Ki67 (pKi-67), and caudal type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDx2) in colon and receptor activator of nuclear factor kB (RANK) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in bone. A computerized tomography (CT) scan of the femur and tibia was studied. ZOL produced a significant decrease in the expression of SNHG16 and TRAF6 and an increase in miRNA-146a in the colon and bone. ZOL administration improved the histopathological changes in the colon, produced a significant decrease in CK20 and Ki-67, and increased CDx2 expressions. In bone, ZOL prevented osteoporotic changes and tumour cell invasion produced a significant decrease in RANK and an increase in OPG expressions, alongside improved bone mineral density in CT scans. ZOL could be a promising preventive therapy against colitis-induced cancer and associated OP via modulation expression of SNHG16, miRNA-146a, and TRAF6.

The role and mechanism of epigenetics in anticancer drug-induced cardiotoxicity

Cardiovascular disease is the main factor contributing to the global burden of diseases, and the cardiotoxicity caused by anticancer drugs is an essential component that cannot be ignored. With the development of anticancer drugs, the survival period of cancer patients is prolonged; however, the cardiotoxicity caused by anticancer drugs is becoming increasingly prominent. Currently, cardiovascular disease has emerged as the second leading cause of mortality among long-term cancer survivors. Anticancer drug-induced cardiotoxicity has become a frontier and hot topic. The discovery of epigenetics has given the possibility of environmental changes in gene expression, protein synthesis, and traits. It has been found that epigenetics plays a pivotal role in promoting cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. In recent years, increasing studies have underscored the crucial roles played by epigenetics in anticancer drug-induced cardiotoxicity. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the role and mechanisms of epigenetics in anticancer drug-induced cardiotoxicity.

Crosstalk among Reactive Oxygen Species, Autophagy and Metabolism in Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Stages

Myocardial ischemia is the most common cardiovascular disease. Reperfusion, an important myocardial ischemia tool, causes unexpected and irreversible damage to cardiomyocytes, resulting in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Upon stress, especially oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), autophagy, which degrades the intracellular energy storage to produce metabolites that are recycled into metabolic pathways to buffer metabolic stress, is initiated during myocardial ischemia and MI/R injury. Excellent cardioprotective effects of autophagy regulators against MI and MI/R have been reported. Reversing disordered cardiac metabolism induced by ROS also exhibits cardioprotective action in patients with myocardial ischemia. Herein, we review current knowledge on the crosstalk between ROS, cardiac autophagy, and metabolism in myocardial ischemia and MI/R. Finally, we discuss the possible regulators of autophagy and metabolism that can be exploited to harness the therapeutic potential of cardiac metabolism and autophagy in the diagnosis and treatment of myocardial ischemia and MI/R.

Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Toxicities Induced by Cancer Therapies and Promising Biomarkers for Their Prediction: A Scoping Review

AIM

With the advancement of anti-cancer medicine, cardiovascular toxicities due to cancer therapies are common in oncology patients, resulting in increased mortality and economic burden. Cardiovascular toxicities caused by cancer therapies include different severities of cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, myocardial ischaemia, hypertension, and thrombosis, which may lead to left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. This scoping review aimed to summarise the mechanisms of cardiovascular toxicities following various anti-cancer treatments and potential predictive biomarkers for early detection.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were searched for original studies written in English related to the mechanisms of cardiovascular toxicity induced by anti-cancer therapies, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and relevant biomarkers. The search and title/abstract screening were conducted independently by two reviewers, and the final analysed full texts achieved the consensus of the two reviewers.

RESULTS

A total of 240 studies were identified based on their titles and abstracts. In total, 107 full-text articles were included in the analysis. Cardiomyocyte and endothelial cell apoptosis caused by oxidative stress injury, activation of cell apoptosis, blocking of normal cardiovascular protection signalling pathways, overactivation of immune cells, and myocardial remodelling were the main mechanisms. Promising biomarkers for anti-cancer therapies related to cardiovascular toxicity included placental growth factor, microRNAs, galectin-3, and myeloperoxidase for the early detection of cardiovascular toxicity.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the mechanisms of cardiovascular toxicity following various anti-cancer treatments could provide implications for future personalised treatment methods to protect cardiovascular function. Furthermore, specific early sensitive and stable biomarkers of cardiovascular system damage need to be identified to predict reversible damage to the cardiovascular system and improve the effects of anti-cancer agents.

Circulating MicroRNA as Biomarkers of Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity: JACC: CardioOncology State-of-the-Art Review

Close monitoring for cardiotoxicity during anthracycline chemotherapy is crucial for early diagnosis and therapy guidance. Currently, monitoring relies on cardiac imaging and serial measurement of cardiac biomarkers like cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptides. However, these conventional biomarkers are nonspecific indicators of cardiac damage. Exploring new, more specific biomarkers with a clear link to the underlying pathomechanism of cardiotoxicity holds promise for increased specificity and sensitivity in detecting early anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. miRNAs (microRNAs), small single-stranded, noncoding RNA sequences involved in epigenetic regulation, influence various physiological and pathological processes by targeting expression and translation. Emerging as new biomarker candidates, circulating miRNAs exhibit resistance to degradation and offer a direct pathomechanistic link. This review comprehensively outlines their potential as early biomarkers for cardiotoxicity and their pathomechanistic link.

The critical role and functional mechanism of microRNA-146a in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer among women is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of death worldwide. There many advances in diagnosing and treating this disease, early diagnosis and treatment are still a significant challenge in the early stages. In recent years, microRNAs have attracted much attention in cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the role of miR-146a in breast cancer is still controversial. We aimed to investigate the roles of miR-146a in apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

METHODS

A microarray dataset from the GEO database was selected, and using the GEO2R tool, the gene expression profile of this dataset was extracted. Then, the target scan database was used to explore the miR-146a target genes. The link between the signaling pathways was collected. We used miR-146a mimic, which was transfected to the MCF-7 cells to investigate the miR-146a roles in the apoptosis. The expression levels of miR-146a and BAX, BCL-2, and p-21(most essential genes in the apoptosis) were quantified by qPCR and western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Our findings indicated that doxorubicin induces miR-146a expression. In addition, overexpression of miR-146a affected MCF-7 cell viability, induced apoptosis, and led to reduced expression levels of BCL-2 and P-21, as well as increased BAX expression levels.

CONCLUSION

Considering the role of doxorubicin in inducing apoptosis and increasing the expression of miR-146a, it can be suggested that this miR is involved in inducing apoptosis in BC cells. In addition, miR-146a can be considered a therapeutic candidate.

