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Deogharia M, Gurha P. Epigenetic regulation of heart failure. Curr Opin Cardiol 2024; 39:371-379. [PMID: 38606626 PMCID: PMC11150090 DOI: 10.1097/hco.0000000000001150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The studies on chromatin-modifying enzymes and how they respond to different stimuli within the cell have revolutionized our understanding of epigenetics. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent studies on epigenetic mechanisms implicated in heart failure. RECENT FINDINGS We focus on the major mechanisms and the conceptual advances in epigenetics as evidenced by studies in humans and mouse models of heart failure. The significance of epigenetic modifications and the enzymes that catalyze them is also discussed. New findings from the studies of histone lysine demethylases demonstrate their significance in regulating fetal gene expression, as well as their aberrant expression in adult hearts during HF. Similarly, the relevance of histone deacetylases inhibition in heart failure and the role of HDAC6 in cardio-protection are discussed. Finally, the role of LMNA (lamin A/C), a nuclear membrane protein that interacts with chromatin to form hundreds of large chromatin domains known as lamin-associated domains (LADs), and 3D genome structure in epigenetic regulation of gene expression and heart failure is discussed. SUMMARY Epigenetic modifications provide a mechanism for responding to stress and environmental variation, enabling reactions to both external and internal stimuli, and their dysregulation can be pathological as in heart failure. To gain a thorough understanding of the pathological mechanisms and to aid in the development of targeted treatments for heart failure, future research on studying the combined effects of numerous epigenetic changes and the structure of chromatin is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Deogharia
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Texas, USA
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Zhou M, Li T, Lv S, Gan W, Zhang F, Che Y, Yang L, Hou Y, Yan Z, Zeng Z, Zhao W, Yang M. Identification of immune-related genes and small-molecule drugs in hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy based on machine learning algorithms and molecular docking. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1351945. [PMID: 38994368 PMCID: PMC11236603 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1351945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common consequence of hypertension and can lead to heart failure. The immune response plays an important role in hypertensive LVH; however, there is no comprehensive method to investigate the mechanistic relationships between immune response and hypertensive LVH or to find novel therapeutic targets. This study aimed to screen hub immune-related genes involved in hypertensive LVH as well as to explore immune target-based therapeutic drugs. Materials and methods RNA-sequencing data from a mouse model generated by angiotensin II infusion were subjected to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify core expression modules. Machine learning algorithms were applied to screen immune-related LVH characteristic genes. Heart structures were evaluated by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Validation of hub genes was conducted by RT-qPCR and western blot. Using the Connectivity Map database and molecular docking, potential small-molecule drugs were explored. Results A total of 1215 differentially expressed genes were obtained, most of which were significantly enriched in immunoregulation and collagen synthesis. WGCNA and multiple machine learning strategies uncovered six hub immune-related genes (Ankrd1, Birc5, Nuf2, C1qtnf6, Fcgr3, and Cdca3) that may accurately predict hypertensive LVH diagnosis. Immune analysis revealed that fibroblasts and macrophages were closely correlated with hypertensive LVH, and hub gene expression was significantly associated with these immune cells. A regulatory network of transcription factor-mRNA and a ceRNA network of miRNA-lncRNA was established. Notably, six hub immune-related genes were significantly increased in the hypertensive LVH model, which were positively linked to left ventricle wall thickness. Finally, 12 small-molecule compounds with the potential to reverse the high expression of hub genes were ruled out as potential therapeutic agents for hypertensive LVH. Conclusion This study identified and validated six hub immune-related genes that may play essential roles in hypertensive LVH, providing new insights into the potential pathogenesis of cardiac remodeling and novel targets for medical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tiegang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Silin Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Wenqiang Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuexia Che
