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Zheng B, Geng Y, Li Y, Huang H, Liu A. Specificity protein 1/3 regulate T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell proliferation and apoptosis through β-catenin by acting as targets of miR-495-3p. Ann Hematol 2024; 103:2945-2960. [PMID: 38829410 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-024-05764-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematologic heterogeneous disease. This study explored the mechanism of specificity protein 1/3 (Sp1/3) in T-ALL cells through β-catenin by acting as targets of miR-495-3p. Expression levels of miR-495-3p, Sp1, Sp3, and β-catenin in the serum from T-ALL children patients, healthy controls, and the T-ALL cell lines were measured. The cell proliferation ability and apoptosis rate were detected. Levels of proliferation-related proteins proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)/cyclinD1 and apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein (Bax)/B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) were determined. The binding of Sp1/3 and β-catenin promoter and the targeted relationship between miR-495-3p with Sp1/3 were analyzed. Sp1/3 were upregulated in CD4+ T-cells in T-ALL and were linked with leukocyte count and risk classification. Sp1/3 interference prevented proliferation and promoted apoptosis in T-ALL cells. Sp1/3 transcription factors activated β-catenin expression. Sp1/3 enhanced T-ALL cell proliferation by facilitating β-catenin expression. miR-495-3p targeted and repressed Sp1/3 expressions. miR-495-3p overexpression inhibited T-ALL cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Conjointly, Sp1/3, as targets of miR-495-3p limit apoptosis and promote proliferation in T-ALL cells by promoting β-catenin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyang Zheng
- Hematology clinic, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150 Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Yueqi Geng
- Hematology clinic, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150 Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Hematology, Hainan Cancer Hospital, Haikou, China
| | - Huixiong Huang
- Hematology clinic, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150 Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Aichun Liu
- Hematology clinic, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150 Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China.
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Saleki K, Aram C, Alijanizadeh P, Khanmirzaei MH, Vaziri Z, Ramzankhah M, Azadmehr A. Matrix metalloproteinase/Fas ligand (MMP/FasL) interaction dynamics in COVID-19: An in silico study and neuroimmune perspective. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30898. [PMID: 38803919 PMCID: PMC11128882 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The initiator of cytokine storm in Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still unknown. We recently suggested a complex interaction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), Fas ligand (FasL), and viral entry factors could be responsible for the cytokine outrage In COVID-19. We explored the molecular dynamics of FasL/MMP7-9 in COVID-19 conditions in silico and provide neuroimmune insights for future. Methods We enrolled and analyzed a clinical cohort of COVID-19 patients, and recorded their blood Na + levels and temperature at admission. A blood-like molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) box was then built. Four conditions were studied; MMP7/FasL (healthy), MMP7/FasL (COVID-19), MMP9-FasL (healthy), and MMP9/FasL (COVID-19). MDS was performed by GROningen MAchine for Chemical Simulation (GROMACS). We analyzed bonds, short-range energies, and free binding energies to draw conclusions on the interaction of MMP7/MMP9 and FasL to gain insights into COVID-19 immunopathology. Genevestigator was used study RNA-seq/microarray expression data of MMPs in the cells of immune and nervous systems. Finally, epitopes of MMP/FasL complexes were identified as drug targets by machine learning (ML) tools. Results MMP7-FasL (Healthy), MMP7-FasL (COVID-19), MMP9-FasL (Healthy), and MMP9-FasL (COVID-19) systems showed 0, 1, 4, and 2 salt bridges, indicating MMP9 had more salt bridges. Moreover, in both COVID-19 and normal conditions, the number of interacting residues and surface area was higher for MMP9 compared to MMP7 group. The COVID-19 MMP9-FasL group had more H-bonds compared to MMP7-FasL group (12 vs. 7). 15 epitopes for FasL-MMP9 and 10 epitopes for FasL-MMP7 were detected. Extended MD simulation for 100 ns confirmed stronger binding of MMP9 based on Molecular Mechanics Generalized Borne Surface analysis (MM-GBSA) and Coul and Leonard-Jones (LJ) short-range energies. Conclusions MMP9 interacts stronger than MMP7 with FasL, however, both molecules maintained strong interaction through the MDS. We suggested epitopes for MMP-FasL complexes as valuable therapeutic targets in COVID-19. These data could be utilized in future immune drug and protein design and repurposing efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiarash Saleki
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Department of e-Learning, Virtual School of Medical Education and Management, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences(SBMU), Tehran, Iran
- USERN Office, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- National Elite Foundation, Mazandaran Province Branch, Mazandaran, Iran
| | - Cena Aram
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parsa Alijanizadeh
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- USERN Office, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Khanmirzaei
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Vaziri
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- USERN Office, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ramzankhah
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
- USERN Office, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Abbas Azadmehr