DL-3-n-butylphthalide attenuates doxorubicin-induced acute cardiotoxicity via Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug known to cause dose-dependent myocardial toxicity, which limits its clinical potential. DL-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP), a substance extracted from celery seed species, has a number of pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic actions. However, whether NBP can protect against DOX-induced acute myocardial toxicity is still unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the potential protective effects of NBP against DOX-induced acute myocardial injury and its underlying mechanism. By injecting 15 mg/kg of DOX intraperitoneally, eight-week-old male C57BL6 mice suffered an acute myocardial injury. The treatment group of mice received 80 mg/kg NBP by gavage once daily for 14 days. To mimic the cardiotoxicity of DOX, 1uM DOX was administered to H9C2 cells in vitro. In comparison to the DOX group, the results showed that NBP improved cardiac function and decreased serum levels of cTnI, LDH, and CK-MB. Additionally, HE staining demonstrated that NBP attenuated cardiac fibrillar lysis and breakage in DOX-treated mouse hearts. Western blotting assay and immunofluorescence staining suggested that NBP attenuated DOX-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, NBP significantly upregulated the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, while the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 prevented NBP from protecting the myocardium from DOX-induced myocardial toxicity in vitro. In conclusion, Our results indicate that NBP alleviates DOX-induced myocardial toxicity by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Analysis and Validation of Critical Signatures and Immune Cell Infiltration Characteristics in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Integrating Bioinformatics and Machine Learning

Purpose

Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) is a severe side reaction in cancer chemotherapy that greatly impacts the well-being of cancer patients. Currently, there is still an insufficiency of effective and reliable biomarkers in the field of clinical practice for the early detection of DIC. This study aimed to determine and validate the potential diagnostic and predictive values of critical signatures in DIC.

Methods

We obtained high-throughput sequencing data from the GEO database and performed data analysis and visualization using R software, GO, KEGG and Cytoscape. Machine learning methods and weighted gene coexpression network (WGCNA) were used to identify key genes for diagnostic model construction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and a nomogram were used to assess their diagnostic values. A multiregulatory network was built to reveal the possible regulatory relationships of critical signatures. Cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcript (CIBERSORT) analysis was used to investigate differential immune cell infiltration. Additionally, a cell and animal model were constructed to investigate the relationship between the identified genes and DIC.

Results

Among the 3713 differentially expressed genes, three key genes (CSGALNACT1, ZNF296 and FANCB) were identified. A nomogram and ROC curves based on three key genes showed excellent diagnostic predictive performance. The regulatory network analysis showed that the TFs CREB1, EP300, FLI1, FOXA1, MAX, and MAZ modulated three key genes. An analysis of immune cell infiltration indicated that many immune cells (activated NK cells, M0 macrophages, activated dendritic cells and neutrophils) might be related to the progression of DIC. Furthermore, there may be various degrees of correlation between the three critical signatures and immune cells. RT‒qPCR demonstrated that the mRNA expression of CSGALNACT1 and ZNF296 was significantly upregulated, while FANCB was significantly downregulated in DOX-treated cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that the differential expression of CSGALNACT1, ZNF296 and FANCB is associated with cardiotoxicity and is also involved in immune cell infiltration in DIC. They might be potential biomarkers for the early occurrence of DIC.

Aging-Associated ALKBH5-m6A Modification Exacerbates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis Via AT-Rich Interaction Domain 2

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy-induced cardiovascular disease is a growing concern in the elderly population who have survived cancer, yet the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. We investigated the role of ALKBH5 (AlkB homolog 5), a primary N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase, and its involvement in m6A methylation-mediated regulation of targets in aging-associated doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To validate the relationship between doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and aging, we established young and old male mouse models. ALKBH5 expression was modulated through adeno-associated virus 9 (in vivo), Lentivirus, and siRNAs (in vitro) to examine its impact on cardiomyocyte m6A modification, doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction, and remodeling. We performed mRNA sequencing, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, and molecular assays to unravel the mechanism of ALKBH5-m6A modification in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Our data revealed an age-dependent increase in doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction, remodeling, and injury. ALKBH5 expression was elevated in aging mouse hearts, leading to reduced global m6A modification levels. Through mRNA sequencing and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing analyses, we identified ARID2 (AT-rich interaction domain 2) as the downstream effector of ALKBH5-m6A modulation in cardiomyocytes. Further investigations revealed that ARID2 modulates DNA damage response and enhances doxorubicin-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide insights into the role of ALKBH5-m6A modification in modulating doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction, remodeling, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in male mice. These results highlight the potential of ALKBH5-targeted treatments for elderly patients with cancer in clinical settings.

Inhibiting mir-34a-5p regulates doxorubicin-induced autophagy disorder and alleviates myocardial pyroptosis by targeting Sirt3-AMPK pathway

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a commonly used chemotherapy drug widely applied in various cancers such as breast cancer, leukemia, and sarcomas. However, its usage is limited by cardiotoxicity. Additionally, the cardiac toxicity of DOX accumulates with dose and duration, making it imperative to identify therapeutic targets for DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC). It has been reported that miRNAs are involved in the progression of DIC. Mir-34a-5p has been identified as an early diagnostic marker for DIC. While studies have shown the involvement of mir-34a-5p in DIC apoptosis, it has not been validated in animal models, nor has the potential improvement of DIC by inhibiting mir-34a-5p been confirmed. Autophagy and pyroptosis are key factors in the development of DIC and can serve as therapeutic targets for its treatment. In this study, we found that mir-34a-5p was upregulated in the heart after DOX treatment and that the inhibition of mir-34-5p reduced autophagy and pyroptosis in DIC. We also found that the inhibition of mir-34a-5p inhibited pyroptosis by regulating autophagy and reducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Moreover, we identified Sirtuin3 (Sirt3) as a target gene of mir-34a-5p using a double-luciferase reporter assay. overexpression Sirt3 reduced pyroptosis by alleviating autophagy. Our research findings suggest that inhibiting mir-34a-5p has a beneficial role in alleviating autophagy and pyroptosis in DIC. This provides therapeutic prospects for treating DIC.

Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals the Role of Sigma-1 Receptor in a Takotsubo-like Cardiomyopathy Model

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a stress-induced cardiomyopathy that presents with sudden onset of chest pain and dyspneic and cardiac dysfunction as a result of extreme physical or emotional stress. The sigma-1 receptor (Sigmar1) is a ligand-dependent molecular chaperone that is postulated to be involved in various processes related to cardiovascular disease. However, the role of Sigmar1 in TTS remains unresolved. In this study, we established a mouse model of TTS using wild-type and Sigmar1 knockout mice to investigate the involvement of Sigmar1 in TTS development. Our results revealed that Sigmar1 knockout exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, with a noticeable decrease in ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) compared to the wild-type model. In terms of the gut microbiome, we observed regulation of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes ratios; suppression of probiotic Lactobacillus growth; and a rise in pathogenic bacterial species, such as Colidextribacter. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses further suggested that Sigmar1 plays a role in regulating tryptophan metabolism and several signaling pathways, including MAPK, HIF-1, calcium signaling, and apoptosis pathways, which may be crucial in TTS pathogenesis. These findings offer valuable insight into the function of Sigmar1 in TTS, and this receptor may represent a promising therapeutic target for TTS.

