Sp1 transcription factor represses transcription of phosphatase and tensin homolog to aggravate lung injury in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus-pulmonary tuberculosis

PTEN in kidney diseases: a potential therapeutic target in preventing AKI-to-CKD transition

Renal fibrosis, a critical factor in the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD), is predominantly initiated by acute kidney injury (AKI) and subsequent maladaptive repair resulting from pharmacological or pathological stimuli. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), also known as phosphatase and tensin-associated phosphatase, plays a pivotal role in regulating the physiological behavior of renal tubular epithelial cells, glomeruli, and renal interstitial cells, thereby preserving the homeostasis of renal structure and function. It significantly impacts cell proliferation, apoptosis, fibrosis, and mitochondrial energy metabolism during AKI-to-CKD transition. Despite gradual elucidation of PTEN's involvement in various kidney injuries, its specific role in AKI and maladaptive repair after injury remains unclear. This review endeavors to delineate the multifaceted role of PTEN in renal pathology during AKI and CKD progression along with its underlying mechanisms, emphasizing its influence on oxidative stress, autophagy, non-coding RNA-mediated recruitment and activation of immune cells as well as renal fibrosis. Furthermore, we summarize prospective therapeutic targeting strategies for AKI and CKD-treatment related diseases through modulation of PTEN.

hsa_circ_0007919 promotes pancreatic cancer metastasis by modulating Sp1-mediated THBS1 transcription

CircRNAs are abnormally expressed in various cancers and play an important role in the occurrence and development of cancers. However, their biological functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms in pancreatic cancer (PC) metastasis are incompletely understood. Differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by second-generation transcriptome sequencing in three pairs of PC tissues and adjacent tissues. The expression and prognostic significance of hsa_circ_0007919 were evaluated by qRT-PCR and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted to detect the role of hsa_circ_0007919 in PC metastasis in vitro. A lung metastasis model and IHC experiments were conducted to confirm the effects of hsa_circ_0007919 on tumor metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to explore the interplay among hsa_circ_0007919, Sp1, and the THBS1 promoter. hsa_circ_0007919 was significantly upregulated in PC tissues and cells and was correlated with lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and poor prognosis. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0007919 significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of PC cells in vitro and inhibited tumor metastasis in vivo. However, overexpression of hsa_circ_0007919 exerted the opposite effects. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0007919 could recruit the transcription factor Sp1 to inhibit THBS1 transcription, thereby facilitating PC metastasis. hsa_circ_0007919 can promote the metastasis of PC by inhibiting THBS1 expression. hsa_circ_0007919 may be a potential therapeutic target in PC.

Host-directed therapy against mycobacterium tuberculosis infections with diabetes mellitus

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and is one of the principal reasons for mortality and morbidity worldwide. Currently, recommended anti-tuberculosis drugs include isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. TB treatment is lengthy and inflicted with severe side-effects, including reduced patient compliance with treatment and promotion of drug-resistant strains. TB is also prone to other concomitant diseases such as diabetes and HIV. These drug-resistant and complex co-morbid characteristics increase the complexity of treating MTB. Host-directed therapy (HDT), which effectively eliminates MTB and minimizes inflammatory tissue damage, primarily by targeting the immune system, is currently an attractive complementary approach. The drugs used for HDT are repositioned drugs in actual clinical practice with relative safety and efficacy assurance. HDT is a potentially effective therapeutic intervention for the treatment of MTB and diabetic MTB, and can compensate for the shortcomings of current TB therapies, including the reduction of drug resistance and modulation of immune response. Here, we summarize the state-of-the-art roles and mechanisms of HDT in immune modulation and treatment of MTB, with a special focus on the role of HDT in diabetic MTB, to emphasize the potential of HDT in controlling MTB infection.

Unraveling genetic causality between type 2 diabetes and pulmonary tuberculosis on the basis of Mendelian randomization

BACKGROUND

The comorbidity rate between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is high and imposes enormous strains on healthcare systems. However, whether T2DM is causally associated with PTB is unknown owing to limited evidence from prospective studies. Consequently, the present study aimed to clarify the genetic causality between T2DM and PTB on the basis of Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

METHODS

Genetic variants for T2DM and PTB were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS project. The inverse variance weighted method was used as the main statistical analysis method and was supplemented with MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. Heterogeneity was analyzed using Cochran's Q statistic. Horizontal pleiotropy was assessed using the MR-PRESSO global test and MR-Egger regression. Robustness of the results was verified using the leave-one-out method.

RESULTS

A total of 152 independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected as instrumental variables (IVs) to assess the genetic causality between T2DM and PTB. Patients with T2DM had a higher risk of PTB at the genetic level (odds ratio (OR) for MR-Egger was 1.550, OR for weighted median was 1.540, OR for inverse variance weighted was 1.191, OR for simple mode was 1.629, OR for weighted mode was 1.529). There was no horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity among IVs. The results were stable when removing the SNPs one by one.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first comprehensive MR analysis that revealed the genetic causality between T2DM and PTB in the East Asian population. The study provides convincing evidence that individuals with T2DM have a higher risk of developing PTB at the genetic level. This offers a significant basis for joint management of concurrent T2DM and PTB in clinical practice.

