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Guo H, Cui BD, Gong M, Li QX, Zhang LX, Chen JL, Chi J, Zhu LL, Xu EP, Wang ZM, Dai LP. An ethanolic extract of Arctium lappa L. leaves ameliorates experimental atherosclerosis by modulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses through PI3K/Akt and NF-κB singnaling pathways. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 325:117768. [PMID: 38253275 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.117768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Atherosclerosis (AS), a lipid-induced inflammatory condition of the arteries, is a primary contributor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases including stroke. Arctium lappa L. leaf (ALL), an edible and medicinal herb in China, has been documented and commonly used for treating stroke since the ancient times. However, the elucidations on its anti-AS effects and molecular mechanism remain insufficient. AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the AS-ameliorating effects and the underlying mechanism of action of an ethanolic extract of leaves of Arctium lappa L. (ALLE). MATERIALS AND METHODS ALLE was reflux extracted using with 70% ethanol. An HPLC method was established to monitor the quality of ALLE. High fat diet (HFD) and vitamin D3-induced experimental AS in rats were used to determine the in vivo effects; and oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced RAW264.7 macrophage foam cells were used for in vitro assays. Simvatatin was used as positive control. Biochemical assays were implemented to ascertain the secretions of lipids and pro-inflammatory mediators. Haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Oil red O stains were employed to assess histopathological alterations and lipid accumulation conditions, respectively. CCK-8 assays were used to measure cytotoxicity. Immunoblotting assay was conducted to measure protein levels. RESULTS ALLE treatment significantly ameliorated lipid deposition and histological abnormalities of aortas and livers in AS rats; improved the imbalances of serum lipids including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); notably attenuated serum concentrations of inflammation-associated cytokines/molecules including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, VCAM-1, ICAM-1and MMP-9. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that ALLE suppressed the phosphorylation/activation of PI3K, Akt and NF-κB in AS rat aortas and in cultured foam cells. Additionally, the PI3K agonist 740Y-P notably reversed the in vitro inhibitory effects of ALLE on lipid deposition, productions of TC, TNF-α and IL-6, and protein levels of molecules of PI3K/Akt and NF-κB singnaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS ALLE ameliorates HFD- and vitamin D3-induced experimental AS by modulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses, and underlying mechanisms involves inhibition of the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB singnaling pathways. The findings of this study provide scientific justifications for the traditional application of ALL in managing atherosclerotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Guo
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Bing-di Cui
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Man Gong
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Qing-Xia Li
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Ling-Xia Zhang
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Jia-Li Chen
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
| | - Jun Chi
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Li-Li Zhu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Er-Ping Xu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
| | - Zhi-Min Wang
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China; Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Li-Ping Dai
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Research and Development on the Whole Industry Chain of Yu-Yao, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
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Li H, Zheng N, Guo A, Tang W, Li M, Cao Y, Ma X, Cao H, Ma Y, Wang H, Zhao S. FSTL3 promotes tumor immune evasion and attenuates response to anti-PD1 therapy by stabilizing c-Myc in colorectal cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:107. [PMID: 38302412 PMCID: PMC10834545 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06469-0] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PDL1)/programmed cell death 1 (PD1) blockade immunotherapy provides a prospective strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), but various constraints on the effectiveness of the treatment are still remaining. As reported in previous studies, follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) could mediate inflammatory response in macrophages by induction lipid accumulation. Herein, we revealed that FSTL3 were overexpressed in malignant cells in the CRC microenvironment, notably, the expression level of FSTL3 was related to tumor immune evasion and the clinical efficacy of anti-PD1 therapy. Further studies determined that hypoxic tumor microenvironment induced the FSTL3 expression via HIF1α in CRC cells, FSTL3 could bind to the transcription factor c-Myc (354-406 amino acids) to suppress the latter's ubiquitination and increase its stability, thereby to up-regulated the expression of PDL1 and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). The results in the immunocompetent tumor models verified that FSLT3 knockout in tumor cells increased the proportion of CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment, reduced the proportion of regulatory T cells (CD25+ Foxp3+) and exhausted T cells (PD1+ CD8+), and synergistically improved the anti-PD1 therapy efficacy. To sum up, FSTL3 enhanced c-Myc-mediated transcriptional regulation to promote immune evasion and attenuates response to anti-PD1 therapy in CRC, suggesting the potential of FSTL3 as a biomarker of immunotherapeutic efficacy as well as a novel immunotherapeutic target in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Li