Doxorubicin-mediated cardiac dysfunction: Revisiting molecular interactions, pharmacological compounds and (nano)theranostic platforms

Although chemotherapy drugs are extensively utilized in cancer therapy, their administration for treatment of patients has faced problems that regardless of chemoresistance, increasing evidence has shown concentration-related toxicity of drugs. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a drug used in treatment of solid and hematological tumors, and its function is based on topoisomerase suppression to impair cancer progression. However, DOX can also affect the other organs of body and after chemotherapy, life quality of cancer patients decreases due to the side effects. Heart is one of the vital organs of body that is significantly affected by DOX during cancer chemotherapy, and this can lead to cardiac dysfunction and predispose to development of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis, among others. The exposure to DOX can stimulate apoptosis and sometimes, pro-survival autophagy stimulation can ameliorate this condition. Moreover, DOX-mediated ferroptosis impairs proper function of heart and by increasing oxidative stress and inflammation, DOX causes cardiac dysfunction. The function of DOX in mediating cardiac toxicity is mediated by several pathways that some of them demonstrate protective function including Nrf2. Therefore, if expression level of such protective mechanisms increases, they can alleviate DOX-mediated cardiac toxicity. For this purpose, pharmacological compounds and therapeutic drugs in preventing DOX-mediated cardiotoxicity have been utilized and they can reduce side effects of DOX to prevent development of cardiovascular diseases in patients underwent chemotherapy. Furthermore, (nano)platforms are used comprehensively in treatment of cardiovascular diseases and using them for DOX delivery can reduce side effects by decreasing concentration of drug. Moreover, when DOX is loaded on nanoparticles, it is delivered into cells in a targeted way and its accumulation in healthy organs is prevented to diminish its adverse impacts. Hence, current paper provides a comprehensive discussion of DOX-mediated toxicity and subsequent alleviation by drugs and nanotherapeutics in treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

The Role of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Pathogenesis of Cardiotoxicity: Diagnostic & Prognostic Approach

Cancer is one of the diseases, which it is not still completely curable; the existing treatments are associated with many complications, that double its complexity. One of the causes of cancer cell metastasis is Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Recently study demonstrated that EMT cause cardiotoxicity and heart diseases such as heart failure, hypertrophy and fibrosis. This study evaluated molecular and signaling pathway, which lead to cardiotoxicity via EMT. It was demonstrated that the processes of inflammation, oxidative stress and angiogenesis were involved in EMT and cardiotoxicity. The pathways related to these processes act as a double-edged sword. In relation to inflammation and oxidative stress, molecular pathways caused apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and cardiotoxicity induction. While the angiogenesis process inhibits cardiotoxicity despite the progression of EMT. On the other hand, some molecular pathways such as PI3K/mTOR despite causing the progression of EMT lead to the proliferation of cardiomyocytes and prevent cardiotoxicity. Therefore, it was concluded that the identification of molecular pathways can help in designing therapeutic and preventive strategies to increase patients' survival.

Non-coding RNAs, cancer treatment and cardiotoxicity: A triad of new hope

The global health landscape has experienced a shift towards non-communicable diseases, with cardiovascular diseases and cancer as leading causes of mortality. Although advancements in healthcare have led to an increase in life expectancy, they have concurrently resulted in a greater burden of chronic health conditions. Unintended consequences of anticancer therapies on various tissues, particularly the cardiovascular system, contribute to elevated morbidity and mortality rates that are not directly attributable to cancer. Consequently, the field of cardio-oncology has emerged to address the prevalence of CVD in cancer survivors and the cardiovascular toxicity associated with cancer therapies. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been found to play a crucial role in early diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics within the realm of cardio-oncology. This comprehensive review evaluates the risk assessment of cancer survivors concerning the acquisition of adverse cardiovascular consequences, investigates the association of ncRNAs with CVD in patients undergoing cancer treatment, and delves into the role of ncRNAs in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CVD in patients with a history of anti-cancer therapy. A thorough understanding of the pathogenesis of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular disease and the involvement of ncRNAs in cardio-oncology will enable healthcare professionals to provide anticancer treatment with minimized cardiovascular side effects, thereby improving patient outcomes. Ultimately, this comprehensive analysis aims to provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between cancer and cardiovascular diseases, facilitating the development of more effective diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive strategies in the burgeoning field of cardio-oncology.

GDCL-NcDA: identifying non-coding RNA-disease associations via contrastive learning between deep graph learning and deep matrix factorization

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) draw much attention from studies widely in recent years because they play vital roles in life activities. As a good complement to wet experiment methods, computational prediction methods can greatly save experimental costs. However, high false-negative data and insufficient use of multi-source information can affect the performance of computational prediction methods. Furthermore, many computational methods do not have good robustness and generalization on different datasets. In this work, we propose an effective end-to-end computing framework, called GDCL-NcDA, of deep graph learning and deep matrix factorization (DMF) with contrastive learning, which identifies the latent ncRNA-disease association on diverse multi-source heterogeneous networks (MHNs). The diverse MHNs include different similarity networks and proven associations among ncRNAs (miRNAs, circRNAs, and lncRNAs), genes, and diseases. Firstly, GDCL-NcDA employs deep graph convolutional network and multiple attention mechanisms to adaptively integrate multi-source of MHNs and reconstruct the ncRNA-disease association graph. Then, GDCL-NcDA utilizes DMF to predict the latent disease-associated ncRNAs based on the reconstructed graphs to reduce the impact of the false-negatives from the original associations. Finally, GDCL-NcDA uses contrastive learning (CL) to generate a contrastive loss on the reconstructed graphs and the predicted graphs to improve the generalization and robustness of our GDCL-NcDA framework. The experimental results show that GDCL-NcDA outperforms highly related computational methods. Moreover, case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of GDCL-NcDA in identifying the associations among diversiform ncRNAs and diseases.

The effects and mechanism of LncRNA NORAD on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity

In recent years, the role and mechanism of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) in cardiovascular diseases have received increasing attention. The chemotherapy agent, doxorubicin (DOX), is one of the most effective drugs for various cancers, but its efficacy is limited by its cardiotoxicity. Therefore, further exploration is required for the molecular mechanism of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. This study intended to investigate the role of LncRNA Non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, for which we adopted the AC16 human cardiomyocyte cell line for the exploration. The results showed that LncRNA NORAD knockdown could increase DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial ROS level. LncRNA NORAD overexpression obtained reverse results, which further validated its role in DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial ROS level. Moreover, cardiotoxicity was induced in both LncRNA NORAD-knockout and wild-type mice with DOX, showing that gene knockout aggravated pathologic lesions in the myocardial tissues of mice. Taken together, LncRNA NORAD affected DOX-induced cardiotoxicity via mitochondrial apoptosis, fission (PUM-MFF), and autophagy (p53-Parkin) pathways both in vivo and in vitro. AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIALS: The datasets of this study are available on request to the corresponding author.