Intervention Effects of Physical Activity on Type 2 Diabetic Patients Potentially Infected with COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has clearly had a great influence on the lifestyles of the population, especially on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. During the COVID-19 outbreak, many countries/regions implemented social-isolation measures, leading to an increase in negative behaviors and impairing the capability of diabetic patients to resist COVID-19, ultimately causing severe prognoses. Moreover, as the epidemic progressed, multiple studies emphasized the significance of physical exercise in the management of type 2 diabetic patients infected with COVID-19. In this study, we selected research from 1 December 2019 to 9 August 2023 that focused on COVID-19-infected diabetic patients to investigate the impact of type 2 diabetes on the immune functions, inflammation factor levels, lung injuries, and mental disorders of such patients, as well as to assess the risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia in these patients. Additionally, the effects of high-intensity, moderate-intensity, and low-intensity exercises on novel coronavirus pneumonia infection in type 2 diabetic patients and the mechanisms of the effects of such exercise were considered. We concluded that elderly diabetic patients with COVID-19 should perform low-intensity exercises to facilitate their recoveries. This study offers guidance for a proper understanding of the dangers of diabetes and the use of appropriate measures to reduce the risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia infections in type 2 diabetic patients.

CircUBXN7 promotes macrophage infiltration and renal fibrosis associated with the IGF2BP2-dependent SP1 mRNA stability in diabetic kidney disease

Introduction

Inflammatory cell infiltration is a novel hallmark of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), in part, by activated macrophages. Macrophage-to-tubular epithelial cell communication may play an important role in renal fibrosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported in the pathogenesis of various human diseases involving macrophages activation, including DKD. However, the exact mechanism of circRNAs in macrophage infiltration and renal fibrosis of DKD remains obscure.

Methods

In our study, a novel circRNA circUBXN7 was identified in DKD patients using microarray. The function of circUBXN7 in vitro and in vivo was investigated by qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence. Finally, a dual-luciferase reporter assay, ChIP, RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation and rescue experiments were performed to investigate the mechanism of circUBXN7.

Results

We demonstrated that the expression of circUBXN7 was significantly upregulated in the plasma of DKD patients and correlated with renal function, which might serve as an independent biomarker for DKD patients. According to investigations, ectopic expression of circUBXN7 promoted macrophage activation, EMT and fibrosis in vitro, and increased macrophage infiltration, EMT, fibrosis and proteinuria in vivo. Mechanistically, circUBXN7 was transcriptionally upregulated by transcription factor SP1 and could reciprocally promote SP1 mRNA stability and activation via directly binding to the m6A-reader IGF2BP2 in DKD.

Conclusion

CircUBXN7 is highly expressed in DKD patients may provide the potential biomarker and therapeutic target for DKD.

The Role of Specificity Protein 1 (SP1) in Bladder Cancer Progression through PTEN-Mediated AKT/mTOR Pathway

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the study was to investigate the potential mechanism of specificity protein 1 (SP1) in bladder cancer progression through the PTEN-mediated AKT/mTOR pathway.

METHODS

Human bladder cancer cell lines (HT-1197, HT-1376, and T24) and normal ureteral epithelial cell line SV-HUC-1 were used. SP1 expression was detected via quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. Cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed using CCK-8, transwell, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The involvement of the PTEN-mediated AKT/mTOR pathway was evaluated by Western blot. A mouse xenograft model was built, and immunohistochemical staining was applied to visualize SP1 and Ki67 expression in tumor tissues.

RESULTS

SP1 was overexpressed in bladder cancer cells. SP1 knockdown inhibited viability, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis in bladder cancer cells. PTEN intervention increased cell viability, migration, and invasion and decreased apoptosis, which was reversed by SP1 knockdown. The activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway resulting from PTEN knockdown was attenuated by SP1 knockdown. In vivo results showed that SP1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth, increased PTEN expression, and decreased AKT/mTOR pathway-related protein levels.

CONCLUSION

SP1 promotes bladder cancer progression by inhibiting the PTEN-mediated AKT/mTOR pathway. Targeting SP1 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating bladder cancer.

Understanding the Roles and Regulation of Mitochondrial microRNAs (MitomiRs) in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Status and Advances

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small non-coding RNA, roughly 21 - 22 nucleotides in length, which are master gene regulators. These miRNAs bind to the mRNA's 3' - untranslated region and regulate post-transcriptional gene regulation, thereby influencing various physiological and cellular processes. Another class of miRNAs known as mitochondrial miRNA (MitomiRs) has been found to either originate from the mitochondrial genome or be translocated directly into the mitochondria. Although the role of nuclear DNA encoded miRNA in the progression of various neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, etc. is well known, accumulating evidence suggests the possible role of deregulated mitomiRs in the progression of various neurodegenerative diseases with unknown mechanism. We have attempted to outline the current state of mitomiRs role in controlling mitochondrial gene expression and function through this review, paying particular attention to their contribution to neurological processes, their etiology, and their potential therapeutic use.