Inhibition of the lncRNA DANCR attenuates cardiomyocyte injury induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation via the miR-19a-3p/MAPK1 axis

Myo-inositol: A potential game-changer in preventing gill cell death and alleviating "gill rot" in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)

Increasing evidence shows the potential threat of gill rot in freshwater fish culture. F. columnare is wide-spread in aquatic environments, which can cause fish gill rot and result in high mortality and losses of fish. This study investigated the effects of myo-inositol (MI) on the proliferation, structural integrity, and different death modes of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) gill epithelial cells, as well as its possible mechanism. 30 mg/L MI up-regulated CCK8 OD value and the protein level of solute carrier family 5A 3 (SLC5A3), and down-regulated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in gill cells and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in the culture medium (P < 0.05). MI up-regulated the protein level of Beclin1, the protein level and fluorescence expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B) and down-regulated the protein level of sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1, also called p62) (P < 0.05). MI down-regulated the protein levels of Cysteine aspartate protease-1 (caspase-1), Gasdermin E (GSDME) and Cleaved interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) (P < 0.05). MI up-regulated the protein level of caspase-8 (P < 0.05), but had no effect on apoptosis (P > 0.05). MI down-regulated the mRNA expressions and protein levels of tumor necrosis factor α (tnfα), TNF receptor 1 (tnfr1), receptor interacting protein 1 (ripk1), receptor interacting protein 3 (ripk3) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (mlkl), and reduce the ratio of p-MLKL/MLKL (P < 0.05). The addition of MI or necrosulfonamide (NSA) alone, or the addition of MI after induction of necroptosis, significantly up-regulated the cell activity and the protein level of SLC5A3 in gill cells, and significantly reduced the LDH release in the culture medium and the intracellular ROS content, the number of necroptosis cells, the protein expression of TNFα, TNFR1 and RIPK1, and the ratio of p-RIPK3/RIPK3 and p-MLKL/MLKL (P < 0.05). It indicated MI induce autophagy may relate to Beclin1/LC3/p62 signaling pathway, inhibits pyroptosis may attribute to Caspase-1/GSDMD/IL-1β signaling pathway, and inhibits necroptosis via MLKL signaling pathway. However, MI had no effect on apoptosis.

Long non-coding RNA DANCR increases spinal cord neuron apoptosis and inflammation of spinal cord injury by mediating the microRNA-146a-5p/MAPK6 axis

OBJECTIVE

This research was to unravel the impact of the lncRNA differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR)/microRNA (miR)-146a-5p/mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (MAPK6) axis on spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODS

SCI mouse models were established and injected with si-DANCR or miR-146a-5p agomir. The recovery of motor function was assessed by Basso Mouse Scale. SCI was pathologically evaluated, and serum inflammatory factors were measured in SCI mice. Mouse spinal cord neurons were injured by H2O2 and transfected, followed by assessment of proliferation and apoptosis. DANCR, miR-146a-5p, and MAPK6 in tissues and cells were detected, as well as their relationship.

RESULTS

DANCR increased and miR-146a-5p decreased in SCI. Silencing DANCR or enhancing miR-146a-5p stimulated the proliferation of mouse spinal cord neurons and reduced apoptosis. DANCR was bound to miR-146a-5p to target MAPK6. DANCR affected the proliferation and apoptosis of spinal cord neurons by mediating the miR-146a-5p/MAPK6 axis. Downregulating DANCR or upregulating miR-146a-5p improved inflammation, the destruction of spinal cord tissue structure, and apoptosis in SCI mice.

CONCLUSION

DANCR affects spinal cord neuron apoptosis and inflammation of SCI by mediating the miR-146a-5p/MAPK6 axis.

Depression of LncRNA DANCR alleviates tubular injury in diabetic nephropathy by regulating KLF5 through sponge miR-214-5p

OBJECTIVE

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) manifests a critical aspect in the form of renal tubular injury. The current research aimed to determine the function and mechanism of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (LncRNA) differentiation antagonising non-protein coding RNA (DANCR), with a focus on its impact on renal tubular injury.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was employed to analyze the RNA levels of DANCR in the serum of patients with DN or human proximal tubular epithelial cells (human kidney 2 [HK2]). The diagnostic significance of DANCR was assessed using a receiver operating characteristic curve. A DN model was established by inducing HK-2 cells with high glucose (HG). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the levels of inflammatory factors, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected using the Cell Counting Kit - 8, flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The interaction between microRNA (miR)-214-5p and DANCR or Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) was investigated using RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays.