NONHSAT098487.2 protects cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress injury by regulating the Notch pathway

Acute myocardial infarction has increasingly become a global health problem and is a primary cause of cardiovascular disease-related death. Although long noncoding RNAs have been reported to play an important role in various cardiovascular diseases, their protective effects on cardiomyocytes against reactive oxygen species-induced oxidative injury have nonetheless been poorly studied. The present study aims to explore the effect of a novel long noncoding RNA, NONHSAT098487.2, on cardiomyocyte injury induced by H2O2. The expression of NONHSAT098487.2 and pathway-related genes was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability, release of lactate dehydrogenase, and apoptosis levels were detected by cell counting kit-8, lactate dehydrogenase release assay, and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The protein levels were estimated by western blotting. The results showed that NONHSAT098487.2 was expressed at a high level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from acute myocardial infarction patients, which showed a positive correlation with the HS-TnT and CK-MB levels of patients. Furthermore, it is also upregulated in human AC16 cardiomyocytes treated with H2O2 or exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation conditions. Knockdown of NONHSAT098487.2 restrained the Notch signalling pathway and aggravated H2O2-induced cardiomyocyte oxidative stress injury. In contrast, overexpression of NONHSAT098487.2 activated the Notch signalling pathway and suppressed H2O2-induced oxidative stress injury. However, the Notch inhibitor DAPT weakened the protective effects of NONHSAT098487.2. Therefore, the novel lncRNA NONHSAT098487.2 may play a role in protecting cardiomyocytes from oxidative stress injury by regulating the Notch pathway.

p53 at the Crossroads between Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity and Resistance: A Nutritional Balancing Act

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a highly effective chemotherapeutic drug, but its long-term use can cause cardiotoxicity and drug resistance. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that p53 is directly involved in DOX toxicity and resistance. One of the primary causes for DOX resistance is the mutation or inactivation of p53. Moreover, because the non-specific activation of p53 caused by DOX can kill non-cancerous cells, p53 is a popular target for reducing toxicity. However, the reduction in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) via p53 suppression is often at odds with the antitumor advantages of p53 reactivation. Therefore, in order to increase the effectiveness of DOX, there is an urgent need to explore p53-targeted anticancer strategies owing to the complex regulatory network and polymorphisms of the p53 gene. In this review, we summarize the role and potential mechanisms of p53 in DIC and resistance. Furthermore, we focus on the advances and challenges in applying dietary nutrients, natural products, and other pharmacological strategies to overcome DOX-induced chemoresistance and cardiotoxicity. Lastly, we present potential therapeutic strategies to address key issues in order to provide new ideas for increasing the clinical use of DOX and improving its anticancer benefits.

Delivery of mitochondria confers cardioprotection through mitochondria replenishment and metabolic compliance

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of heart failure. Mitochondrial transplantation has been demonstrated to be able to restore heart function, but its mechanism of action remains unresolved. Using an in-house optimized mitochondrial isolation method, we tested efficacy of mitochondria transplantation in two different heart failure models. First, using a doxorubicin-induced heart failure model, we demonstrate that mitochondrial transplantation before doxorubicin challenge protects cardiac function in vivo and prevents myocardial apoptosis, but contraction improvement relies on the metabolic compatibility between transplanted mitochondria and treated cardiomyocytes. Second, using a mutation-driven dilated cardiomyopathic human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte model, we demonstrate that mitochondrial transplantation preferentially boosts contraction in the ventricular myocytes. Last, using single-cell RNA-seq, we show that mitochondria transplantation boosts contractility in dystrophic cardiomyocytes with few transcriptomic alterations. Together, we provide evidence that mitochondria transplantation confers myocardial protection and may serve as a potential therapeutic option for heart failure.

The Imbalance of p53-Park7 Signaling Axis Induces Iron Homeostasis Dysfunction in Doxorubicin-Challenged Cardiomyocytes

Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity (DoIC) is a major side effect for cancer patients. Recently, ferroptosis, triggered by iron overload, is demonstrated to play a role in DoIC. How iron homeostasis is dysregulated in DoIC remains to be elucidated. Here, the authors demonstrate that DOX challenge exhibits reduced contractile function and induction of ferroptosis-related phenotype in cardiomyocytes, evidenced by iron overload, lipid peroxide accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Compared to Ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) induced secondary iron overload, DOX-challenged cardiomyocytes show a dysfunction of iron homeostasis, with decreased cytoplasmic and mitochondrial iron-sulfur (FeS) cluster-mediated aconitase activity and abnormal expression of iron homeostasis-related proteins. Mechanistically, mass spectrometry analysis identified DOX-treatment induces p53-dependent degradation of Parkinsonism associated deglycase (Park7) which results in iron homeostasis dysregulation. Park7 counteracts iron overload by regulating iron regulatory protein family transcription while blocking mitochondrial iron uptake. Knockout of p53 or overexpression of Park7 in cardiomyocytes remarkably restores the activity of FeS cluster and iron homeostasis, inhibits ferroptosis, and rescues cardiac function in DOX treated animals. These results demonstrate that the iron homeostasis plays a key role in DoIC ferroptosis. Targeting of the newly identified p53-Park7 signaling axis may provide a new approach to prevent DoIC.

miR-21-5p prevents doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by downregulating BTG2

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis has been characterized as one of the major mechanisms underlying doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiomyopathy. MicroRNA-21-5p (miR-21-5p) was reported to mitigate ischemia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac injury. However, to our knowledge, the functional role of miR-21-5p in DOX-induced cardiomyopathy is unclear. In this study, we explored the role of miR-21-5p in DOX-induced cardiac injury. The expression level of miR-21-5p was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the potential target gene of miR-21-5p. The apoptosis rate of NRCMs was detected by TUNEL staining assay. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase3, cleaved-Caspase3 and BTG2. For animal studies, mice were injected with AAV9-miR-21-5p or AAV9-Empty viruses, and treated with DOX at a dose of 5 mg/kg per week through intraperitoneally administration. After 4 weeks of DOX treatment, mice were subjected to echocardiography to measure the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS). Results showed that miR-21-5p was upregulated in both DOX-treated primary cardiomyocytes and mouse heart tissues. Interestingly, enhanced miR-21-5p expression inhibited DOX-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress, while decreased miR-21-5p expression promoted cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress. Furthermore, cardiac overexpression of miR-21-5p protected against DOX-induced cardiac injury. The mechanistic study indicated that BTG2 was a target gene of miR-21-5p. The anti-apoptotic effect of miR-21-5p could be inhibited by BTG2 overexpression. Conversely, inhibition of BTG2 rescued the pro-apoptotic effect of miR-21-5p inhibitor. Taken together, our study showed that miR-21-5p could prevent DOX-induced cardiomyopathy by downregulating BTG2.

In vitro wheat protoplast cytotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics

Nanoplastics are an emerging environmental pollutant, having a potential risk to the terrestrial ecosystem. In the natural environment, almost all the micro-or nano-plastics will be aged by many factors and their characterizations of the surface will be modified. However, the toxicity and mechanism of the modified polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) to plant cells are not clear. In the study, the amino- and carboxyl-modified PS-NPs with different sizes (20 and 200 nm) were selected as the typical representatives to investigate their effects on protoplast cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the cell and the leakage of cell-inclusion and apoptosis. The results indicated that the 20 nm amino-modified PS-NPs (PS-20A) could significantly damage the structure of the cell, especially the cell membrane, chloroplast and mitochondrion. After being modified by amino group, smaller size nanoplastics had the potential to cause more severe damage. In addition, compared with carboxyl-modified PS-NPs, the amino-modified PS-NPs induced more ROS production and caused higher membrane permeability/lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. Apoptosis assay indicated that the proportion of viable cells in the PS-20A treatment decreased significantly, and the proportion of necrotic cells increased by four times. This study provides new insights into the toxicity and damage mechanism of PS-NPs to terrestrial vascular plants at the cellular level, and guides people to pay attention to the quality and safety of agricultural products caused by nanoplastics.

