MST1-Hippo pathway regulates inflammation response following myocardial infarction through inhibiting HO-1 signaling pathway

Implication of noise exposure on hearing with emphasis to hOGG1 and GPx-1 polymorphisms and HO-1 protein among textile workers

Noise exposure is a health hazard in the textile industry. In cochlear hair cells, DNA damage caused by 8-oxoguanine (8-oxo G) can result in noise-induced hearing loss. Human 8-hydroxyguanine glycosylase (hOGG1) is a DNA repair enzyme that excises (8-oxo G) in the DNA and repairs DNA damage. Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx) is a crucial antioxidant enzyme that aids in limiting cochlear damages. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress-inducible protein with a high fold change in the hair cells of the cochlea. The study aimed to investigate the association of either hOGG1 and GPx-1 polymorphisms with audiometric notches and HO-1 protein among textile workers. hOGG1 and GPx genotypes were analyzed by PCR-RFLP, and HO-1 levels were measured by ELISA in 115 male textile workers. Blood pressure and audiogram were performed. Results recorded the relation between audiometric notches and ear complaints among workers. Older age workers showed audiometric notches at > 25 dB with a significant decrease in HO-1 levels and higher levels in workers with normal audiogram. Ser/Cys genotype of hOGG1 gene was associated with age and work duration while CC genotype of GPx is associated with HO-1 levels and diastolic pressure. Ser/Cys genotype of hOGG1 gene was associated with age while Cys/Cys genotype was associated with work duration among workers. CC genotype of GPx gene was associated with higher HO-1 levels and TT genotype was associated with high diastolic pressure. Finally, hearing impairment was dependent on the duration of exposure to noise, older age, and the presence of heterozygote TC genotype of GPx gene among textile workers.

Genetic and observational associations of lung function with gastrointestinal tract diseases: pleiotropic and mendelian randomization analysis

BACKGROUND

The two-way communications along the gut-lung axis influence the immune function in both gut and lung. However, the shared genetic characteristics of lung function with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) diseases remain to be investigated.

METHODS

We first investigated the genetic correlations between three lung function traits and four GIT diseases. Second, we illustrated the genetic overlap by genome-wide pleiotropic analysis (PLACO) and further pinpointed the relevant tissue and cell types by partitioning heritability. Furthermore, we proposed pleiotropic genes as potential drug targets by drug database mining. Finally, we evaluated the causal relationships by epidemiologic observational study and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

RESULTS

We found lung function and GIT diseases were genetically correlated. We identified 258 pleiotropic loci, which were enriched in gut- and lung-specific regions marked by H3K4me1. Among these, 16 pleiotropic genes were targets of drugs, such as tofacitinib and baricitinib targeting TYK2 for the treatment of ulcer colitis and COVID-19, respectively. We identified a missense variant in TYK2, exhibiting a shared causal effect on FEV1/FVC and inflammatory bowel disease (rs12720356, PPLACO=1.38 × 10- 8). These findings suggested TYK2 as a promising drug target. Although the epidemiologic observational study suggested the protective role of lung function in the development of GIT diseases, no causalities were found by MR analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested the shared genetic characteristics between lung function and GIT diseases. The pleiotropic variants could exert their effects by modulating gene expression marked by histone modifications. Finally, we highlighted the potential of pleiotropic analyses in drug repurposing.

MST1/2 in inflammation and immunity

The mammalian Sterile 20-like kinase 1/2 (MST1/2) belongs to the serine/threonine (GC) protein kinase superfamily. Collective studies confirm the vital role MST1/2 in inflammation and immunity. MST1/2 is closely related to the progress of inflammation. Generally, MST1/2 aggravates the inflammatory injury through MST1-JNK, MST1-mROS, MST1-Foxo3, and NF-κB pathways, as well as several regulatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), mitochondrial extension factor 1 (MIEF1), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, MST1/2 is also involved in the regulation of immunity to balance immune activation and tolerance by regulating MST1/2-Rac, MST1-Akt1/c-myc, MST1-Foxos, MST1-STAT, Btk pathways, and lymphocyte function-related antigen 1 (LFA-1), which subsequently prevents immunodeficiency syndrome and autoimmune diseases. This article reviews the effects of MST1/2 on inflammation and immunity.

MST1: A future novel target for cardiac diseases

Major heart diseases pose a serious threat to human health. Finding early diagnostic markers and key therapeutic targets is an urgent scientific problem in this field. Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (MST1) is a protein kinase, and the occurrence of many heart diseases is related to the continuous activation of the MST1 gene. With the deepening of the research, the potential role of MST1 in promoting the development of heart disease has become more apparent. Therefore, to better understand the role of MST1 in the pathogenesis of heart disease, this work systematically summarizes the role of MST1 in the pathogenesis of heart disease, gives a comprehensive overview of its possible strategies in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, and analyzes its potential significance as a marker for the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.

The Correlation Between Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Cytokine Response Following Myocardial Infarction

Our study was conducted to investigate the potential correlation between cardiac oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine response following myocardial infarction. A total of 120 patients harboring acute myocardial infarction who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at our hospital were included. Their general clinical data were analyzed, and comparisons were made regarding the levels of inflammatory factors, oxidative stress markers, heart pump function, and cardiac function. The correlation between cardiac oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine response was assessed using Pearson's linear correlation. Following treatment, significant reductions were seen in the serum levels of cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and catalase (CAT) compared to pre-treatment levels. Conversely, the levels of growth hormone (GH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), cardiac output (CO), and cardiac index (CI) were significantly elevated. Serum cortisol (r = 0.481, P = .001), BNP (r = 0.437, P = .001), CRP (r = 0.542, P = .001), STAT3 (r = 0.835, P = .001), TSH (P = .001), IL-8 (r = 0.867, P = .001), TNF-α (r = 0.439, P = .001), and cardiac oxidative stress demonstrated significantly positive correlations (P < .05). Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between GH (r = -0.654, P = .001) and immune balance (P < .05). This study evaluated the severity of myocardial infarction using indicators such as CO and CI. This study found a significant correlation between cardiac oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines after myocardial infarction, suggesting their potential as predictors of myocardial infarction severity.