- National Elite Foundation, Mazandaran Province Branch, Mazandaran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Li L, Zhu G, Gong C, Hu M, Tan K, Jiang L, Li Y, Zhu X, Xie P, Chen X, Yang X. Histone demethylase KDM5D represses the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma through the E2F1/TNNC1 axis. Antioxid Redox Signal 2024. [PMID: 38504588 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2023.0448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study focused on investigating the mechanism in which the KDM5D/E2F1/TNNC1 axis affected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. METHODS At first, we determined HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, as well as SOD activity, MDA content, and ROS level. ChIP assay was subsequently conducted to examine H3K4me3 modification in the E2F1 promoter region and the binding of E2F1 to the TNNC1 promoter region after KDM5D overexpression. Meanwhile, we performed western blot for testing KDM5D, H3K4me3, and E2F1 expression after KDM5D overexpression in Huh-7 cells. The binding of transcription factor E2F1 to the TNNC1 promoter region was assessed by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. We further observed the tumor growth ability in nude mice transplanted tumor models. RESULTS Overexpressed KDM5D suppressed HCC proliferation, migration, and invasion, promoted the apoptosis, suppressed SOD activity, elevated MDA content and ROS level, and promoted ferroptosis. KDM5D suppressed H3K4me3 modification in the E2F1 promoter region and suppressed E2F1 expression in HCC cells. Reduced KDM5D, H3K4me3, and E2F1 expression was found after KDM5D overexpression in Huh-7 cells. Overexpressing E2F1 reversed the inhibitory effects of KDM5D on HCC cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive behaviors. KDM5D repressed TNNC1 transcription by inhibiting E2F1 binding to the TNNC1 promoter. In vivo KDM5D overexpression inhibited HCC development via the E2F1/TNNC1 axis. CONCLUSION KDM5D inhibits E2F1 expression by suppressing H3K4me3 modification in the E2F1 promoter region, which in turn suppresses the binding of E2F1 to the TNNC1 promoter region, thus leading to the inhibition of HCC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Li
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Genbao Zhu
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Chen Gong
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Mengxue Hu
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Kemeng Tan
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - La Jiang
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Yafen Li
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Xiaohong Zhu
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Peng Xie
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Xilan Chen
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, 125 Huaihe West Road. Yongqiao District, Suzhou, China, 234000;
| | - Xianfen Yang
- Anhui Wanbei Coal Electricity Group General Hospital, 645365, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China;
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Sasso CV, Lhamyani S, Hevilla F, Padial M, Blanca M, Barril G, Jiménez-Salcedo T, Martínez ES, Nogueira Á, Lago-Sampedro AM, Olveira G. Modulation of miR-29a and miR-29b Expression and Their Target Genes Related to Inflammation and Renal Fibrosis by an Oral Nutritional Supplement with Probiotics in Malnourished Hemodialysis Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1132. [PMID: 38256206 PMCID: PMC10816158 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021132] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially those on hemodialysis. Recently, our group described that a new oral nutritional supplement (ONS), specifically designed for malnourished (or at risk) hemodialysis patients with a "similar to the Mediterranean diet" pattern, improved caloric-protein intake, nutritional status and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidation. Our aim in this study was to evaluate whether the new ONS, associated with probiotics or not, may produce changes in miRNA's expression and its target genes in malnourished hemodialysis patients, compared to individualized diet recommendations. We performed a randomized, multicenter, parallel-group trial in malnourished hemodialysis patients with three groups (1: control (C) individualized diet (n = 11); 2: oral nutritional supplement (ONS) + placebo (ONS-PL) (n = 10); and 3: ONS + probiotics (ONS-PR) (n = 10)); the trial was open regarding the intake of ONS or individualized diet recommendations but double-blinded for the intake of probiotics. MiRNAs and gene expression levels were analyzed by RT-qPCR at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. We observed that the expression of miR-29a and miR-29b increased significantly in patients with ONS-PR at 3 months in comparison with baseline, stabilizing at the sixth month. Moreover, we observed differences between studied groups, where miR-29b expression levels were elevated in patients receiving ONS-PR compared to the control group in the third month. Regarding the gene expression levels, we observed a decrease in the ONS-PR group compared to the control group in the third month for RUNX2 and TNFα. TGFB1 expression was decreased in the ONS-PR group compared to baseline in the third month. PTEN gene expression was significantly elevated in the ONS-PR group at 3 months in comparison with baseline. LEPTIN expression was significantly increased in the ONS-PL group at the 3-month intervention compared to baseline. The new oral nutritional supplement associated with probiotics increases the expression levels of miR-29a and miR-29b after 3 months of intervention, modifying the expression of target genes with anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic actions. This study highlights the potential benefit of this oral nutritional supplement, especially associated with probiotics, in malnourished patients with chronic renal disease on hemodialysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina Verónica Sasso
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain; (C.V.S.); (S.L.); (F.H.); (M.P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Dermatología, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Said Lhamyani
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain; (C.V.S.); (S.L.); (F.H.); (M.P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- CIBER de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco Hevilla
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain; (C.V.S.); (S.L.); (F.H.); (M.P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Dermatología, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Marina Padial
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain; (C.V.S.); (S.L.); (F.H.); (M.P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Dermatología, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - María Blanca
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain; (M.B.); (E.S.M.)
| | - Guillermina Barril
- Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital de la Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain; (G.B.); (Á.N.)
| | | | - Enrique Sanz Martínez
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid, Spain; (M.B.); (E.S.M.)
| | - Ángel Nogueira
- Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital de la Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain; (G.B.); (Á.N.)