The role of autophagy in cardiovascular disease: Cross-interference of signaling pathways and underlying therapeutic targets

Autophagy is a conserved lysosomal pathway for the degradation of cytoplasmic proteins and organelles, which realizes the metabolic needs of cells and the renewal of organelles. Autophagy-related genes (ATGs) are the main molecular mechanisms controlling autophagy, and their functions can coordinate the whole autophagic process. Autophagy can also play a role in cardiovascular disease through several key signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, IGF/EGF, AMPK/mTOR, MAPKs, p53, Nrf2/p62, Wnt/β-catenin and NF-κB pathways. In this paper, we reviewed the signaling pathway of cross-interference between autophagy and cardiovascular diseases, and analyzed the development status of novel cardiovascular disease treatment by targeting the core molecular mechanism of autophagy as well as the critical signaling pathway. Induction or inhibition of autophagy through molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways can provide therapeutic benefits for patients. Meanwhile, we hope to provide a unique insight into cardiovascular treatment strategies by understanding the molecular mechanism and signaling pathway of crosstalk between autophagy and cardiovascular diseases.

Grpel2 maintains cardiomyocyte survival in diabetic cardiomyopathy through DLST-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction: a proof-of-concept study

BACKGROUND

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been considered as a major threat to health in individuals with diabetes. GrpE-like 2 (Grpel2), a nucleotide exchange factor, has been shown to regulate mitochondrial import process to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. However, the effect and mechanism of Grpel2 in DCM remain unknown.

METHODS

The streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DCM mice model and high glucose (HG)-treated cardiomyocytes were established. Overexpression of cardiac-specific Grpel2 was performed by intramyocardial injection of adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9). Bioinformatics analysis, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), transcriptomics profiling and functional experiments were used to explore molecular mechanism of Grpel2 in DCM.

RESULTS

Here, we found that Grpel2 was decreased in DCM induced by STZ. Overexpression of cardiac-specific Grpel2 alleviated cardiac dysfunction and structural remodeling in DCM. In both diabetic hearts and HG-treated cardiomyocytes, Grpel2 overexpression attenuated apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, including decreased mitochondrial ROS production, increased mitochondrial respiratory capacities and increased mitochondrial membrane potential. Mechanistically, Grpel2 interacted with dihydrolipoyl succinyltransferase (DLST), which positively mediated the import process of DLST into mitochondria under HG conditions. Furthermore, the protective effects of Grpel2 overexpression on mitochondrial function and cell survival were blocked by siRNA knockdown of DLST. Moreover, Nr2f6 bond to the Grpel2 promoter region and positively regulated its transcription.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides for the first time evidence that Grpel2 overexpression exerts a protective effect against mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in DCM by maintaining the import of DLST into mitochondria. These findings suggest that targeting Grpel2 might be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with DCM.

MicroRNAs target the PI3K/Akt/p53 and the Sirt1/Nrf2 signaling pathways in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity

Doxorubicin (DOX) is used as a chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of solid tumors. Irreversible cardiotoxicity is the major limitation in the clinical use of DOX. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) with diversified functions are identified that participate in exacerbating or suppressing DOX-induced cardiac damage. The miRNAs are small noncoding regulatory RNAs that modify the expression of the native genes. Studies have demonstrated that miRNAs by modifying the expression of proteins such as PTEN, Akt, and survivin can affect DOX-induced cardiac apoptosis. Moreover, miRNAs can modulate cardiac oxidative stress in DOX treatment through the posttranscriptional regulation of Sirt1, p66shc, and Nrf2 expressions. This manuscript has reviewed the regulation of the PI3K/Akt/p53 and the Sirt1/Nrf2 pathways by miRNAs in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Daidzein ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury by inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis in rats

Backgrounds: Doxorubicin (Dox) is a classical antitumor antibiotic widely restricted for use due to its cardiotoxicity. Daidzein (Daid) is a soy isoflavone that enhances antioxidant enzyme systems and inhibits apoptosis to prevent cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we intended to assess whether Daid protects against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity and explored its underlying mechanisms. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into five groups: control (Ctrl), 40 mg per kg per day Daidzein (Daid), 3 mg per kg per week doxorubicin (Dox), 20 mg per kg per day Daidzein + 3 mg per kg per week doxorubicin (Daid20 + Dox) and 40 mg per kg per day Daidzein + 3 mg per kg per week doxorubicin (Daid40 + Dox) groups. Cardiac function assessments, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) analyses were initially performed in each group of rats. Secondly, the cell proliferative capacity analysis, AO staining, and LC3 puncta analysis were employed to evaluate the cellular response to Dox in H9c2 cells. Ultimately, the protein expressions of cleaved caspase3, LC3 II, Bcl-2, Bax, Akt, p-Akt, and cyclin D1 were examined by western blotting. Results: Pretreatment with a low dose of Daid rather than a high dose significantly enhanced cardiac function and alleviated histopathological deterioration of cardiomyocytes induced by Dox. Daid downregulated the protein levels of Bax, LC3 II, cleaved caspase3 and p-Akt, while up-regulating Bcl-2 and cyclin D1. The Akt agonist SC79 could invalidate all the protective effects of Daid both in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions: Daid reduced autophagy and apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway, thereby protecting the hearts from Dox-induced cardiac damage.

Magnesium hexacyanoferrate nanocatalysts attenuate chemodrug-induced cardiotoxicity through an anti-apoptosis mechanism driven by modulation of ferrous iron

Distressing and lethal cardiotoxicity is one of the major severe side effects of using anthracycline drugs such as doxorubicin for cancer chemotherapy. The currently available strategy to counteract these side effects relies on the administration of cardioprotective agents such as Dexrazoxane, which unfortunately has unsatisfactory efficacy and produces secondary myelosuppression. In the present work, aiming to target the characteristic ferrous iron overload in the doxorubicin-contaminated cardiac microenvironment, a biocompatible nanomedicine prepared by the polyvinylpyrrolidone-directed assembly of magnesium hexacyanoferrate nanocatalysts is designed and constructed for highly efficient intracellular ferrous ion capture and antioxidation. The synthesized magnesium hexacyanoferrate nanocatalysts display prominent superoxide radical dismutation and catalytic H₂O₂ decomposition activities to eliminate cytotoxic radical species. Excellent in vitro and in vivo cardioprotection from these magnesium hexacyanoferrate nanocatalysts are demonstrated, and the underlying intracellular ferrous ion traffic regulation mechanism has been explored in detail. The marked cardioprotective effect and biocompatibility render these magnesium hexacyanoferrate nanocatalysts to be highly promising and clinically transformable cardioprotective agents that can be employed during cancer treatment.