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Na Zheng
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Anning Guo
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Muxin Li
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuanyuan Cao
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinhua Ma
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongyong Cao
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yong Ma
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hanjin Wang
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shuli Zhao
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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Duan W, Shi R, Yang F, Zhou Z, Wang L, Huang Z, Zang S. FSTL3 partially mediates the association of increased nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis risk with acute myocardial infarction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2023; 22:297. [PMID: 37904173 PMCID: PMC10617048 DOI: 10.1186/s12933-023-02024-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study aimed to investigate an association of increased liver fibrosis with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and to investigate the mediating effect of serum follistatin-like protein 3 (FSTL3) on the association in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHOD A total of 1424 participants were included in this study, and were firstly divided into two groups: 429 T2DM patients and 995 T2DM patients with NAFLD to assess the association of NAFLD and AMI. Then 995 T2DM co-existent NAFLD patients were categorized by NAFLD fibrosis risk to explore the association between NAFLD fibrosis risk and AMI. Immunohistochemistry staining and semi-quantitative analysis of liver FSTL3 were performed in 60 patients with NAFLD. There were 323 individuals (191 without AMI and 132 with AMI) in T2DM co-existent NAFLD patients who had serum samples, and serum FSTL3 was tested and mediation effect of FSTL3 in association of NAFLD fibrosis and AMI was performed. RESULTS First, increased NAFLD fibrosis risk was an independent risk factor for AMI in patients with T2DM and co-existent NAFLD. In addition, analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the increased expression of FSTL3 in the liver of NAFLD patients with fibrosis. Serum FSTL3 significantly increased in patients with high NAFLD fibrosis risk and AMI, and closely associated with NAFLD fibrosis and AMI severity in T2DM patients with co-existent NAFLD. Most importantly, analysis of the level of mediation revealed that increased serum FSTL3 partially mediated the association of increased NAFLD fibrosis risk with AMI in T2DM patients with co-existent NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS NAFLD fibrosis was closely associated with AMI in T2DM patients. FSTL3 expression was enriched in the liver of NAFLD patients with significant and advanced fibrosis, and serum FSTL3 partially mediated the association of increased liver fibrosis risk with AMI in T2DM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfei Duan
- Department of Endocrinology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, 801 Heqing Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Ruixiao Shi
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Maqiao Community Health Service Center, Minhang District, Shanghai, 20111, China
- Center of Community-Based Health Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Science, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhoujunhao Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, 801 Heqing Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Lihong Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, 801 Heqing Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhe Huang
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Science, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Shufei Zang
- Department of Endocrinology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, 801 Heqing Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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Milman S, Lerman B, Ayers E, Zhang Z, Sathyan S, Levine M, Ye K, Gao T, Higgins-Chen A, Barzilai N, Verghese J. Frailty Resilience Score: A Novel Measure of Frailty Resilience Associated With Protection From Frailty and Survival. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023; 78:1771-1777. [PMID: 37246648 PMCID: PMC10562888 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad138] [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: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Frailty is characterized by increased vulnerability to disability and high risk for mortality in older adults. Identification of factors that contribute to frailty resilience is an important step in the development of effective therapies that protect against frailty. First, a reliable quantification of frailty resilience is needed. We developed a novel measure of frailty resilience, the Frailty Resilience Score (FRS), that integrates frailty genetic risk, age, and sex. Application of FRS to the LonGenity cohort (n = 467, mean age 74.4) demonstrated its validity compared to phenotypic frailty and its utility as a reliable predictor of overall survival. In a multivariable-adjusted analysis, 1-standard deviation increase in FRS predicted a 38% reduction in the hazard of mortality, independent of baseline frailty (p < .001). Additionally, FRS was used to identify a proteomic profile of frailty resilience. FRS was shown to be a reliable measure of frailty resilience that can be applied to biological studies of resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofiya Milman