| | - Ana María Lago-Sampedro
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain; (C.V.S.); (S.L.); (F.H.); (M.P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Dermatología, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Gabriel Olveira
- Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain; (C.V.S.); (S.L.); (F.H.); (M.P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Dermatología, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 29010 Málaga, Spain
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Wu K, Liu Y, Xia J, Liu J, Wang K, Liang H, Xu F, Liu D, Nie D, Tang X, Huang A, Chen C, Tang N. Loss of SLC27A5 Activates Hepatic Stellate Cells and Promotes Liver Fibrosis via Unconjugated Cholic Acid. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304408. [PMID: 37957540 PMCID: PMC10787101 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Although the dysregulation of bile acid (BA) composition has been associated with fibrosis progression, its precise roles in liver fibrosis is poorly understood. This study demonstrates that solute carrier family 27 member 5 (SLC27A5), an enzyme involved in BAs metabolism, is substantially downregulated in the liver tissues of patients with cirrhosis and fibrosis mouse models. The downregulation of SLC27A5 depends on RUNX family transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), which serves as a transcriptional repressor. The findings reveal that experimental SLC27A5 knockout (Slc27a5-/- ) mice display spontaneous liver fibrosis after 24 months. The loss of SLC27A5 aggravates liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCI4 ) and thioacetamide (TAA). Mechanistically, SLC27A5 deficiency results in the accumulation of unconjugated BA, particularly cholic acid (CA), in the liver. This accumulation leads to the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by upregulated expression of early growth response protein 3 (EGR3). The re-expression of hepatic SLC27A5 by an adeno-associated virus or the reduction of CA levels in the liver using A4250, an apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) inhibitor, ameliorates liver fibrosis in Slc27a5-/- mice. In conclusion, SLC27A5 deficiency in mice drives hepatic fibrosis through CA-induced activation of HSCs, highlighting its significant implications for liver fibrosis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Yi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Jie Xia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Jiale Liu
- Institute of Life SciencesChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Huijun Liang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Fengli Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Dina Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Dan Nie
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Xin Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Ailong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Chang Chen
- Institute of Life SciencesChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Ni Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Institute for Viral HepatitisDepartment of Infectious DiseasesThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
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Burgy O, Mailleux AA. ATAC-ing single nucleus in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: TWIST1 strives back for myofibroblasts. Eur Respir J 2023; 62:2300881. [PMID: 37419523 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00881-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Burgy
- INSERM U1231, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Dijon, France
- Constitutive Reference Center for Rare Pulmonary Diseases - OrphaLung, Dijon-Bourgogne University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Arnaud A Mailleux
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Physiopathologie et épidémiologie des maladies respiratoires, F-75018 Paris, France
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Phase-specific signatures of wound fibroblasts and matrix patterns define cancer-associated fibroblast subtypes. Matrix Biol 2023; 119:19-56. [PMID: 36914141 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Healing wounds and cancers present remarkable cellular and molecular parallels, but the specific roles of the healing phases are largely unknown. We developed a bioinformatics pipeline to identify genes and pathways that define distinct phases across the time-course of healing. Their comparison to cancer transcriptomes revealed that a resolution phase wound signature is associated with increased severity in skin cancer and enriches for extracellular matrix-related pathways. Comparisons of transcriptomes of early- and late-phase wound fibroblasts vs skin cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) identified an "early wound" CAF subtype, which localizes to the inner tumor stroma and expresses collagen-related genes that are controlled by the RUNX2 transcription factor. A "late wound" CAF subtype localizes to the outer tumor stroma and expresses elastin-related genes. Matrix imaging of primary melanoma tissue microarrays validated these matrix signatures and identified collagen- vs elastin-rich niches within the tumor microenvironment, whose spatial organization predicts survival and recurrence. These results identify wound-regulated genes and matrix patterns with prognostic potential in skin cancer.
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Savic I, Farver C, Milovanovic P. Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Calcification and Homologies with Biomineralization in Other Tissues. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2022; 192:1496-1505. [PMID: 36030837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2022.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lungs often present tissue calcifications and even ossifications, both in the context of high or normal serum calcium levels. Precise mechanisms governing lung calcifications have not been explored. Herein, we emphasize recent advances about calcification processes in other tissues (especially vascular and bone calcifications) and discuss potential sources of calcium precipitates in the lungs, involvement of mineralization promoters and crystallization inhibitors, as well as specific cytokine milieu and cellular phenotypes characteristic for lung diseases, which may be involved in pulmonary calcifications. Further studies are necessary to demonstrate the exact mechanisms underlying calcifications in the lungs, document homologies in biomineralization processes between various tissues in physiological and pathologic conditions, and unravel any locally specific characteristics of mineralization processes that may be targeted to reduce or prevent functionally relevant lung calcifications without negatively affecting the skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Savic
- Institute of Pathology, University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Carol Farver
- Department of Pathology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Petar Milovanovic
- Laboratory of Bone Biology and Bioanthropology, Institute of Anatomy, University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia; Center of Bone Biology, University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia.