FUNDC1 protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyocyte PANoptosis through stabilizing mtDNA via interaction with TUFM

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anthracycline chemotherapeutic anticancer drug with its life-threatening cardiotoxicity severely limiting its clinical application. Mitochondrial damage-induced cardiomyocyte death is considered an essential cue for DOX cardiotoxicity. FUN14 domain containing 1 (FUNDC1) is a mitochondrial membrane protein participating in the regulation of mitochondrial integrity in multiple diseases although its role in DOX cardiomyopathy remains elusive. Here, we examined whether PANoptosis, a novel type of programmed cell death closely associated with mitochondrial damage, was involved in DOX-induced heart injury, and FUNDC1-mediated regulation of cardiomyocyte PANoptosis, if any. FUNDC1 was downregulated in heart tissues in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and DOX-challenged mice. FUNDC1 deficiency aggravated DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction, mitochondrial injury, and cardiomyocyte PANoptosis. Further examination revealed that FUNDC1 countered cytoplasmic release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and activation of PANoptosome through interaction with mitochondrial Tu translation elongation factor (TUFM), a key factor in the translational expression and repair of mitochondrial DNA, via its 96-133 amino acid domain. TUFM intervention reversed FUNDC1-elicited protection against DOX-induced mtDNA cytosolic release and cardiomyocyte PANoptosis. Our findings shed light toward a beneficial role of FUNDC1 in DOX cardiotoxicity and cardiomyocyte PANoptosis, thus offering therapeutic promises in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

MicroRNA-124-3p promotes apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells by down-regulating CREBRF

OBJECTIVE

This research was performed to dissect the influence of microRNA (miR)-124-3p on the apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells and clarify its specific mechanism.

METHODS

RT-PCR and western blot were utilized to determine miR-124-3p and CREBRF expression in U251 and T98 cells. After loss- and gain-of-function assays in U251 and T98 cells, glioma cell proliferation, autophagy, and apoptosis were measured by MTT assay, western blot, and flow cytometry, respectively. The relationship between miR-124-3p and CREBRF was examined by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The levels of AKT pathway-related proteins were detected by western blot.

RESULTS

MiR-124-3p was lowly expressed and CREBRF was highly expressed in U251 and T98 cells. Overexpression of miR-124-3p or knockdown of CREBRF enhanced apoptosis and autophagy and diminished proliferation of glioma cells. MiR-124-3p negatively targeted CREBRF. MiR-124-3p up-regulation repressed proliferation and facilitated apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells by diminishing CREBRF expression and blocking the AKT pathway.

CONCLUSION

MiR-124-3p accelerates apoptosis and autophagy of glioma cells via CREBRF.

MicroRNAs in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity: The DNA damage response

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapeutic drug widely used for cancer treatment, but its use is limited by cardiotoxicity. Although free radicals from redox cycling and free cellular iron have been predominant as the suggested primary pathogenic mechanism, novel evidence has pointed to topoisomerase II inhibition and resultant genotoxic stress as the more fundamental mechanism. Recently, a growing list of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been implicated in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). This review summarizes miRNAs reported in the recent literature in the context of DIC. A particular focus is given to miRNAs that regulate cellular responses downstream to DOX-induced DNA damage, especially p53 activation, pro-survival signaling pathway inhibition (e.g., AMPK, AKT, GATA-4, and sirtuin pathways), mitochondrial dysfunction, and ferroptosis. Since these pathways are potential targets for cardioprotection against DOX, an understanding of how miRNAs participate is necessary for developing future therapies.

DAESTB: inferring associations of small molecule-miRNA via a scalable tree boosting model based on deep autoencoder

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are closely related to a variety of human diseases, not only regulating gene expression, but also having an important role in human life activities and being viable targets of small molecule drugs for disease treatment. Current computational techniques to predict the potential associations between small molecule and miRNA are not that accurate. Here, we proposed a new computational method based on a deep autoencoder and a scalable tree boosting model (DAESTB), to predict associations between small molecule and miRNA. First, we constructed a high-dimensional feature matrix by integrating small molecule-small molecule similarity, miRNA-miRNA similarity and known small molecule-miRNA associations. Second, we reduced feature dimensionality on the integrated matrix using a deep autoencoder to obtain the potential feature representation of each small molecule-miRNA pair. Finally, a scalable tree boosting model is used to predict small molecule and miRNA potential associations. The experiments on two datasets demonstrated the superiority of DAESTB over various state-of-the-art methods. DAESTB achieved the best AUC value. Furthermore, in three case studies, a large number of predicted associations by DAESTB are confirmed with the public accessed literature. We envision that DAESTB could serve as a useful biological model for predicting potential small molecule-miRNA associations.

SIRT1 activation and its effect on intercalated disc proteins as a way to reduce doxorubicin cardiotoxicity

According to the World Health Organization, the neoplasm is one of the main reasons for morbidity and mortality worldwide. At the same time, application of cytostatic drugs like an independent type of cancer treatment and in combination with surgical methods, is often associated with the development of cardiovascular complications both in the early and in the delayed period of treatment. Doxorubicin (DOX) is the most commonly used cytotoxic anthracycline antibiotic. DOX can cause both acute and delayed side effects. The problem is still not solved, as evidenced by the continued activity of researchers in terms of developing approaches for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular complications. It is known, the heart muscle consists of cardiomyocytes connected by intercalated discs (ID), which ensure the structural, electrical, metabolic unity of the heart. Various defects in the ID proteins can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases of various etiologies, including DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. The search for ways to influence the functioning of ID proteins of the cardiac muscle can become the basis for the creation of new therapeutic approaches to the treatment and prevention of cardiac pathologies. SIRT1 may be an interesting cardioprotective variant due to its wide functional significance. SIRT1 activation triggers nuclear transcription programs that increase the efficiency of cellular, mitochondrial metabolism, increases resistance to oxidative stress, and promotes cell survival. It can be assumed that SIRT1 can not only provide a protective effect at the cardiomyocytes level, leading to an improvement in mitochondrial and metabolic functions, reducing the effects of oxidative stress and inflammatory processes, but also have a protective effect on the functioning of IDs structures of the cardiac muscle.

Gasdermin D mediates endoplasmic reticulum stress via FAM134B to regulate cardiomyocyte autophagy and apoptosis in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity

Cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and apoptosis play a vital role in the pathophysiology of several cardiovascular diseases. Our recent study revealed that gasdermin D (GSDMD) can promote myocardial I/R injury via the caspase-11/GSDMD pathway. We also found that GSDMD deletion attenuated myocardial I/R and MI injury by reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis and pyroptosis. However, how GSDMD mediates cardiomyocyte apoptosis and protects myocardial function remains unclear. Here, we found that doxorubicin (DOX) treatment resulted in increased apoptosis and pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes and that caspase-11/GSDMD could mediate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) injury. Interestingly, GSDMD overexpression promoted cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which was attenuated by GSDMD knockdown. Notably, GSDMD overexpression exacerbated DIC injury, impaired cardiac function in vitro and in vivo, and enhanced DOX-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy. Mechanistically, GSDMD regulated the activity of FAM134B, an endoplasmic reticulum autophagy receptor, by pore formation on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane via its N-terminus, thus activating endoplasmic reticulum stress. In turn, FAM134B interacted with autophagic protein LC3, thus inducing cardiac autophagy, promoting cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and aggravating DIC. These results suggest that GSDMD promotes autophagy and induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis by modulating the reaction of FAM134B and LC3, thereby promoting DIC injury. Targeted regulation of GSDMD may be a new target for the prevention and treatment of DIC.