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Liu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yufang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zifan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Min Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Function of Natural Medicine, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Zhao Z, Yue H, Cui X. Homotherapy for Heteropathy: A Molecular Mechanism of Poria Sini Decoction for Treatment of Liver Cancer and Chronic Heart Failure. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2024; 2024:9958258. [PMID: 38711438 PMCID: PMC11073853 DOI: 10.1155/2024/9958258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Poria sini decoction (PSD), a significant traditional Chinese herbal formula, is effective in liver cancer (LC) and chronic heart failure (CHF); however, little is known about its concurrent targeting mechanism. Methods. This study analyzed the potential molecular mechanism of PSD against the two distinct diseases using network pharmacology approaches, including multidatabase search, pharmacokinetic screening, network construction analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and molecular docking to elaborate the active components, signaling pathways, and potential mechanisms of PSD in the treatment of both LC and CHF. Results. A total of 155 active components and 193 potential targets in PSD were identified. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that quercetin, isorhamnetin, and naringenin, etc. may be potential candidate agents. TNF, AKT1, and IL6, etc. could become potential therapeutic targets. TNF-α, NF-κB, PI3K-AKT, and TRP signaling pathways might play an important role in PSD against LC and CHF. Molecular docking results showed that most screened active compounds could embed itself into target proteins with a high binding affinity, and the hydrogen bonds number ≥3 indicated a more stable conformation of the compounds and target proteins. Overall, quercetin and isorhamnetin were the main active components, and TNF and AKT1 were the primary targets for PSD treatment of LC and CHF. Conclusions. This study illustrated that quercetin contained in PSD played an important role in the treatment of LC and CHF by acting on the key gene of TP53 and downregulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Zhao
- Department of Second Clinical Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Huiying Yue
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Xiaohua Cui
- Department Cellar Biology and Genetics, Basic Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
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Tsare EPG, Klapa MI, Moschonas NK. Protein-protein interaction network-based integration of GWAS and functional data for blood pressure regulation analysis. Hum Genomics 2024; 18:15. [PMID: 38326862 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00565-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is valuable to analyze the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data for a complex disease phenotype in the context of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, as the related pathophysiology results from the function of interacting polyprotein pathways. The analysis may include the design and curation of a phenotype-specific GWAS meta-database incorporating genotypic and eQTL data linking to PPI and other biological datasets, and the development of systematic workflows for PPI network-based data integration toward protein and pathway prioritization. Here, we pursued this analysis for blood pressure (BP) regulation. METHODS The relational scheme of the implemented in Microsoft SQL Server BP-GWAS meta-database enabled the combined storage of: GWAS data and attributes mined from GWAS Catalog and the literature, Ensembl-defined SNP-transcript associations, and GTEx eQTL data. The BP-protein interactome was reconstructed from the PICKLE PPI meta-database, extending the GWAS-deduced network with the shortest paths connecting all GWAS-proteins into one component. The shortest-path intermediates were considered as BP-related. For protein prioritization, we combined a new integrated GWAS-based scoring scheme with two network-based criteria: one considering the protein role in the reconstructed by shortest-path (RbSP) interactome and one novel promoting the common neighbors of GWAS-prioritized proteins. Prioritized proteins were ranked by the number of satisfied criteria. RESULTS The meta-database includes 6687 variants linked with 1167 BP-associated protein-coding genes. The GWAS-deduced PPI network includes 1065 proteins, with 672 forming a connected component. The RbSP interactome contains 1443 additional, network-deduced proteins and indicated that essentially all BP-GWAS proteins are at most second neighbors. The prioritized BP-protein set was derived from the union of the most BP-significant by any of the GWAS-based or the network-based criteria. It included 335 proteins, with ~ 2/3 deduced from the BP PPI network extension and 126 prioritized by at least two criteria. ESR1 was the only protein satisfying all three criteria, followed in the top-10 by INSR, PTN11, CDK6, CSK, NOS3, SH2B3, ATP2B1, FES and FINC, satisfying two. Pathway analysis of the RbSP interactome revealed numerous bioprocesses, which are indeed functionally supported as BP-associated, extending our understanding about BP regulation. CONCLUSIONS The implemented workflow could be used for other multifactorial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evridiki-Pandora G Tsare
- Department of General Biology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras, Greece
| | - Maria I Klapa
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras, Greece.
| | - Nicholas K Moschonas
- Department of General Biology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
- Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras, Greece.