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9
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Abstract
The cardiac vascular and perivascular niche are of major importance in homeostasis and during disease, but we lack a complete understanding of its cellular heterogeneity and alteration in response to injury as a major driver of heart failure. Using combined genetic fate tracing with confocal imaging and single-cell RNA sequencing of this niche in homeostasis and during heart failure, we unravel cell type specific transcriptomic changes in fibroblast, endothelial, pericyte and vascular smooth muscle cell subtypes. We characterize a specific fibroblast subpopulation that exists during homeostasis, acquires Thbs4 expression and expands after injury driving cardiac fibrosis, and identify the transcription factor TEAD1 as a regulator of fibroblast activation. Endothelial cells display a proliferative response after injury, which is not sustained in later remodeling, together with transcriptional changes related to hypoxia, angiogenesis, and migration. Collectively, our data provides an extensive resource of transcriptomic changes in the vascular niche in hypertrophic cardiac remodeling. The cardiac vascular niche is of major importance in homeostasis and disease, but knowledge of its complexity in response to injury remains limited. Here we combine lineage tracing with single cell RNA sequencing to show alterations in fibroblasts, endothelial and mural cells in hypertrophic remodeling.
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Feng JF, Wang J, Xie G, Wang YD, Li XH, Yang WY, Yang YW, Zhang B. KMT2B promotes the growth of renal cell carcinoma via upregulation of SNHG12 expression and promotion of CEP55 transcription. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:197. [PMID: 35597996 PMCID: PMC9123657 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02607-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study aims to clarify the mechanistic action of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG12 in the development of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which may be associated with promoter methylation modification by KMT2B and the regulation of the E2F1/CEP55 axis. Methods TCGA and GEO databases were used to predict the involvement of SNHG12 in RCC. Knockdown of SNHG12/E2F1/CEP55 was performed. Next, SNHG12 expression and other mRNAs were quantified by RT-qPCR. Subsequently, CCK-8 was used to detect cell proliferation. Wound healing assay and Transwell assay were used to detect cell migration and invasion, respectively. The in vitro angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was explored by matrigel-based capillary-like tube formation assay. ChIP assay was used to detect H3K4me3 in SNHG12 promoter region. The binding of E2F1 to CEP55 promoter region was analyzed with ChIP and dual luciferase reporter assays. RIP assay was used to detect the binding of SNHG12 to E2F1. Finally, the effect of SNHG12 on the tumor formation and angiogenesis of RCC was assessed in nude mouse xenograft model. Results SNHG12 was highly expressed in RCC tissues and cells, and it was related to the poor prognosis of RCC patients. SNHG12 knockdown significantly inhibited RCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and HUVEC angiogenesis. KMT2B up-regulated SNHG12 expression through modifying H3K4me3 in its promoter region. In addition, SNHG12 promoted CEP55 expression by recruiting the transcription factor E2F1. Knockdown of SNHG12 blocked E2F1 recruitment and down-regulated the expression of CEP55, thereby inhibiting tumor formation and angiogenesis in nude mice. Conclusion The evidence provided by our study highlighted the involvement of KMT2B in up-regulation of lncRNA as well as the transcription of CEP55, resulting in the promotion of angiogenesis and growth of RCC. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02607-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Fu Feng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 12 Changjia Lane, Jingzhong Street, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Xie
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 12 Changjia Lane, Jingzhong Street, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pathology, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao-Dong Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 12 Changjia Lane, Jingzhong Street, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China.,Department of Urology Surgery, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Han Li
- Medical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Yu Yang
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Wei Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 12 Changjia Lane, Jingzhong Street, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 12 Changjia Lane, Jingzhong Street, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
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11
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Zhu T, Brown AP, Cai LP, Quon G, Ji H. Single-Cell RNA-Seq Analysis Reveals Lung Epithelial Cell Type-Specific Responses to HDM and Regulation by Tet1. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050880. [PMID: 35627266 PMCID: PMC9140484 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tet1 protects against house dust mite (HDM)-induced lung inflammation in mice and alters the lung methylome and transcriptome. In order to explore the role of Tet1 in individual lung epithelial cell types in HDM-induced inflammation, we established a model of HDM-induced lung inflammation in Tet1 knockout and littermate wild-type mice, then studied EpCAM+ lung epithelial cells using single-cell RNA-seq analysis. We identified eight EpCAM+ lung epithelial cell types, among which AT2 cells were the most abundant. HDM challenge altered the relative abundance of epithelial cell types and resulted in cell type-specific transcriptomic changes. Bulk and cell type-specific analysis also showed that loss of Tet1 led to the altered expression of genes linked to augmented HDM-induced lung inflammation, including alarms, detoxification enzymes, oxidative stress response genes, and tissue repair genes. The transcriptomic regulation was accompanied by alterations in TF activities. Trajectory analysis supports that HDM may enhance the differentiation of AP and BAS cells into AT2 cells, independent of Tet1. Collectively, our data showed that lung epithelial cells had common and unique transcriptomic signatures of allergic lung inflammation. Tet1 deletion altered transcriptomic networks in various lung epithelial cells, which may promote allergen-induced lung inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhu
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (T.Z.); (A.P.B.); (L.P.C.)
| | - Anthony P. Brown
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (T.Z.); (A.P.B.); (L.P.C.)
| | - Lucy P. Cai
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (T.Z.); (A.P.B.); (L.P.C.)
| | - Gerald Quon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
| | - Hong Ji
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (T.Z.); (A.P.B.); (L.P.C.)