Qishen Granule Protects against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Coordinating MDM2-p53-Mediated Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Biogenesis

Doxorubicin (DOX), the anthracycline chemotherapeutic agent, is widely used for the treatment of various cancers. However, its clinical application is compromised by dose-dependent and fatal cardiotoxicity. This study is aimed at investigating the cardioprotective effects of Qishen granule (QSG) and the specific mechanism by which QSG alleviates DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) and providing an alternative for the treatment of DIC. We first evaluated the cardioprotective effects of QSG in a DIC mouse model, and the obtained results showed that QSG significantly protected against DOX-induced myocardial structural and functional damage, mitochondrial oxidative damage, and apoptosis. Subsequently, after a comprehensive understanding of the specific roles and recent developments of p53-mediated mitochondrial quality control mechanisms in DIC, we investigated whether QSG acted on MDM2 to regulate the activity of p53 and downstream mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. The in vivo results showed that DOX inhibited mitochondrial biogenesis and blocked mitophagy in the mouse myocardium, while QSG reversed these effects. Mechanistically, we combined nutlin-3, which inhibits the binding of p53 and MDM2, with DOX and QSG and evaluated their influence on mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis in H9C2 cardiomyocytes. The obtained results showed that both DOX and nutlin-3 substantially inhibited mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis and induced mitochondrial oxidative damage and apoptosis, which could be partially recovered by QSG. Importantly, the immunoprecipitation results showed that QSG promoted the binding of MDM2 to p53, thus decreasing the level of p53 protein and the binding of p53 to Parkin. Collectively, QSG could promote the degradation of p53 by enhancing the binding of MDM2 to the p53 protein, resulting in the reduced binding of p53 to the Parkin protein, thus improving Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Increased degradation of p53 protein by QSG simultaneously enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis mediated by PGC-1α. Ultimately, QSG relieved DOX-induced mitochondrial oxidative damage and apoptosis by coordinating mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis.

Down-regulated miR-146a expression with increased neutrophil extracellular traps and apoptosis formation in autoimmune-mediated diffuse alveolar hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidences have suggested an important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating cell death processes including NETosis and apoptosis. Dysregulated expression of miRNAs and increased formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and apoptosis participate in autoimmune-mediated diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), mostly associated with pulmonary capillaritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. In particular, besides the inhibition of apoptosis, miR-146a can control innate and acquired immune responses, and regulate the toll-like receptor pathway through targeting TRAF6 to reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines like IL-8, a NETosis inducer.

METHODS

Expression of miR-146a, TRAF6 and NETs were examined in peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs) and lung tissues from SLE-associated DAH patients, and in neutrophils and pristane-induced DAH lung tissues from C57BL/6 mice. To assess NETs formation, we examined NETosis-related DNAs morphology and crucial mediators including protein arginine deiminase 4 and citrullinated Histone 3. Expression of miR-146a and its endogenous RNA SNHG16 were studied in HL-60 promyelocytic cells and MLE-12 alveolar cells during NETosis and apoptosis processes, respectively. MiR-146a-overexpressed and CRISPR-Cas13d-mediated SNHG16-silenced HL-60 cells were investigated for NETosis. MiR-146a-overexpressed MLE-12 cells were analyzed for apoptosis. Pristane-injected mice received intra-pulmonary miR-146a delivery to evaluate therapeutic efficacy in DAH.

RESULTS

In DAH patients, there were down-regulated miR-146a levels with increased TRAF6 expression and PMA/LPS-induced NETosis in PBNs, and down-regulated miR-146a levels with increased TRAF6, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), IL-8, NETs and apoptosis expression in lung tissues. HMGB1-stimulated mouse neutrophils had down-regulated miR-146a levels with increased TRAF6, IL-8 and NETs expression. PMA-stimulated HL-60 cells had down-regulated miR-146a levels with enhanced NETosis. MiR-146a-overexpressed or SNHG16-silenced HL-60 cells showed reduced NETosis. Apoptotic MLE-12 cells had down-regulated miR-146a expression and increased HMGB1 release, while miR-146a-overexpressed MLE-12 cells showed reduced apoptosis and HMGB1 production. There were down-regulated miR-146a levels with increased TRAF6, HMGB1, IL-8, NETs and apoptosis expression in mouse DAH lung tissues. Intra-pulmonary miR-146a delivery could suppress DAH by reducing TRAF6, IL-8, NETs and apoptosis expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate firstly down-regulated pulmonary miR-146a levels with increased TRAF6 and IL-8 expression and NETs and apoptosis formation in autoimmune-mediated DAH, and implicate a therapeutic potential of intra-pulmonary miR-146a delivery.

Non-coding RNAs in cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity: Mechanisms, biomarkers, and treatments

As a result of ongoing breakthroughs in cancer therapy, cancer patients' survival rates have grown considerably. However, cardiotoxicity has emerged as the most dangerous toxic side effect of cancer treatment, negatively impacting cancer patients' prognosis. In recent years, the link between non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity has received much attention and investigation. NcRNAs are non-protein-coding RNAs that impact gene expression post-transcriptionally. They include microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). In several cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy-induced cardiotoxicity, ncRNAs play a significant role in the onset and progression of cardiotoxicity. This review focuses on the mechanisms of ncRNAs in cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity, including apoptosis, mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, autophagy, aging, calcium homeostasis, vascular homeostasis, and fibrosis. In addition, this review explores potential ncRNAs-based biomarkers and therapeutic strategies, which may help to convert ncRNAs research into clinical practice in the future for early detection and improvement of cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity.

Graph Neural Network with Self-Supervised Learning for Noncoding RNA-Drug Resistance Association Prediction

Noncoding RNA(ncRNA) is closely related to drug resistance. Identifying the association between ncRNA and drug resistance is of great significance for drug development. Methods based on biological experiments are often time-consuming and small-scale. Therefore, developing computational methods to distinguish the association between ncRNA and drug resistance is urgent. We develop a computational framework called GSLRDA to predict the association between ncRNA and drug resistance in this work. First, the known ncRNA-drug resistance associations are modeled as a bipartite graph of ncRNA and drug. Then, GSLRDA uses the light graph convolutional network (lightGCN) to learn the vector representation of ncRNA and drug from the ncRNA-drug bipartite graph. In addition, GSLRDA uses different data augmentation methods to generate different views for ncRNA and drug nodes and performs self-supervised learning, further improving the quality of learned ncRNA and drug vector representations through contrastive learning between nodes. Finally, GSLRDA uses the inner product to predict the association between ncRNA and drug resistance. To the best of our knowledge, GSLRDA is the first to apply self-supervised learning in association prediction tasks in the field of bioinformatics. The experimental results show that GSLRDA takes an AUC value of 0.9101, higher than the other eight state-of-the-art models. In addition, case studies including two drugs further illustrate the effectiveness of GSLRDA in predicting the association between ncRNA and drug resistance. The code and data sets of GSLRDA are available at https://github.com/JJZ-code/GSLRDA.