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Song C, Zhang G, Mu X, Feng C, Zhang Q, Song S, Zhang Y, Yin M, Zhang H, Tang H, Li C. eRNAbase: a comprehensive database for decoding the regulatory eRNAs in human and mouse. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D81-D91. [PMID: 37889077 PMCID: PMC10767853 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) transcribed from distal active enhancers serve as key regulators in gene transcriptional regulation. The accumulation of eRNAs from multiple sequencing assays has led to an urgent need to comprehensively collect and process these data to illustrate the regulatory landscape of eRNAs. To address this need, we developed the eRNAbase (http://bio.liclab.net/eRNAbase/index.php) to store the massive available resources of human and mouse eRNAs and provide comprehensive annotation and analyses for eRNAs. The current version of eRNAbase cataloged 10 399 928 eRNAs from 1012 samples, including 858 human samples and 154 mouse samples. These eRNAs were first identified and uniformly processed from 14 eRNA-related experiment types manually collected from GEO/SRA and ENCODE. Importantly, the eRNAbase provides detailed and abundant (epi)genetic annotations in eRNA regions, such as super enhancers, enhancers, common single nucleotide polymorphisms, expression quantitative trait loci, transcription factor binding sites, CRISPR/Cas9 target sites, DNase I hypersensitivity sites, chromatin accessibility regions, methylation sites, chromatin interactions regions, topologically associating domains and RNA spatial interactions. Furthermore, the eRNAbase provides users with three novel analyses including eRNA-mediated pathway regulatory analysis, eRNA-based variation interpretation analysis and eRNA-mediated TF-target gene analysis. Hence, eRNAbase is a powerful platform to query, browse and visualize regulatory cues associated with eRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Song
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Guorui Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Xinxin Mu
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Chenchen Feng
- School of Computer, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Qinyi Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Shuang Song
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Yuexin Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Mingxue Yin
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Hang Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- School of Computer, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Huifang Tang
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Cardiovascular Lab of Big Data and Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Clinical Research Center for Myocardial Injury in Hunan Province, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
| | - Chunquan Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital & Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Multi-omics And Artificial Intelligence of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Research and Prevention, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- School of Computer, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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Olcum M, Fan S, Rouhi L, Cheedipudi S, Cathcart B, Jeong HH, Zhao Z, Gurha P, Marian AJ. Genetic inactivation of β-catenin is salubrious, whereas its activation is deleterious in desmoplakin cardiomyopathy. Cardiovasc Res 2023; 119:2712-2728. [PMID: 37625794 PMCID: PMC11032201 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvad137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Mutations in the DSP gene encoding desmoplakin, a constituent of the desmosomes at the intercalated discs (IDs), cause a phenotype that spans arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) and dilated cardiomyopathy. It is typically characterized by biventricular enlargement and dysfunction, myocardial fibrosis, cell death, and arrhythmias. The canonical wingless-related integration (cWNT)/β-catenin pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of ACM. The β-catenin is an indispensable co-transcriptional regulator of the cWNT pathway and a member of the IDs. We genetically inactivated or activated β-catenin to determine its role in the pathogenesis of desmoplakin cardiomyopathy. METHODS AND RESULTS The Dsp gene was conditionally deleted in the 2-week-old post-natal cardiac myocytes using tamoxifen-inducible MerCreMer mice (Myh6-McmTam:DspF/F). The cWNT/β-catenin pathway was markedly dysregulated in the Myh6-McmTam:DspF/F cardiac myocytes, as indicated by a concomitant increase in the expression of cWNT/β-catenin target genes, isoforms of its key co-effectors, and the inhibitors of the pathway. The β-catenin was inactivated or activated upon inducible deletion of its transcriptional or degron domain, respectively, in the Myh6-McmTam:DspF/F cardiac myocytes. Genetic inactivation of β-catenin in the Myh6-McmTam:DspF/F mice prolonged survival, improved cardiac function, reduced cardiac arrhythmias, and attenuated myocardial fibrosis, and cell death caused by apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis, i.e. PANoptosis. In contrast, activation of β-catenin had the opposite effects. The deleterious and the salubrious effects were independent of changes in the expression levels of the cWNT target genes and were associated with changes in several molecular and biological pathways, including cell death programmes. CONCLUSION The cWNT/β-catenin was markedly dysregulated in the cardiac myocytes in a mouse model of desmoplakin cardiomyopathy. Inactivation of β-catenin attenuated, whereas its activation aggravated the phenotype, through multiple molecular pathways, independent of the cWNT transcriptional activity. Thus, suppression but not activation of β-catenin might be beneficial in desmoplakin cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis Olcum
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Siyang Fan
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leila Rouhi
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sirisha Cheedipudi
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin Cathcart
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hyun-Hwan Jeong
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Priyatansh Gurha
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ali J Marian