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-530-754-0679
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12
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Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition and its transcription factors. Biosci Rep 2021; 42:230017. [PMID: 34708244 PMCID: PMC8703024 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20211754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition or EMT is an extremely dynamic process involved in conversion of epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells, stimulated by an ensemble of signaling pathways, leading to change in cellular morphology, suppression of epithelial characters and acquisition of properties such as enhanced cell motility and invasiveness, reduced cell death by apoptosis, resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs etc. Significantly, EMT has been found to play a crucial role during embryonic development, tissue fibrosis and would healing, as well as during cancer metastasis. Over the years, work from various laboratories have identified a rather large number of transcription factors (TFs) including the master regulators of EMT, with the ability to regulate the EMT process directly. In this review, we put together these EMT TFs and discussed their role in the process. We have also tried to focus on their mechanism of action, their interdependency, and the large regulatory network they form. Subsequently, it has become clear that the composition and structure of the transcriptional regulatory network behind EMT probably varies based upon various physiological and pathological contexts, or even in a cell/tissue type-dependent manner.
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13
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Tsou PS, Palisoc PJ, Ali M, Khanna D, Sawalha AH. Genome-Wide Reduction in Chromatin Accessibility and Unique Transcription Factor Footprints in Endothelial Cells and Fibroblasts in Scleroderma Skin. Arthritis Rheumatol 2021; 73:1501-1513. [PMID: 33586346 DOI: 10.1002/art.41694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by widespread fibrosis and vascular complications. This study was undertaken to examine the chromatin landscape and transcription factor footprints in SSc, using an assay for genome-wide chromatin accessibility. METHODS Dermal endothelial cells (ECs) and fibroblasts were isolated from healthy controls and patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). Assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) was performed to assess genome-wide chromatin accessibility at a read depth of ~150 million reads per sample. Transcription factor footprinting and motif binding analysis were performed, followed by functional experiments. RESULTS Chromatin accessibility was significantly reduced in dcSSc patients compared to healthy controls. Differentially accessible chromatin loci were enriched in pathways and gene ontologies involved in the nervous system, cell membrane projections and cilia motility, nuclear and steroid receptors, and nitric oxide. In addition, chromatin binding of transcription factors SNAI2, ETV2, and ELF1 was significantly increased in dcSSc ECs, while recruitment of RUNX1 and RUNX2 was enriched in dcSSc fibroblasts. We found significant down-regulation of the neuronal gene NRXN1 and up-regulation of SNAI2 and ETV2 in dcSSc ECs. In dcSSc fibroblasts, down-regulation of the neuronal gene ENTPD1 and up-regulation of RUNX2 were confirmed. Further functional analysis revealed that ETV2 and NRXN1 dysregulation affected angiogenesis in ECs, while ENTPD1 enhanced profibrotic properties in dcSSc fibroblasts. CONCLUSION Our data identify the chromatin blueprint of dcSSc, and suggest that neuronal-related characteristics of SSc ECs and fibroblasts could be a culprit for dysregulated angiogenesis and enhanced fibrosis. Targeting the key pathways and transcription factors identified might present novel therapeutic approaches in SSc.
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14
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Deng XS, Meng X, Fullerton D, Stone M, Jaggers J. Complement Upregulates Runx-2 to Induce Profibrogenic Change in Aortic Valve Interstitial Cells. Ann Thorac Surg 2021; 112:1962-1972. [PMID: 33545156 DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.12.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Calcium accumulation and fibrotic activities are principal mechanisms for calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). Active complement products are observed in human stenotic aortic valves. Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx-2) is involved in tissue calcification. We hypothesized that complement upregulates Runx-2 to induce profibrogenic change in human aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs). METHODS AVICs were isolated from 6 normal and 6 CAVD donor valves. Cells were treated with complement cocktails. Profibrogenic activities and associated signaling molecules were analyzed by Western blot assay and collagen staining. RESULTS Complement time and dose dependently enhanced profibrogenic activities in AVICs, and complement exposure also induced total collagen deposition in AVICs. Complement-induced profibrogenic responses were associated with increased Runx-2 expression and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Genetic silencing of Runx-2 decreased both matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and collagen I levels. Pharmacological inhibition of ERK1/2 decreased complement-mediated MMP-9, collagen I, and Runx-2 expression as well as total collagen deposition in human AVICs. Further, treating AVICs with heat-deactivated complement resulted in reduced MMP-9, collagen I, and Runx-2 levels compared with active complement treatment. CONCLUSIONS Complement induced profibrogenic activities in AVICs by activation of ERK1/2-mediated Runx-2 signaling pathways. This study demonstrates a potential role for complement-mediated CAVD pathogenesis, establishing a possible therapeutic target to limit CAVD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Sheng Deng
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Xianzhong Meng
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - David Fullerton
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Matthew Stone
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
| | - James Jaggers
- Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.