MiR-199 Aggravates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Targeting TAF9b

The clinical application of doxorubicin (DOX) is limited because of its cardiotoxicity. However, the pathogenic mechanism of DOX and the role of miRNA in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remain to be further studied. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-199 in DOX-mediated cardiotoxicity. A mouse model of myocardial cell injury induced by DOX was established. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression changes of miR-199 and TATA-binding protein associated factor 9B (TAF9b) in DOX-induced cardiac injury. Cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins, namely, Bax and Bcl-2, were detected by qPCR. The expression of Beclin-1 and LC3b was detected by western blotting. The binding effect of miR-199 with TAF9b was verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. In this study, overexpression of miR-199 could promote cardiotoxicity. Inhibition of miR-199 could alleviate DOX-mediated myocardial injury. Further studies showed that miR-199 targeted TAF9b. Moreover, miR-199 promoted apoptosis of myocardial cells and aggravated autophagy. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TAF9B knockdown reversed the myocardial protective effect of miR-199 inhibitors. Therefore, miR-199 promoted DOX-mediated cardiotoxicity by targeting TAF9b, thereby aggravating apoptosis and regulating autophagy.

Enhanced Cognition and Neurogenesis in miR-146b Deficient Mice

The miR-146 family consists of two microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-146a and miR-146b, which are both known to suppress a variety of immune responses. Here in this study, we show that miR-146b is abundantly expressed in neuronal cells, while miR-146a is mainly expressed in microglia and astroglia of adult mice. Accordingly, miR-146b deficient (Mir146b-/-) mice exhibited anxiety-like behaviors and enhanced cognition. Characterization of cellular composition of Mir146b-/- mice using flow cytometry revealed an increased number of neurons and a decreased abundancy of astroglia in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, whereas microglia abundancy remained unchanged. Immunohistochemistry showed a higher density of neurons in the frontal cortex of Mir146b-/- mice, enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis as evidenced by an increased proliferation, and survival of newly generated cells with enhanced maturation into neuronal phenotype. No microglial activation or signs of neuroinflammation were observed in Mir146b-/- mice. Further analysis demonstrated that miR-146b deficiency is associated with elevated expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (Gdnf) mRNA in the hippocampus, which might be at least in part responsible for the observed neuronal expansion and the behavioral phenotype. This hypothesis is partially supported by the positive correlation between performance of mice in the object recognition test and Gdnf mRNA expression in Mir146b-/- mice. Together, these results show the distinct function of miR-146b in controlling behaviors and provide new insights in understanding cell-specific function of miR-146b in the neuronal and astroglial organization of the mouse brain.

Non-Coding RNAs as Novel Regulators of Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common causes of dementia. Although significant breakthroughs have been made in understanding the progression and pathogenesis of AD, it remains a worldwide problem and a significant public health burden. Thus, more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are urgently required. The latest research studies have revealed that neuroinflammation is crucial in the pathogenesis of AD. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), have been strongly associated with AD-induced neuroinflammation. Furthermore, several ongoing pre-clinical studies are currently investigating ncRNA as disease biomarkers and therapeutic interventions to provide new perspectives for AD diagnosis and treatment. In this review, the role of different types of ncRNAs in neuroinflammation during AD are summarized in order to improve our understanding of AD etiology and aid in the translation of basic research into clinical practice.

MicroRNAs in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, despite the wide diversity of molecular targets identified and the development of therapeutic methods. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small (about 22 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in the cytoplasm and play complicated roles in different CVDs. While miRNA overexpression in one type of cell protects against heart disease, it promotes cardiac dysfunction in another type of cardiac cell. Moreover, recent studies have shown that, apart from cytosolic miRNAs, subcellular miRNAs such as mitochondria- and nucleus-localized miRNAs are dysregulated in CVDs. However, the functional properties of cellular- and subcellular-localized miRNAs have not been well characterized. In this review article, by carefully revisiting animal-based miRNA studies in CVDs, we will address the regulation and functional properties of miRNAs in various CVDs. Specifically, the cell-cell crosstalk and subcellular perspective of miRNAs are highlighted. We will provide the background for attractive molecular targets that might be useful in preventing the progression of CVDs and heart failure (HF) as well as insights for future studies.

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer: Role of Non-coding RNAs

High oxidative stress, Th1/Th17 immune response, M1 macrophage inflammation, and cell death are associated with cardiovascular diseases. Controlled oxidative stress, Th2/Treg anti-tumor immune response, M2 macrophage inflammation, and survival are associated with cancer. MiR-21 protects against cardiovascular diseases but may induce tumor growth by retaining the anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage and Treg phenotypes and inhibiting apoptosis. Down-regulation of let-7, miR-1, miR-9, miR-16, miR-20a, miR-22a, miR-23a, miR-24a, miR-26a, miR-29, miR-30a, miR-34a, miR-124, miR-128, miR-130a, miR-133, miR-140, miR-143-145, miR-150, miR-153, miR-181a, miR-378, and miR-383 may aid cancer cells to escape from stresses. Upregulation of miR-146 and miR-223 may reduce anti-tumor immune response together with miR-21 that also protects against apoptosis. MiR-155 and silencing of let-7e, miR-125, and miR-126 increase anti-tumor immune response. MiR expression depends on oxidative stress, cytokines, MYC, and TGF-β, and expression of silencing lncRNAs and circ-RNAs. However, one lncRNA or circ-RNA may have opposite effects by targeting several miRs. For example, PVT1 induces apoptosis by targeting miR-16a and miR-30a but inhibits apoptosis by silencing miR-17. In addition, levels of a non-coding RNA in a cell type depend not only on expression in that cell type but also on an exchange of microvesicles between cell types and tumors. Although we got more insight into the function of a growing number of individual non-coding RNAs, overall, we do not know enough how several of them interact in functional networks and how their expression changes at different stages of disease progression.

Nicotinic Acid Riboside Regulates Nrf-2/P62-Related Oxidative Stress and Autophagy to Attenuate Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyocyte Injury

Doxorubicin (Dox) is an effective chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of various cancers. Due to its potential fatal cardiotoxic side effects, the clinical application is often limited. Dexrazoxane (Dex) is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of Dox-induced cardiotoxicity but has side effects. Thus, more protective strategies should be explored. If NAD⁺ plays a role in maintaining heart function, its precursor prospectively alleviates Dox-induced cellular injury. Here, we studied the protective effects of nicotinic acid riboside (NAR) on Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. We found that NAR significantly improved the cardiac function of Dox-treated mice by restoring ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), and serum level of cardiac troponin (cTnI). NAR not only reduced malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in Dox-treated cardiomyocytes but also further promoted the activities of cardiac superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH). Following exposure to 5 μM Dox, cotreatment with NAR exhibited increased cell viability with a decrease in the apoptosis cell population. Moreover, the levels of apoptosis-related proteins, as well as proteins involved in oxidative stress and autophagy, were altered after NAR treatment. Collectively, these findings underline the protective potential of NAR against Dox-induced cardiomyocyte injury by regulating Nrf-2/P62-related oxidative stress and autophagy, which could potentially promote survival.