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Vielmuth F, Radeva MY, Yeruva S, Sigmund AM, Waschke J. cAMP: A master regulator of cadherin-mediated binding in endothelium, epithelium and myocardium. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2023; 238:e14006. [PMID: 37243909 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion is crucial not only for maintaining tissue integrity and barrier function in the endothelium and epithelium but also for electromechanical coupling within the myocardium. Therefore, loss of cadherin-mediated adhesion causes various disorders, including vascular inflammation and desmosome-related diseases such as the autoimmune blistering skin dermatosis pemphigus and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Mechanisms regulating cadherin-mediated binding contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases and may also be used as therapeutic targets. Over the last 30 years, cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) has emerged as one of the master regulators of cell adhesion in endothelium and, more recently, also in epithelial cells as well as in cardiomyocytes. A broad spectrum of experimental models from vascular physiology and cell biology applied by different generations of researchers provided evidence that not only cadherins of endothelial adherens junctions (AJ) but also desmosomal contacts in keratinocytes and the cardiomyocyte intercalated discs are central targets in this scenario. The molecular mechanisms involve protein kinase A- and exchange protein directly activated by cAMP-mediated regulation of Rho family GTPases and S665 phosphorylation of the AJ and desmosome adaptor protein plakoglobin. In line with this, phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors such as apremilast have been proposed as a therapeutic strategy to stabilize cadherin-mediated adhesion in pemphigus and may also be effective to treat other disorders where cadherin-mediated binding is compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Vielmuth
- Chair of Vegetative Anatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Mariya Y Radeva
- Chair of Vegetative Anatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sunil Yeruva
- Chair of Vegetative Anatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna M Sigmund
- Chair of Vegetative Anatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Waschke
- Chair of Vegetative Anatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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8
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Rouhi L, Cheedipudi SM, Cathcart B, Gurha P, Marian AJ. Cytosolic DNA sensing protein pathway is activated in human hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy. THE JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR AGING 2023; 3:32. [PMID: 37577061 PMCID: PMC10421632 DOI: 10.20517/jca.2023.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The genome is constantly exposed to numerous stressors, which induce DNA lesions, including double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs). DSBs are the most dangerous, as they induce genomic instability. In response to DNA damage, the cell activates nuclear DNA damage response (DDR) and the cytosolic DNA sensing protein (CDSP) pathways, the latter upon release of the DSBs to the cytosol. The CDSP pathway activates NFκB and IRF3, which induce the expression of the pro-inflammatory genes. There is scant data on the activation of the CDSP pathway in human hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Aim We aimed to determine expression levels of selected components of the CDSP pathway in human hearts with DCM. Methods The DNA strand breaks were detected by the single-cell gel electrophoresis or the comet assay and expression of selected proteins by immunoblotting. Transcript levels were quantified in the RNA-Seq data. Results Single-cell gel electrophoresis showed an approximately 2-fold increase in the number of COMET cells in the DCM hearts. Immunoblotting showed increased levels of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (CGAS), the canonical CDSP; TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), an intermediary kinase in the pathway; and RELB, P52, and P50 components of the NFκB pathway in human heart samples from patients with DCM. Likewise, transcript levels of over 2 dozen genes involved in inflammatory responses were increased. Conclusions The findings provide the first set of evidence for the activation of the CDSP pathway in human hearts with DCM. The data in conjunction with the previous evidence of activation of the DDR pathway implicate the DSBs in the pathogenesis of human DCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Rouhi
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center. Houston TX 77030, USA
| | - Sirisha M Cheedipudi
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center. Houston TX 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin Cathcart
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center. Houston TX 77030, USA
| | - Priyatansh Gurha
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center. Houston TX 77030, USA
| | - Ali J Marian
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center. Houston TX 77030, USA
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Alcalde M, Toro R, Bonet F, Córdoba-Caballero J, Martínez-Barrios E, Ranea JA, Vallverdú-Prats M, Brugada R, Meraviglia V, Bellin M, Sarquella-Brugada G, Campuzano O. Role of MicroRNAs in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: translation as biomarkers into clinical practice. Transl Res 2023:S1931-5244(23)00070-1. [PMID: 37105319 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a rare inherited entity, characterized by a progressive fibro-fatty replacement of the myocardium. It leads to malignant arrhythmias and a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity are hallmarks of this arrhythmogenic cardiac disease, where the first manifestation may be syncope and sudden cardiac death, often triggered by physical exercise. Early identification of individuals at risk is crucial to adopt protective and ideally personalized measures to prevent lethal episodes. The genetic analysis identifies deleterious rare variants in nearly 70% of cases, mostly in genes encoding proteins of the desmosome. However, other factors may modulate the phenotype onset and outcome of disease, such as microRNAs. These small noncoding RNAs play a key role in gene expression regulation and the network of cellular processes. In recent years, data focused on the role of microRNAs as potential biomarkers in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy has progressively increased. A better understanding of the functions and interactions of microRNAs will likely have clinical implications. Herein, we propose an exhaustive review of the literature regarding these noncoding RNAs, their versatile mechanisms of gene regulation and present novel targets in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Alcalde
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, 17190 Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red. Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío Toro
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, 11003 Cadiz Spain; Research Unit, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar University Hospital, 11009 Cádiz Spain.