RESULTS

Elevated levels of DANCR were observed in the serum of patients with DN and HG-inducted HK-2 cells (P < 0.05). DANCR levels effectively identified patients with DN from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Silencing of DANCR protected against HG-induced tubular injury by restoring cell proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, and reducing the secretion of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress production (P < 0.05). DANCR functions as a sponge for miR-214-5p, and the mitigation of DANCR silencing on HG-induced renal tubular injury was partially attenuated with reduced miR-214-5p (P < 0.05). Additionally, KLF5 was identified as the target of miR-214-5p.

CONCLUSION

DANCR was identified as diagnostic potential for DN and the alleviation of renal tubular injury via the miR-214-5p/KLF5 axis, following DANCR silencing, introduces a novel perspective and approach to mitigating DN.

CircHSPG2 knockdown attenuates hypoxia-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in human AC16 cardiomyocytes by regulating the miR-1184/MAP3K2 axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as vital regulators in cardiovascular diseases, including acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In this study, the function and mechanism of circRNA heparan sulfate proteoglycan 2 (circHSPG2) in hypoxia-induced injury in AC16 cardiomyocytes were investigated. AC16 cells were stimulated with hypoxia to establish an AMI cell model in vitro. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blot assays were performed to quantify the expression levels of circHSPG2, microRNA-1184 (miR-1184), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 2 (MAP3K2). Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to measure cell viability. Flow cytometry was performed to detect cell cycle and apoptosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the expression of inflammatory factors. Dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down assays were used to analyze the relationship between miR-1184 and circHSPG2 or MAP3K2. In AMI serum, circHSPG2 and MAP3K2 mRNA were highly expressed and miR-1184 was down-regulated. Hypoxia treatment elevated HIF1α expression and repressed cell growth and glycolysis. Moreover, hypoxia promoted cell apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in AC16 cells. Hypoxia-induced circHSPG2 expression in AC16 cells. CircHSPG2 knockdown alleviated hypoxia-induced AC16 cell injury. CircHSPG2 directly targeted miR-1184, and miR-1184 targeted and suppressed MAP3K2. Inhibition of miR-1184 or overexpression of MAP3K2 abolished the alleviated effect of circHSPG2 knockdown on hypoxia-induced AC16 cell injury. Overexpression of miR-1184 relieved hypoxia-induced impairment in AC16 cells by MAP3K2. CircHSPG2 could regulate MAP3K2 expression through miR-1184. CircHSPG2 knockdown protected AC16 cells from hypoxia-induced injury by regulating the miR-1184/MAP3K2 cascade.

Integrated Analysis and Validation of Autophagy-Related Genes and Immune Infiltration in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most critical conditions of coronary heart disease with many uncertainties regarding reduction of ischemia/reperfusion injury, medical treatment strategies, and other aspects. The inflammatory immune response has a bidirectional regulatory role in AMI and plays an essential role in myocardial remodeling after AMI. The purpose of our research was tantamount to explore possible mechanisms of AMI and to analyze the relationship with the immune microenvironment.

Methods

We firstly analyzed the expression profile of GSE61144 and HADb to identify differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DEARGs). Then, we performed GO, functional enrichment analysis, and constructed PPI network by Metascape. A lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network was built, and hub genes were extracted by Cytoscape. After that, we used CIBERSORT algorithm to estimate the proportion of immunocytes, followed by correlation analysis to find relationships between hub DEARGs and immunocyte subsets. Finally, we verified those hub genes in another dataset and cellular experiments qPCR.