Heme Oxygenase-1 Protects Hair Cells From Gentamicin-Induced Death

Gentamicin ototoxicity can generate free radicals within the inner ear, leading to permanent damage to sensory hair cells (HCs) and eventually hearing loss. The following study examined the alterations of oxidative damage-related genes in the cochlea and important molecules responsible for oxidation following gentamicin injury in vitro. The RT² Profiler polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array was used to screen candidate targets for treatment to prevent hearing loss caused by gentamicin. We found that during gentamicin-induced death in HCs, Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) had a high fold change in the HCs of the cochlea. Moreover, the use of CoPPIX to induce HO-1 inhibited gentamicin-induced HC death, while HO-1 inhibitors ZnPPIX after CoPPIX reversed this process. Furthermore, the inhibitors of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) reduced the expression of HO-1 and inhibited the protective effect of HO-1 after gentamicin, thus suggesting that the Nrf2/HO-1 axis might regulate gentamicin-associated ototoxicity. We further demonstrated that induction of HO-1 up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 in both cochlear and HEI-OC1 cells. In summary, these findings indicated that HO-1 protects HCs from gentamicin by up-regulating its expression in HCs and interacting with Nrf2 to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS).

CircRNA CDR1as promotes cardiomyocyte apoptosis through activating hippo signaling pathway in diabetic cardiomyopathy

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), as a major complication of diabetic patients, can cause myocardial metabolic remodeling and lead to severe and irreversible cardiac dysfunction. Previously, we found that the circular RNA cerebellar degeneration-related protein 1 antisense (Circ-CDR1as) independently predicted acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and might be a new indicator marker for this. However, CDR1as was not clearly described in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Therefore, our purpose was to deeply explore the function of CDR1as in DCM. In this study, we found that CDR1as was upregulated in DCM, and knockdown of CDR1as could improve the apoptosis caused by DCM. Mechanistically, CDR1as activates the Hippo signaling pathway by significantly inhibiting Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (MST1) ubiquitination level. Furthermore, as a transcriptional factor of CDR1as, Forkhead box group O3a (FOXO3) was identified to activate the Hippo signaling pathway. Notably, the total m6A level was downregulated in the cardiac tissue of DCM. Alk B homolog 5 (ALKBH5), a m6A demethylation enzyme, was upregulated in the cardiomyocytes of DCM mice and posttranscriptionally activated FOXO3 by m6A demethylation in an m6A-YTHDF2-dependent manner. Hence, our work reveals the key function of the ALKBH5-FOXO3-CDR1as/Hippo signaling pathway in DCM and provides insight into the critical roles of m6A methylation in DCM.

Targeting the Hippo pathway in heart repair

The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily and functionally conserved signaling pathway that controls organ size by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Emerging evidence has shown that the Hippo pathway plays critical roles in cardiac development, homeostasis, disease, and regeneration. Targeting the Hippo pathway has tremendous potential as a therapeutic strategy for treating intractable cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. In this review, we summarize the function of the Hippo pathway in the heart. Particularly, we highlight the posttranslational modification of Hippo pathway components, including the core kinases LATS1/2 and their downstream effectors YAP/TAZ, in different contexts, which has provided new insights and avenues in cardiac research.

The role of the Hippo pathway in heart disease

Heart disease, including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy, and cardiomyopathies, is the leading causes of death worldwide. The Hippo pathway is a central controller for organ size and tissue growth, which plays a pivotal role in determining cardiomyocytes and nonmyocytes proliferation, regeneration, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this review, we summarize the effects of the Hippo pathway on heart disease and propose potential intervention targets. Especially, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of the Hippo pathway involved in maintaining cardiac homeostasis by regulating cardiomyocytes and nonmyocytes function in the heart. Based on this, we conclude that the Hippo pathway is a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular therapy, which will bring new perspectives for their treatments.

Role of YAP1 gene in proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, and apoptosis of human periodontal ligament stem cells induced by TNF-α

BACKGROUND

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs in periodontal tissues and can cause tooth loosening and loss in severe cases. As the main effector of downstream of Hippo signaling pathway, yes-related protein 1 (YAP1) plays an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role of YAP1 in periodontitis has not been reported.

METHODS

Cell activity was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). YAP1 was overexpressed by cell transfection, and then RT-qPCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of YAP1. The cell proliferation was determined by clone formation assay, and the expression of proliferation-related proteins was determined by western blot. The cell differentiation was detected by ELISA kit of alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and alizarin red staining. Finally, western blot was used to detect the expression of differentiation-related protein and Hippo signaling pathway-related proteins. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

With the increase of concentration induced by TNF-α, the cell survival rate of human periodontal ligament stem cells (HPDLSCs) decreased significantly. After the overexpression of YAP1, cell proliferation and proliferation-related protein expression increased. Overexpression of YAP1 can improve the differentiation and the formation of osteoblasts of HPDLSCs induced by TNF-α. The expression of Hippo signaling pathway-related proteins transcriptional coactivators with PDZ binding domains (TAZ), TEA domain family member (TRED) increased and proliferation-related protein P27 decreased, whereas there was no significant change in the expression of MST1.

CONCLUSION

TNF-α can inhibit proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of HPDLSCs, which can be ameliorated by the YAP1 gene through the Hippo signaling pathway. Our paper suggested that YAP1 may be a potential therapeutic target for periodontitis.