| | - Fernando Bonet
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, 11003 Cadiz Spain; Research Unit, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar University Hospital, 11009 Cádiz Spain
| | - José Córdoba-Caballero
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, 11003 Cadiz Spain; Research Unit, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar University Hospital, 11009 Cádiz Spain
| | - Estefanía Martínez-Barrios
- Pediatric Arrhythmias, Inherited Cardiac Diseases and Sudden Death Unit, Cardiology Department, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, 08950 Barcelona Spain; European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart (ERN GUARD-Heart), 1105 AZ Amsterdam Netherlands; Arrítmies Pediàtriques, Cardiologia Genètica i Mort Sobtada, Malalties Cardiovasculars en el Desenvolupament, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Ranea
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29590 Málaga Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 29029 Madrid Spain
| | - Marta Vallverdú-Prats
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, 17190 Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red. Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, 17190 Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red. Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona Spain; Cardiology Department, Hospital Josep Trueta, 17007 Girona Spain
| | - Viviana Meraviglia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden Netherlands
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 Leiden Netherlands; Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35122 Padua Italy; Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, 35129 Padua Italy
| | - Georgia Sarquella-Brugada
- Pediatric Arrhythmias, Inherited Cardiac Diseases and Sudden Death Unit, Cardiology Department, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital, 08950 Barcelona Spain; European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart (ERN GUARD-Heart), 1105 AZ Amsterdam Netherlands; Arrítmies Pediàtriques, Cardiologia Genètica i Mort Sobtada, Malalties Cardiovasculars en el Desenvolupament, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona Spain; Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona Spain
| | - Oscar Campuzano
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, 17190 Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red. Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona Spain.
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10
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Olcum M, Rouhi L, Fan S, Gonzales MM, Jeong HH, Zhao Z, Gurha P, Marian AJ. PANoptosis is a prominent feature of desmoplakin cardiomyopathy. THE JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR AGING 2023; 3:3. [PMID: 36818425 PMCID: PMC9933912 DOI: 10.20517/jca.2022.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is hereditary cardiomyopathy caused by pathogenic variants (mutations) in genes encoding the intercalated disc (ID), particularly desmosome proteins. ACM caused by mutations in the DSP gene encoding desmoplakin (DSP) is characterized by the prominence of cell death, myocardial fibrosis, and inflammation, and is referred to as desmoplakin cardiomyopathy. Aim The aim of this article was to gain insight into the pathogenesis of DSP cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results The Dsp gene was exclusively deleted in cardiac myocytes using tamoxifen-inducible MerCreMer (Myh6-Mcm Tam) and floxed Dsp (Dsp F/F) mice (Myh6-Mcm Tam:Dsp F/F). Recombination was induced upon subcutaneous injection of tamoxifen (30 mg/kg/d) for 5 days starting post-natal day 14. Survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plots, cardiac function by echocardiography, arrhythmias by rhythm monitoring, and gene expression by RNA-Seq, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence techniques. Cell death was analyzed by the TUNEL assay and the expression levels of specific markers were by RT-PCR and immunoblotting. Myocardial fibrosis was assessed by picrosirius red staining of the myocardial sections, RT-PCR, and immunoblotting. The Myh6-Mcm Tam: Dsp F/F mice showed extensive molecular remodeling of the IDs and the differential expression of ~10,000 genes, which predicted activation of KDM5A, IRFs, and NFκB and suppression of PPARGC1A and RB1, among others in the DSP-deficient myocytes. Gene set enrichment analysis predicted activation of the TNFα/NFκB pathway, inflammation, cell death programs, and fibrosis. Analysis of cell death markers indicated PANoptosis, comprised of apoptosis (increased CASP3, CASP8, BAD and reduced BCL2), necroptosis (increased RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL), and pyroptosis (increased GSDMD and ASC or PYCARD) in the DSP-deficient myocytes. Transcript levels of the pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes were increased and myocardial fibrosis comprised ~25% of the myocardium in the DSP-deficient hearts. The Myh6-Mcm Tam:Dsp F/F mice showed severe cardiac systolic dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias, and died prematurely with a median survival rate of ~2 months. Conclusion The findings identify PANoptosis as a prominent phenotypic feature of DSP cardiomyopathy and set the stage for delineating the specific molecular mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis. The model also provides the opportunity to test the effects of pharmacological and genetic interventions on myocardial fibrosis and cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis Olcum
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leila Rouhi
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Siyang Fan
- Heart Center & Beijing Key Laboratory of Hypertension, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Maya M. Gonzales
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hyun-Hwan Jeong
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics and School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics and School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Priyatansh Gurha
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ali J. Marian
- Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Abstract
Most colorectal cancers (CRC) are associated with activated Wnt signaling, making it the fourth most prevalent type of cancer globally. To function properly, the Wnt signaling pathway requires secreted glycoproteins known as Wnt ligands (Wnts). Humans have 19 Wnts, which suggest a complicated signaling and biological process, and we still know little about their functions in developing CRC. This review aims to describe the canonical Wnt signaling in CRC, particularly the Wnt3a expression pattern, and their association with the angiogenesis and progression of CRC. This review also sheds light on the inhibition of Wnt3a signaling in CRC. Despite some obstacles, a thorough understanding of Wnts is essential for effectively managing CRC.