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Ben Lerman
- School of Medicine, St. George’s University, St. George’s, Grenada, West Indies
| | - Emmeline Ayers
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Zhengdong Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Sanish Sathyan
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Morgan Levine
- San Diego Institute of Science, Altos Labs, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Kenny Ye
- Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Systems & Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Tina Gao
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Albert Higgins-Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nir Barzilai
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Joe Verghese
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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Li X, Zhang H, Ma X, Wang Y, Han X, Yang Y, Yu H, Bao Y. FSTL3 is highly expressed in adipose tissue of individuals with overweight or obesity and is associated with inflammation. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2023; 31:171-183. [PMID: 36502285 PMCID: PMC10107713 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the expression of follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) in adipose tissue in individuals with overweight or obesity and to explore the role of FSTL3 in human adipocytes, as well as the relationship between serum FSTL3 levels and fat distribution and inflammation. METHODS This study enrolled 236 individuals (171 with overweight or obesity; aged 18-67 years). Bulk transcriptome sequencing was performed on subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue. The function of FSTL3 was studied in human adipocytes. Serum FSTL3 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Adipose FTSL3 expression was higher in individuals with overweight or obesity than in individuals with normal weight. FSTL3 was mainly expressed in mature adipocytes and stimulated by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). FSTL3 suppressed inflammatory responses in human adipocytes, whereas FSTL3 knockdown promoted inflammatory responses. Serum FSTL3 levels were correlated with adipose FTSL3 expression and obesity-related indicators (all p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum FSTL3 levels were independently associated with the visceral fat area and serum TNFα levels (both p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS FSTL3 was highly expressed in adipose tissue in individuals with overweight or obesity and could suppress adipocyte inflammation. Serum FSTL3 levels might be considered as a biomarker of visceral obesity and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoya Li
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojing Ma
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufei Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaodong Han
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoyong Yu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuqian Bao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
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Identification of candidate genomic regions for thermogelled egg yolk traits based on a genome-wide association study. Poult Sci 2022; 102:102402. [PMID: 36610105 PMCID: PMC9850194 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102402] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg yolk texture is an important indicator for evaluating egg yolk quality. Genetic markers associated with economic traits predict genomes and facilitate mining for potential genes. Numerous genome-wide association studies have been conducted on egg traits. However, studies on the genetic basis of thermogelled yolk texture are still lacking. The aim of the present study was to find significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites and candidate genes related to thermogelled yolk texture in Hetian Dahei chicken (HTHD) flocks that can be used as genetic markers. Five traits, including hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience, had low heritability (0.044-0.078). Ten genes, including U6, FSHR, PKDCC, SLC7A11, TIMM9, ARID4A, PSMA3, ACTR10, EML4, and SLC35F4 may control the hardness of the thermogelled egg yolks. In addition, 12 SNPs associated with cohesiveness were identified. RELCH located on GGA2 participates in cholesterol transport. The candidate gene LRRK2, which is associated with gumminess, influences the concentrations of very low-density lipoprotein in blood. Eight SNPs associated with resilience were identified, mainly on GGA3 and GCA28. In total, 208 SNPs associated with chewiness were identified, and 159 candidate genes, which were mainly involved in proteasome-mediated ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process, negative regulation of transport, lipid droplet organization, and vehicle docking involved in exocytosis, were found near these regions. Thermogel egg yolk texture is a complex phenotype controlled by multiple genes. Based on heritability assays and GWAS results, there is a genetic basis for the texture of thermogelled egg yolks. We identified a series of SNPs associated with yolk texture and candidate genes. Our result provides a theoretical basis for breeding high-quality egg yolk using molecular marker-assisted selection and could facilitate the development of novel traits.