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15
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Bhat EA, Sajjad N. Human Pannexin 1 channel: Insight in structure-function mechanism and its potential physiological roles. Mol Cell Biochem 2021; 476:1529-1540. [PMID: 33394272 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-020-04002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Pannexins, large non-gap junction super family exists in vertebrates, play multiple roles in different cellular functions through their ATP release. Panx1-mediated adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) release plays a vital role in physiological and pathophysiological conditions and is known major extracellular molecule in purinergic signaling. To modulate their function in vivo, a proper regulation of channel is necessary. Post-translational modifications are considered to be some regulating mechanisms for PANX1, while PANX2, PANX3 have been uncharacterized to date. Through their significant evidences, PANXs exclude from gap junction and conduits ATP release and other cellular molecules from cells by various mechanisms. PANX1 is most extensive characterized and implicated in ATP signaling and inflammatory processes. Despite the constant advances, much significance of PANX1 in physiological processes remains elusive. Recently, various research groups along with our group have reported the Cryo-EM structure of Panx1 channel and uncovered the hidden functions in structure-function mechanism as well as to provide the clear understanding in physiological and pathophysiological roles. These research groups reported the novel heptameric structure with contains 4 transmembrane helices (TM), two extracellular loops and one intracellular loop with N and C terminus located at the intracellular side. In addition, the structure contains a large pore of which an inhibitor CBX act as a plug that blocking the passage of substrate. In this context, this review will present current mechanistic understanding in structure and function together with significant physiological roles particularly ATP release in health and disease. As such, this review emphasizes on recent functional properties associated with novel heptameric channel and demystifies channel-mediated ATP release function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eijaz Ahmed Bhat
- Life Science Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Nasreena Sajjad
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Jammu and Kashmir, India
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16
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Chhatriya B, Sarkar P, Nath D, Ray S, Das K, Mohapatra SK, Goswami S. Pilot study identifying circulating miRNA signature specific to alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and its implication on alcohol-mediated pancreatic tissue injury. JGH OPEN 2020; 4:1079-1087. [PMID: 33319040 PMCID: PMC7731805 DOI: 10.1002/jgh3.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Background and Aim Alcohol exerts its effects on organs in multiple ways. Alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (ACP) is a disease in which alcohol triggers the pathological changes in pancreas, leading to chronic inflammation and fibrosis. The molecular mechanism behind these changes is not clear. Identification of key circulating miRNA changes in ACP patients and determination of the fraction that is secreted from diseased pancreas not only could serve as potential biomarker for assessing disease severity, but also could help identifying the molecular alterations prevailing in the organ precipitating the disease, to some extent. Methods We performed microRNA microarray using the Affymetrix miRNA 4.0 platform to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in serum of ACP patients as compared to alcoholic control individuals and then found out how many of them could be pancreas-specific and exosomally secreted. We further analyzed a pancreatitis-specific gene expression data set to find out the differentially expressed genes in diseased pancreas and explored the possible role of those selected miRNAs in regulation of gene expression in ACP. Results We identified 14 miRNAs differentially expressed in both serum and pancreas and also identified their experimentally validated targets. Transcription factors modulating the miRNA expression in an alcohol-dependent manner were also identified and characterized to derive the miRNA-gene-TF interaction network responsible for progression of the disease. Conclusions Differentially expressed miRNA signature demonstrated significant changes in both pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways probably balancing the chronic inflammation in the pancreas. Our findings also suggested possible involvement of pancreatic stellate cells in disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Piyali Sarkar
- Department of Cytogenetics Tata Medical Centre Kolkata India
| | - Debashis Nath
- Department of Medicine Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital Agartala India
| | - Sukanta Ray
- School of Digestive and Liver Diseases Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research Kolkata India
| | - Kshaunish Das
- School of Digestive and Liver Diseases Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research Kolkata India
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17
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Lv W, Wu M, Ren Y, Luo X, Hu W, Zhang Q, Wu Y. Treatment of keloids through Runx2 siRNA‑induced inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Mol Med Rep 2020; 23:55. [PMID: 33200804 PMCID: PMC7706002 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.11693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Keloids are a skin fibroproliferative condition characterized by the hyperproliferation of fibroblasts and the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Previous studies have determined that Caveolin-1 controlled hyperresponsiveness to mechanical stimuli through Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) activation in keloids. However, the molecular mechanism of Runx2 regulating the pathological progression of keloids has not been elucidated. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including Runx2, were significantly enriched in the biological processes ‘Positive regulation of cell proliferation’, in the cellular components ‘Extracellular matrix’, in the molecular functions ‘Extracellular matrix structural constituents’ and in the KEGG ‘PI3K-Akt signaling pathway’. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression levels of the Runx2 in human keloid tissues and primary human keloid fibroblasts (HKFs), and to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the fibrotic roles of Runx2 in keloid formation. Runx2 expression levels were analyzed in patient keloid tissues and HKFs using western blotting, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunofluorescence microscopy. Primary HKFs were transfected with a small interfering RNA (si) specifically targeting Runx2 (si-Runx2). Subsequently, Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing and Transwell assays, flow cytometry, RT-qPCR and western blotting were applied to evaluate the proliferation, migration, apoptosis, ECM deposition and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway of HKFs, respectively. In addition, western blotting was also used to determine the expression levels of phosphorylated AKT and PI3K in HKFs. The results revealed that Runx2 expression levels were upregulated in keloid tissues and primary HKFs compared with the normal skin tissues and human normal fibroblasts. Following the transfection with si-Runx2, the proliferative and migratory abilities of HKFs were significantly reduced and the apoptotic rate was increased. The expression levels of type I, type III collagen, fibronectin, and α-smooth muscle actin were downregulated in si-Runx2-transfected cells, which was hypothesized to occur through following the downregulation of the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicated that Runx2 silencing in HKFs might significantly inhibit the cell proliferation, migration and the expression levels of ECM-related proteins, and promote apoptosis via suppressing the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Thus, Runx2 siRNA treatment may reverse the pathological phenotype of keloids through the inhibition of PI3K/AKT signaling in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchang Lv
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Yuping Ren
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Xiao Luo
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Weijie Hu
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
| | - Yiping Wu
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, P.R. China
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18
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Wang Y, Franks JM, Yang M, Toledo DM, Wood TA, Hinchcliff M, Whitfield ML. Regulator combinations identify systemic sclerosis patients with more severe disease. JCI Insight 2020; 5:137567. [PMID: 32721949 PMCID: PMC7526449 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disorder that results in skin fibrosis, autoantibody production, and internal organ dysfunction. We previously identified 4 “intrinsic” subsets of SSc based upon skin gene expression that are found across organ systems. Gene expression regulators that underlie the SSc-intrinsic subsets, or are associated with clinical covariates, have not been systematically characterized. Here, we present a computational framework to calculate the activity scores of gene expression regulators and identify their associations with SSc clinical outcomes. We found that regulator activity scores can reproduce the intrinsic molecular subsets, with distinct sets of regulators identified for inflammatory, fibroproliferative, limited, and normal-like samples. Regulators most highly correlated with modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) also varied by intrinsic subset. We identified subgroups of patients with fibroproliferative and inflammatory SSc with more severe pathophenotypes, such as higher MRSS and increased likelihood of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Using an independent cohort, we show that the group with more severe ILD was more likely to show forced vital capacity decline over a period of 36–54 months. Our results demonstrate an association among the activation of regulators, gene expression subsets, and clinical variables that can identify patients with SSc with more severe disease. An association between the activation of regulators, gene expression subsets, and clinical variables identifies systemic sclerosis patients with more severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jennifer M Franks
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Monica Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Diana M Toledo
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Tammara A Wood
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Monique Hinchcliff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Yale School of Medicine, Section of Allergy, Rheumatology and Immunology, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
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19
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Matrix Metalloproteinases Retain Soluble FasL-mediated Resistance to Cell Death in Fibrotic-Lung Myofibroblasts. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020411. [PMID: 32053892 PMCID: PMC7072292 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A prominent feature of obstructed tissue regeneration following injury in general, and fibrotic lung tissue in particular, is fibroblast proliferation and accumulation. The Fas/FasL apoptotic pathway has been shown to be involved in human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in rodents. We previously showed that in normal injury repair, myofibroblasts' accumulation is followed by their decline by FasL+ T cell-induced cell death. In pathological lung fibrosis, myofibroblasts resist cell death and accumulate. Like other members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family, membrane-bound FasL can be cleaved from the cell surface to generate a soluble form (sFasL). Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to convert the membrane-bound form of FasL to sFasL. MMP-7 knockout (KO) mice were shown to be protected from bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis. In this study, we detected increased levels of sFasL in their blood serum, as in the lungs of patients with IPF, and IPF-lung myofibroblast culture medium. In this study, using an MMP-inhibitor, we showed that sFasL is decreased in cultures of IPF-lung myofibroblasts and BLM-treated lung myofibroblasts, and in the blood serum of MMP-7KO mice. Moreover, resistant fibrotic-lung myofibroblasts, from the lungs of humans with IPF and of BLM-treated mice, became susceptible to T-cell induced cell death in a co-culture following MMP-inhibition- vs. control-treatment or BLM-treated MMP-7KO vs. wild-type mice, respectively. sFasL may be an unrecognized mechanism for MMP-7-mediated decreased tissue regeneration following injury and the evolution of lung fibrosis.