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Piquer-Gil M, Domenech-Dauder S, Sepúlveda-Gómez M, Machí-Camacho C, Braza-Boïls A, Zorio E. Non Coding RNAs as Regulators of Wnt/β-Catenin and Hippo Pathways in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2619. [PMID: 36289882 PMCID: PMC9599412 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited cardiomyopathy histologically characterized by the replacement of myocardium by fibrofatty infiltration, cardiomyocyte loss, and inflammation. ACM has been defined as a desmosomal disease because most of the mutations causing the disease are located in genes encoding desmosomal proteins. Interestingly, the instable structures of these intercellular junctions in this disease are closely related to a perturbed Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Imbalance in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling and also in the crosslinked Hippo pathway leads to the transcription of proadipogenic and profibrotic genes. Aiming to shed light on the mechanisms by which Wnt/β-catenin and Hippo pathways modulate the progression of the pathological ACM phenotype, the study of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has emerged as a potential source of actionable targets. ncRNAs comprise a wide range of RNA species (short, large, linear, circular) which are able to finely tune gene expression and determine the final phenotype. Some share recognition sites, thus referred to as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), and ensure a coordinating action. Recent cancer research studies regarding the key role of ceRNAs in Wnt/β-catenin and Hippo pathways modulation pave the way to better understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ACM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Piquer-Gil
- Unit of Inherited Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Death (CaFaMuSMe), Health Research Institute La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Sofía Domenech-Dauder
- Unit of Inherited Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Death (CaFaMuSMe), Health Research Institute La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Sepúlveda-Gómez
- Unit of Inherited Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Death (CaFaMuSMe), Health Research Institute La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Carla Machí-Camacho
- Unit of Inherited Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Death (CaFaMuSMe), Health Research Institute La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
| | - Aitana Braza-Boïls
- Unit of Inherited Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Death (CaFaMuSMe), Health Research Institute La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), 28015 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Zorio
- Unit of Inherited Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Death (CaFaMuSMe), Health Research Institute La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV), 28015 Madrid, Spain
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain
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13
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Yi S, Jin X, Liu B, Wu P, Xiao W, Chen W. Portulaca oleracea extract reduces gut microbiota imbalance and inhibits colorectal cancer progression via inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 105:154279. [PMID: 35963192 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Portulaca oleracea is a known medicinal plant with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, and it may also function an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC). PURPOSE We probed into study the critical function of Portulaca oleracea extract (POE) in CRC and the related downstream factors. METHODS Azoxymethane (AOM) and dextransodiumsulfate (DSS) were used to induce mouse models of CRC, which were then administered different doses of POE to evaluate the therapeutic effects of POE on CRC. Diversity, abundance, and function of gut microbiota were analyzed. Moreover, the potential molecular targets of POE inhibiting CRC development were determined. Expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 as well as CRC cell proliferation and apoptosis was detected. RESULTS POE treatment inhibited AOM/DSS-induced CRC development in mice and ameliorated gut microbial imbalance. Bioinformatic analysis revealed marked differences in the gut microbiota between CRC samples and normal samples and that 20 differential microbiota may be involved in CRC development through the Wnt signaling pathway. Additionally, c-Myc and cyclin D1 were identified to be the key downstream target genes of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In vitro data revealed that POE played a suppressive role in the proliferation of CRC cells by reducing the expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 and inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. CONCLUSION This study underlines that POE reduces gut microbiota imbalance and inhibits CRC development and progression via inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and downregulation of c-Myc and cyclin D1 expression, which is expected to be a potential biomarker for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengen Yi
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Xiaoxin Jin
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Peidong Wu
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Wang Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, PR China
| | - Weidong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, PR China.