Results

Compared with controls, we identified 44 DEARGs and then filtered the genes of MCODE by constructing PPI network for further analysis. A total of 45 lncRNAs, 24 miRNAs, 19 mRNAs, 162 lncRNA-miRNA pairs, and 37 mRNA-miRNA pairs were used to construct a ceRNA network, and 4 hub DEARGs (BCL2, MAPK1, RAF1, and PRKAR1A) were extracted. We then estimated 5 classes of immunocytes that differed between AMI and controls. According to the results of correlation analysis, these 4 hub DEARGs may play modulatory effects in immune infiltrating cells, notably in CD8+ T cells and neutrophils. Finally, the same results were verified in GSE60993 and qPCR experiments.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that those hub DEARGs (BCL2, MAPK1, RAF1, and PRKAR1A) and immunocytes probably play functions in the progression of AMI, providing potential diagnostic markers and new perspectives for treatment of AMI.

Network Pharmacology and In Vitro Experimental Verification Reveal the Mechanism of the Hirudin in Suppressing Myocardial Hypertrophy

Background: Myocardial hypertrophy is a complex pathological process, which is a common manifestation during the development of various cardiovascular diseases. Hirudin has been shown to have therapeutic effects on a variety of cardiovascular diseases, however, its therapeutic effect on myocardial hypertrophy is still unknown, and its chemical and pharmacological characteristics remain to be elucidated.

Methods: In this study, the network pharmacology method was used to characterize the mechanism of hirudin on myocardial hypertrophy. The potential protein targets of hirudin and myocardial hypertrophy were both obtained from the Genecards database, and potential pathways associated with genes were identified by Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analysis, and the data were displayed in a visual manner. Subsequently, the potential mechanism of action of hirudin on myocardial hypertrophy predicted by network pharmacology analysis was verified by molecular docking, and finally, the main findings were further verified by in vitro experiments by molecular biology techniques. Based on the results obtained from the study of H9c2 cell line, the inhibitory effect of hirudin on myocardial hypertrophy was further proved in the primary rat cardiomyocytes.

Results: A total of 250 targets of hirudin, and 5,376 targets related to myocardial hypertrophy after deduplication were collected. The drug-disease network showed the relationship between hirudin, myocardial hypertrophy, and the targets. Further, systematic analysis from the PPI network indicated that blood coagulation, vesicle lumen, and signaling receptor activator activity may be the potential mechanisms of hirudin in the treatment of myocardial hypertrophy, and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway may be the most relevant to the therapeutic effect of hirudin. Then, three therapeutic targets that were highly related to myocardial hypertrophy were extracted. Hirudin can be highly bound to STAT3, IL-6, and MAPK1 and found by molecular docking, which may be the basis for its inhibitory effect on myocardial hypertrophy. In addition, in vitro experiments showed that hirudin could inhibit AngII-induced hypertrophy and death of H9c2 cells, and significantly reduce the mRNA and protein expression levels of STAT3, MAPK1, and IL-6. The above conclusions were verified in primary rat cardiomyocytes.

Conclusion: Hirudin can be used to treat myocardial hypertrophy through a complex mechanism. The application of network pharmacology and experimental validation can promote the application of hirudin in cardiovascular diseases and the interpretation and understanding of molecular biological mechanisms.

Long noncoding RNA DANCR expression and its predictive value in patients with atherosclerosis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act crucial roles in the progression of vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis. This study aims to investigate the expression levels of the atherosclerosis-associated lncRNA DANCR in patients diagnosed with atherosclerosis and whether its abnormal expression affects the progress of atherosclerosis. The expression of DANCR in the serum samples of all study participants was quantified using RT-qPCR. Then, the predictive capacities of DANCR for the detection of atherosclerosis patients were evaluated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The effects of DANCR on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation and migration were then explored using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell migration assays. The DANCR exhibited increased expression trends in patients with atherosclerosis than healthy controls. Moreover, there were differences in the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), homocysteine (Hcy), and C-reactive protein (CRP) between the healthy controls and atherosclerosis patients. The DANCR expression was positively correlated with serum LDL-C, Hcy, and CRP levels. DANCR expression could distinguish patients with atherosclerosis from healthy individuals with a high area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity. Additionally, knockdown of DANCR weakened the proliferative abilities and migration capacities of VSMCs. It was also shown that DANCR could compete with miR-335-5p binding. Herein, it appears that the LncRNA DANCR was closely associated with the progression of atherosclerosis by targeting miR-335-5p, which might be a potential detective predictor and target for the treatment of atherosclerosis.