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Tian S, Xu X, Yang X, Fan L, Jiao Y, Zheng M, Zhang S. Roles of follistatin-like protein 3 in human non-tumor pathophysiologies and cancers. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:953551. [PMID: 36325361 PMCID: PMC9619213 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.953551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Follistatin-like protein 3 (FSTL3) is a type of FSTLs. By interacting with a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12), transforming growth factor-β ligands (activin, myostatin and growth differentiation factor (GDF) 11), FSTL3 can either activate or inhibit these molecules in human non-tumor pathophysiologies and cancers. The FSTL3 gene was initially discovered in patients with in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and subsequent studies have shown that the FSTL3 protein is associated with reproductive development, insulin resistance, and hematopoiesis. FSTL3 reportedly contributes to the development and progression of many cancers by promoting tumor metastasis, facilitating angiogenesis, and inducing stem cell differentiation. This review summarizes the current pathophysiological roles of FSTL3, which may be a putative prognostic biomarker for various diseases and serve as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifeng Tian
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoyi Xu
- Department of Stomatology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Linlin Fan
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuqi Jiao
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Minying Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Shiwu Zhang,
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Wang J, Kang Z, Liu Y, Li Z, Liu Y, Liu J. Identification of immune cell infiltration and diagnostic biomarkers in unstable atherosclerotic plaques by integrated bioinformatics analysis and machine learning. Front Immunol 2022; 13:956078. [PMID: 36211422 PMCID: PMC9537477 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.956078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The decreased stability of atherosclerotic plaques increases the risk of ischemic stroke. However, the specific characteristics of dysregulated immune cells and effective diagnostic biomarkers associated with stability in atherosclerotic plaques are poorly characterized. This research aims to investigate the role of immune cells and explore diagnostic biomarkers in the formation of unstable plaques for the sake of gaining new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms and providing new perspectives for disease detection and therapy. Method Using the CIBERSORT method, 22 types of immune cells between stable and unstable carotid atherosclerotic plaques from RNA-sequencing and microarray data in the public GEO database were quantitated. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were further calculated and were analyzed for enrichment of GO Biological Process and KEGG pathways. Important cell types and hub genes were screened using machine learning methods including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and random forest. Single-cell RNA sequencing and clinical samples were further used to validate critical cell types and hub genes. Finally, the DGIdb database of gene–drug interaction data was utilized to find possible therapeutic medicines and show how pharmaceuticals, genes, and immune cells interacted. Results A significant difference in immune cell infiltration was observed between unstable and stable plaques. The proportions of M0, M1, and M2 macrophages were significantly higher and that of CD8+ T cells and NK cells were significantly lower in unstable plaques than that in stable plaques. With respect to DEGs, antigen presentation genes (CD74, B2M, and HLA-DRA), inflammation-related genes (MMP9, CTSL, and IFI30), and fatty acid-binding proteins (CD36 and APOE) were elevated in unstable plaques, while the expression of smooth muscle contraction genes (TAGLN, ACAT2, MYH10, and MYH11) was decreased in unstable plaques. M1 macrophages had the highest instability score and contributed to atherosclerotic plaque instability. CD68, PAM, and IGFBP6 genes were identified as the effective diagnostic markers of unstable plaques, which were validated by validation datasets and clinical samples. In addition, insulin, nivolumab, indomethacin, and α-mangostin were predicted to be potential therapeutic agents for unstable plaques. Conclusion M1 macrophages is an important cause of unstable plaque formation, and CD68, PAM, and IGFBP6 could be used as diagnostic markers to identify unstable plaques effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Neurovascular Center, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zijian Kang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Naval Medical Center of People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), Shanghai, China
| | - Yandong Liu
- Department of Geriatrics, Navy 905th Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Zifu Li
- Neurovascular Center, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianmin Liu, ; Yang Liu, ; Zifu Li,
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Naval Medical Center of People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), Shanghai, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Institute of Cardiac Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianmin Liu, ; Yang Liu, ; Zifu Li,
| | - Jianmin Liu
- Neurovascular Center, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jianmin Liu, ; Yang Liu, ; Zifu Li,
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Regulation of follistatin-like 3 expression by miR-486-5p modulates gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and tumor progression. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:20302-20318. [PMID: 34425560 PMCID: PMC8436905 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cancer development and progression can be regulated by the levels of endogenous factors. Gastric cancer is an aggressive disease state with poor patient prognosis, needing the development of new diagnostics and therapeutic strategies. We investigated the close association between follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) and different cancers, and focused on its role in gastric cancer cell function. Using cancer bioinformatics, we found that FSTL3 expression is elevated in a large majority of the 33 cancers we analyzed in publicly available cancer databases. Elevated levels of FSTL3 is associated with poor patient prognosis in gastric cancer. In a comparison of normal gastric epithelial cells and gastric cancer cell lines, FSTL3 expression was consistently elevated in gastric cancer cells. Overexpression of FSTL3 promoted gastric cancer cell viability, proliferation and migration. Conversely, FSTL3 knockdown inhibits these cellular processes. Using bioinformatics, we found that the FSTL3 mRNA has a potential binding site in the 3'-UTR for a small microRNA, miR-486-5p. Further bioinformatics revealed significant negative correlation between FSTL3 and miR-486-5p levels. Using luciferase reporter constructs, we provide evidence that the 3'UTR from the FSTL3 mRNA can confer downregulation in the presence of miR-486-5p. These studies lead us to conclude that FSTL3 has oncogenic properties and increased expression of this gene product promotes gastric cancer development and progression.