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14
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Liu C, Zhou Y, Zhao D, Yu L, Zhou Y, Xu M, Tang L. Identification and validation of differentially expressed chromatin regulators for diagnosis of aortic dissection using integrated bioinformatics analysis and machine-learning algorithms. Front Genet 2022; 13:950613. [PMID: 36035141 PMCID: PMC9403720 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.950613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening disease. Chromatin regulators (CRs) are indispensable epigenetic regulators. We aimed to identify differentially expressed chromatin regulators (DECRs) for AD diagnosis. Methods: We downloaded the GSE52093 and GSE190635 datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Following the merging and processing of datasets, bioinformatics analysis was applied to select candidate DECRs for AD diagnosis: CRs exertion; DECR identification using the “Limma” package; analyses of enrichment of function and signaling pathways; construction of protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks; application of machine-learning algorithms; evaluation of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. GSE98770 served as the validation dataset to filter DECRs. Moreover, we collected peripheral-blood samples to further validate expression of DECRs by real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Finally, a nomogram was built for clinical use. Results: A total of 841 CRs were extracted from the merged dataset. Analyses of functional enrichment of 23 DECRs identified using Limma showed that DECRs were enriched mainly in epigenetic-regulation processes. From the PPI network, 17 DECRs were selected as node DECRs. After machine-learning calculations, eight DECRs were chosen from the intersection of 13 DECRs identified using support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) and the top-10 DECRs selected using random forest. DECR expression between the control group and AD group were considerably different. Moreover, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of each DECR was >0.75, and four DECRs (tumor protein 53 (TP53), chromobox protein homolog 7 (CBX7), Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5)) were selected as candidate biomarkers after validation using the external dataset and clinical samples. Furthermore, a nomogram with robust diagnostic value was established (AUC = 0.960). Conclusion: TP53, CBX7, JAK2, and CDK5 might serve as diagnostic DECRs for AD diagnosis. These DECRs were enriched predominantly in regulating epigenetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjiang Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Vascular Surgery Division, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, China
| | - Yufei Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Luchen Yu
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Yue Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Vascular Surgery Division, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, China
| | - Miaojun Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Vascular Surgery Division, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, China
| | - Liming Tang
- Department of General Surgery, Vascular Surgery Division, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, China
- *Correspondence: Liming Tang,
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Lu W, Li Y, Dai Y, Chen K. Dominant Myocardial Fibrosis and Complex Immune Microenvironment Jointly Shape the Pathogenesis of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:900810. [PMID: 35845067 PMCID: PMC9278650 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.900810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a heritable life-threatening myocardial disease characterized by ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Few studies used RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology to analyze gene expression profiles, hub genes, dominant pathogenic processes, immune microenvironment in ARVC. This study aimed to explore these questions via integrated bioinformatics analysis. Methods RNA-sequencing datasets of GSE107475, GSE107311, GSE107156, and GSE107125 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, including right and left ventricular myocardium from ARVC patients and normal controls. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified the ARVC hub modules and genes. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction analysis were performed by Metascape and STRING. Single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was applied to assess immune cell infiltration. Transcription regulator (TF) analysis was performed by TRRUST. Results Three ARVC hub modules with 25 hub genes were identified. Functional enrichment analysis of the hub genes indicated that myocardial fibrosis was the dominant pathogenic process. Higher myocardial fibrosis activity existed in ARVC than in normal controls. A complex immune microenvironment was discovered that type 2 T helper cell, type 1 T helper cell, regulatory T cell, plasmacytoid dendritic cell, neutrophil, mast cell, central memory CD4 T cell, macrophage, CD56dim natural killer cell, myeloid-derived suppressor cell, memory B cell, natural killer T cell, and activated CD8 T cell were highly infiltrated in ARVC myocardium. The immune-related hub module was enriched in immune processes and inflammatory disease pathways, with hub genes including CD74, HLA-DRA, ITGAM, CTSS, CYBB, and IRF8. A positive linear correlation existed between immune cell infiltration and fibrosis activity in ARVC. NFKB1 and RELA were the shared TFs of ARVC hub genes and immune-related hub module genes, indicating the critical role of NFκB signaling in both mechanisms. Finally, the potential lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network for ARVC hub genes was constructed. Conclusion Myocardial fibrosis is the dominant pathogenic process in end-stage ARVC patients. A complex immune microenvironment exists in the diseased myocardium of ARVC, in which T cell subsets are the primary category. A tight relationship exists between myocardial fibrosis activity and immune cell infiltration. NFκB signaling pathway possibly contributes to both mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Keping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Arrhythmia Center, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Liu X, Liu L, Zhao J, Wang H, Li Y. Mechanotransduction regulates inflammation responses of epicardial adipocytes in cardiovascular diseases. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1080383. [PMID: 36589802 PMCID: PMC9800500 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1080383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Adipose tissue is a crucial regulator in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis by secreting various bioactive products to mediate the physiological function of the cardiovascular system. Accumulating evidence shows that adipose tissue disorders contribute to several kinds of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Furthermore, the adipose tissue would present various biological effects depending on its tissue localization and metabolic statuses, deciding the individual cardiometabolic risk. Crosstalk between adipose and myocardial tissue is involved in the pathophysiological process of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), cardiac fibrosis, heart failure, and myocardial infarction/atherosclerosis. The abnormal distribution of adipose tissue in the heart might yield direct and/or indirect effects on cardiac function. Moreover, mechanical transduction is critical for adipocytes in differentiation, proliferation, functional maturity, and homeostasis maintenance. Therefore, understanding the features of mechanotransduction pathways in the cellular ontogeny of adipose tissue is vital for underlining the development of adipocytes involved in cardiovascular disorders, which would preliminarily contribute positive implications on a novel therapeutic invention for cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we aim to clarify the role of mechanical stress in cardiac adipocyte homeostasis and its interplay with maintaining cardiac function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoliang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education (MOE), Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education (MOE), Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Junfei Zhao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- *Correspondence: Yifei Li, ; Junfei Zhao, ; Hua Wang,
| | - Hua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education (MOE), Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Yifei Li, ; Junfei Zhao, ; Hua Wang,
| | - Yifei Li
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of Ministry of Education (MOE), Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Yifei Li, ; Junfei Zhao, ; Hua Wang,
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Gerull B, Brodehl A. Insights Into Genetics and Pathophysiology of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Curr Heart Fail Rep 2021; 18:378-390. [PMID: 34478111 PMCID: PMC8616880 DOI: 10.1007/s11897-021-00532-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a genetic disease characterized by life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in apparently healthy young adults. Mutations in genes encoding for cellular junctions can be found in about half of the patients. However, disease onset and severity, risk of arrhythmias, and outcome are highly variable and drug-targeted treatment is currently unavailable. Recent Findings This review focuses on advances in clinical risk stratification, genetic etiology, and pathophysiological concepts. The desmosome is the central part of the disease, but other intercalated disc and associated structural proteins not only broaden the genetic spectrum but also provide novel molecular and cellular insights into the pathogenesis of ACM. Signaling pathways and the role of inflammation will be discussed and targets for novel therapeutic approaches outlined. Summary Genetic discoveries and experimental-driven preclinical research contributed significantly to the understanding of ACM towards mutation- and pathway-specific personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Gerull
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Department of Medicine I, University Clinic Würzburg, Am Schwarzenberg 15, 97078, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Brodehl
- Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Erich and Hanna Klessmann Institute, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstrasse 11, 32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
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Pagiatakis C, Di Mauro V. The Emerging Role of Epigenetics in Therapeutic Targeting of Cardiomyopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168721. [PMID: 34445422 PMCID: PMC8395924 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases accountable for the majority of cases of heart failure (HF) and/or sudden cardiac death (SCD) worldwide. With the recent advances in genomics, the original classification of CMPs on the basis of morphological and functional criteria (dilated (DCM), hypertrophic (HCM), restrictive (RCM), and arrhythmogenic ventricular cardiomyopathy (AVC)) was further refined into genetic (inherited or familial) and acquired (non-inherited or secondary) forms. Despite substantial progress in the identification of novel CMP-associated genetic variations, as well as improved clinical recognition diagnoses, the functional consequences of these mutations and the exact details of the signaling pathways leading to hypertrophy, dilation, and/or contractile impairment remain elusive. To date, global research has mainly focused on the genetic factors underlying CMP pathogenesis. However, growing evidence shows that alterations in molecular mediators associated with the diagnosis of CMPs are not always correlated with genetic mutations, suggesting that additional mechanisms, such as epigenetics, may play a role in the onset or progression of CMPs. This review summarizes published findings of inherited CMPs with a specific focus on the potential role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating these cardiac disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Pagiatakis
- IRCCS-Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (V.D.M.)
| | - Vittoria Di Mauro
- IRCCS-Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
- Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), Milan Unit, National Research Council, Via Fantoli 16/15, 20138 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: (C.P.); (V.D.M.)
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