The protective effects of GLP-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide on oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced deregulation of endothelial tube formation

Revealing the pharmacological mechanisms of nao-an dropping pill in preventing and treating ischemic stroke via the PI3K/Akt/eNOS and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways

Nao-an Dropping Pill (NADP) is a Chinese patent medicine which commonly used in clinic for ischemic stroke (IS). However, the material basis and mechanism of its prevention or treatment of IS are unclear, then we carried out this study. 52 incoming blood components were resolved by UHPLC-MS/MS from rat serum, including 45 prototype components. The potential active prototype components hydroxysafflor yellow A, ginsenoside F1, quercetin, ferulic acid and caffeic acid screened by network pharmacology showed strongly binding ability with PIK3CA, AKT1, NOS3, NFE2L2 and HMOX1 by molecular docking. In vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) experimental results showed that NADP protected HA1800 cells from OGD/R-induced apoptosis by affecting the release of LDH, production of NO, and content of SOD and MDA. Meanwhile, NADP could improve behavioral of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) rats, reduce ischemic area of cerebral cortex, decrease brain water and glutamate (Glu) content, and improve oxidative stress response. Immunohistochemical results showed that NADP significantly regulated the expression of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, eNOS, p-eNOS, Nrf2 and HO-1 in cerebral ischemic tissues. The results suggested that NADP protects brain tissues and ameliorates oxidative stress damage to brain tissues from IS by regulating PI3K/Akt/eNOS and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: new strategies and therapeutic targets to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality and is increasingly prevalent in our population. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) can safely and effectively lower glucose levels while concurrently managing the full spectrum of ASCVD risk factors and improving patients' long-term prognosis. Several cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) have been carried out to further investigate the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs. Analyzing data from CVOTs can provide insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms by which GLP-1RAs are linked to ASCVD and define the use of GLP-1RAs in clinical practice. Here, we discussed various mechanisms hypothesized in previous animal and preclinical human studies, including blockade of the production of adhesion molecules and inflammatory factors, induction of endothelial cells' synthesis of nitric oxide, protection of mitochondrial function and restriction of oxidative stress, suppression of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein three inflammasome, reduction of foam cell formation and macrophage inflammation, and amelioration of vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction, to help explain the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs in CVOTs. This paper provides an overview of the clinical research, molecular processes, and possible therapeutic applications of GLP-1RAs in ASCVD, while also addressing current limitations in the literature and suggesting future research directions.

Methylation and transcriptomic expression profiles of HUVEC in the oxygen and glucose deprivation model and its clinical implications in AMI patients

The obstructed coronary artery undergoes a series of pathological changes due to ischemic-hypoxic shocks during acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the altered DNA methylation levels in endothelial cells under these conditions and their implication for the etiopathology of AMI have not been investigated in detail. This study aimed to explore the relationship between DNA methylation and pathologically altered gene expression profile in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), and its clinical implications in AMI patients. The Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip assay was used to explore the genome-wide DNA methylation profile using the Novaseq6000 platform for mRNA sequencing in 3 pairs of HUVEC-OGD and control samples. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses, as well as correlation, causal inference test (CIT), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses identified 22 hub genes that were validated by MethylTarget sequencing as well as qRT-PCR. ELISA was used to detect four target molecules associated with the progression of AMI. A total of 2,524 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 22,148 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) corresponding to 6,642 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were screened (|Δβ|>0.1 and detection p < 0.05). After GO, KEGG, correlation, CIT, and PPI analyses, 441 genes were filtered. qRT-PCR confirmed the overexpression of VEGFA, CCL2, TSP-1, SQSTM1, BCL2L11, and TIMP3 genes, and downregulation of MYC, CD44, BDNF, GNAQ, RUNX1, ETS1, NGFR, MME, SEMA6A, GNAI1, IFIT1, and MEIS1. DNA fragments BDNF_1_ (r = 0.931, p < 0.0001) and SQSTM1_2_NEW (r = 0.758, p = 0.0043) were positively correlated with the expressions of corresponding genes, and MYC_1_ (r = -0.8245, p = 0.001) was negatively correlated. Furthermore, ELISA confirmed TNFSF10 and BDNF were elevated in the peripheral blood of AMI patients (p = 0.0284 and p = 0.0142, respectively). Combined sequencing from in vitro cellular assays with clinical samples, aiming to establish the potential causal chain of the causal factor (DNA methylation) - mediator (mRNA)-cell outcome (endothelial cell ischemic-hypoxic injury)-clinical outcome (AMI), our study identified promising OGD-specific genes, which provided a solid basis for screening fundamental diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of coronary endothelial cell injury of AMI. Moreover, it furnished the first evidence that during ischemia and hypoxia, the expression of BNDF was regulated by DNA methylation in endothelial cells and elevated in peripheral blood.

The protective effects of memantine against inflammation and impairment of endothelial tube formation induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability. The dysregulation of cardiac endothelial cells plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of AMI. In the present study, we investigated the potential of memantine, a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, to mitigate the effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury in the peripheral vasculature using human umbilical cord endothelial cells (HUVECs). Previous studies have identified anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of memantine, but the effects of memantine on angiogenesis and microtubule formation have not been fully elucidated. Our findings indicate that pretreatment with memantine significantly reduced the expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, which are both serum markers if AMI severity. We also demonstrate that memantine could prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress by rescuing mitochondrial membrane potential and reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NADPH oxidase-4 (NOX-4). Importantly, memantine also promoted the expression of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) antioxidant signaling pathway. Importantly, memantine pretreatment improved cell viability and prevented the decrease in microtubule formation induced by OGD/R. Through a phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibition experiment, we determined that the PI3K/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway is essential for the effects of memantine on angiogenesis. Together, our findings suggest a potential role for memantine in the prevention and treatment of AMI.

Dimethyl fumarate protects cardiomyocytes against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced inflammatory response and damages via inhibition of Egr-1

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Atherosclerosis is among the leading causes of AMI. The rupture or erosion of atherosclerotic plaques can obstruct coronary arteries, thereby leading to an acute inflammatory reaction to ischemic injury and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is a fumaric acid diester which is used for the treatment of psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. DMF is most well-known for its modulatory actions on the Nrf2 and NF-κB cellular signaling pathways. In the present study, we employed an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury using H9c2 cardiomyocytes to assess the potential protective effects of DMF. We found that DMF significantly improved cell viability and reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1. We further demonstrated an antioxidant effect of DMF via reduced production of ROS, which was mediated through NOX4 inhibition. Tissue factor and ICAM-1 play a major role in left ventricular remodeling. DMF inhibited the expression of TF and ICAM-1 induced by OGD/R, which we demonstrated to be mediated through the Egr-1 signaling pathway, as silencing of Egr-1 suppressed the expression of TF and ICAM-1. Together, these findings demonstrate a potential role for DMF in the treatment of myocardial infarction.