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20
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Li Y, Li H, Han J. Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 modulates pain sensitivity by suppressing the ROS-RUNX3 pathway in a rat model of neuropathy. J Cell Physiol 2019; 235:3864-3873. [PMID: 31603252 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain correlates with a lesion or other dysfunction in the nervous system. Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1P2) is expressed in the central nervous system and modulates synaptic plasticity. The present study aimed to investigate the role of S1P2 in neuropathic pain caused by chronic constriction injury (CCI). Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into eight groups (n = 15 for each group): sham, CCI, CCI + green fluorescent protein, CCI + S1P2, CCI + Ctrl-short hairpin RNA (shRNA), CCI + S1P2 shRNA, CCI + S1P2 + CYM-5442, and CCI + S1P2 shRNA + CYM-5442. The CCI model was established via sciatic nerve ligation. S1P2 was overexpressed or knocked down by intrathecal injection of adeno-associated virus-S1P2 (AAV-S1P2) or AAV-S1P2 shRNA. The S1P1 agonist, CYM-5442 (1 mg/kg), was injected intraperitoneally after surgery. S1P2 expression, pain thresholds, apoptosis signaling, inflammation, and oxidative stress in rats were then examined. We found that sciatic nerve injury downregulated S1P2 expression in the spinal cords of rats. S1P2 overexpression enhanced pain thresholds. In contrast, S1P2 knockdown decreased pain thresholds in rats exposed to CCI. CCI and S1P2 silencing increased secretion of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and CCL2, whereas S1P2 overexpression decreased. S1P2 impeded CCI-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and runt-related transcription factors 3 (RUNX3) downregulation, and S1P2 knockdown had the opposite effect. S1P2 overexpression suppressed Bax and active caspase 3 expression and promoted Bcl-2 expression, whereas loss of S1P2 reversed their expression. Additionally, S1P1 activation counteracted the effect of S1P2 on pain sensitivity. In conclusion, S1P2 is downregulated in CCI rats and may help modulate neuropathic pain via the ROS/RUNX3 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinyu Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhoukou Central Hospital, Zhoukou, China
| | - Huanli Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhoukou Central Hospital, Zhoukou, China
| | - Jinsong Han
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhoukou Central Hospital, Zhoukou, China
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21
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Khalmuratova R, Shin HW, Kim DW, Park JW. Interleukin (IL)-13 and IL-17A contribute to neo-osteogenesis in chronic rhinosinusitis by inducing RUNX2. EBioMedicine 2019; 46:330-341. [PMID: 31331833 PMCID: PMC6710985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is increasing evidence supporting the impact of neoosteogenesis in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), especially in the recalcitrant group of patients. Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), a member of the RUNX family, controls osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. However, the role and regulation of RUNX2 in CRS patients with neoosteogenesis remain unclear. The aim of the study is to determine the role of RUNX2 in neoosteogenesis of CRS patients. Methods Sinonasal bone and overlying mucosa samples were obtained from CRS patients with or without neoosteogenesis (n = 67) and healthy controls (n = 11). Double immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and immunoblotting were used to evaluate RUNX2 expression in CRS patients with and without neoosteogenesis. In addition, the osteogenic activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines was examined by measuring alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and bone mineralisation in vitro. Findings RUNX2 was highly expressed in osteoblasts of CRS patients with neoosteogenesis compared with tissues from control subjects and those with CRS without neoosteogenesis. Mucosal extracts from CRS patients with neoosteogenesis showed increased RUNX2 expression and ALP activity in C2C12 cells, whereas those from patients without neoosteogenesis did not. Expression of interleukin (IL)-13 and IL-17A was upregulated in CRS patients with neoosteogenesis. ALP activity and Alizarin Red staining showed IL-13 and IL-17A dose-dependent osteoblast differentiation and mineralisation in vitro. Interpretation These findings suggested that IL-13- or IL-17A-induced RUNX2 contributed to new bone formation in CRS patients through its effect on the activity of osteoblasts. RUNX2 may be a novel target for preventing neoosteogenesis in CRS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roza Khalmuratova
- Obstructive Upper airway Research (OUaR) Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Woo Shin
- Obstructive Upper airway Research (OUaR) Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Ischemic/hypoxic disease institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dae Woo Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jong-Wan Park
- Obstructive Upper airway Research (OUaR) Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Ischemic/hypoxic disease institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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22
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Ebrahim N, Mostafa O, El Dosoky RE, Ahmed IA, Saad AS, Mostafa A, Sabry D, Ibrahim KA, Farid AS. Human mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles/estrogen combined therapy safely ameliorates experimentally induced intrauterine adhesions in a female rat model. Stem Cell Res Ther 2018; 9:175. [PMID: 29954457 PMCID: PMC6027762 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-018-0924-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have diverse functions in regulating injury and inflammation through the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs). METHODS In this study, we investigated the systemic administration of extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs-EVs) as a therapeutic agent for intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) caused by endometrial injury. Additionally, we investigated the therapeutic impact of both UCMSCs-EVs and estrogen either separately or in combination in a rat model. The inflammation, vascularization, proliferation, and extent of fibrosis were assessed by a histopathological and immunohistochemical assessment using transforming growth factor (TGF)-β as a fibrotic marker and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a vascular marker. Additionally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 (inflammatory cytokines), CD140b (a marker of endometrial stem cells), and RUNX2 (an antifibrotic factor). Finally, Western blotting was used to evaluate collagen I and β-actin expression. RESULTS The therapeutic groups treated with either UCMSCs-EVs alone or combined with estrogen exhibited a significant decrease in inflammation and fibrosis (TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-1, IL-6, RUNX2, and collagen-I) as well as a significant decrease in vascularization (VEGF) compared with the untreated rats with IUAs. The most significant results were obtained in animals with IUAs that received a combined therapy of UCMSCs-EVs and estrogen. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the synergistic action of human UCMSCs-EVs combined with estrogen provides a highly effective alternative regenerative agent in IUA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrine Ebrahim
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt.,Stem Cell Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt
| | - Ola Mostafa
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt
| | - Rania Ebrahim El Dosoky
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt
| | - Inas A Ahmed
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt.,Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt
| | - Ahmed S Saad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt
| | - Abeer Mostafa
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt.,Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Dina Sabry
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt.,Molecular Biology and Stem Cell Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Khalid Abdelaziz Ibrahim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Banha, 13518, Qalyubia, Egypt
| | - Ayman Samir Farid
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Moshtohor, Toukh, 13736, Qalyubia, Egypt.
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