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Follistatin-Like Proteins: Structure, Functions and Biomedical Importance. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9080999. [PMID: 34440203 PMCID: PMC8391210 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Main forms of cellular signal transmission are known to be autocrine and paracrine signaling. Several cells secrete messengers called autocrine or paracrine agents that can bind the corresponding receptors on the surface of the cells themselves or their microenvironment. Follistatin and follistatin-like proteins can be called one of the most important bifunctional messengers capable of displaying both autocrine and paracrine activity. Whilst they are not as diverse as protein hormones or protein kinases, there are only five types of proteins. However, unlike protein kinases, there are no minor proteins among them; each follistatin-like protein performs an important physiological function. These proteins are involved in a variety of signaling pathways and biological processes, having the ability to bind to receptors such as DIP2A, TLR4, BMP and some others. The activation or experimentally induced knockout of the protein-coding genes often leads to fatal consequences for individual cells and the whole body as follistatin-like proteins indirectly regulate the cell cycle, tissue differentiation, metabolic pathways, and participate in the transmission chains of the pro-inflammatory intracellular signal. Abnormal course of these processes can cause the development of oncology or apoptosis, programmed cell death. There is still no comprehensive understanding of the spectrum of mechanisms of action of follistatin-like proteins, so the systematization and study of their cellular functions and regulation is an important direction of modern molecular and cell biology. Therefore, this review focuses on follistatin-related proteins that affect multiple targets and have direct or indirect effects on cellular signaling pathways, as well as to characterize the directions of their practical application in the field of biomedicine.
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Cryptococcus neoformans -Infected Macrophages Release Proinflammatory Extracellular Vesicles: Insight into Their Components by Multi-omics. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.00279-21. [PMID: 33785616 PMCID: PMC8092229 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00279-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans causes cryptococcal meningitis, which is frequent in patients with HIV/AIDS, especially in less-developed countries. The incidence of cryptococcal meningitis is close to 1 million each year globally. Cryptococcus neoformans causes deadly mycosis in immunocompromised individuals. Macrophages are key cells fighting against microbes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-to-cell communication mediators. The roles of EVs from infected host cells in the interaction with Cryptococcus remain uninvestigated. Here, EVs from viable C. neoformans-infected macrophages reduced fungal burdens but led to shorter survival of infected mice. In vitro, EVs induced naive macrophages to an inflammatory phenotype. Transcriptome analysis showed that EVs from viable C. neoformans-infected macrophages activated immune-related pathways, including p53 in naive human and murine macrophages. Conserved analysis demonstrated that basic cell biological processes, including cell cycle and division, were activated by infection-derived EVs from both murine and human infected macrophages. Combined proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics of EVs from infected macrophages showed regulation of pathways such as extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors and phosphatidylcholine. This form of intermacrophage communication could serve to prepare cells at more distant sites of infection to resist C. neoformans infection.
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Xie J, Zhu H, Chang HM, Klausen C, Dong M, Leung PCK. GDF8 Promotes the Cell Invasiveness in Human Trophoblasts by Upregulating the Expression of Follistatin-Like 3 Through the ALK5-SMAD2/3 Signaling Pathway. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:573781. [PMID: 33195207 PMCID: PMC7655915 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.573781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8) and its antagonist follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) are expressed in the placenta during early pregnancy. These two factors may have a role to play in the regulation of normal placentation. However, whether GDF8 can regulate the expression of FSTL3 in human trophoblasts remains to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of GDF8 on the expression of FSTL3 and the underlying molecular mechanisms using human trophoblasts as a study model. Our results showed that GDF8 significantly upregulates the expression and production of FSTL3, which further promotes cell invasiveness in immortalized extravillous cytotrophoblast cells and primary extravillous cytotrophoblast cells obtained from human first-trimester placentae. Additionally, using an siRNA-mediated knockdown approach, we found that this regulatory effect is most likely mediated by the ALK5-Sma- and Mad-related protein (SMAD)2/3-induced signaling pathway. These findings deepen our understanding of the functional roles of GDF8 and FSTL3 in the regulation of cell invasiveness of trophoblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamin Xie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hsun-Ming Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christian Klausen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Minyue Dong
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peter C K Leung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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