Role of microRNA-130a in the pathogeneses of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome-associated pulmonary hypertension by targeting the GAX gene

Hsa_circ_0081065 exacerbates IH-induced EndMT via regulating miR-665/HIF-1α signal axis and HIF-1α nuclear translocation

CircRNAs play an important role in various physiological and pathological biological processes. Despite their widespread involvement, the function of circRNAs in intermittent hypoxia (IH) remain incompletely understood. This study aims to clarify the molecular mechanism of it in IH. Differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by transcriptome sequencing analysis in intermittent hypoxia (IH) model. GO and KEGG enrichment analys were performed on the identified differentially expressed circRNAs. The circular characteristics of hsa_circ_0081065 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were detected by RT-qPCR. The sublocalization of hsa_circ_0081065 was examined by FISH. The effect of hsa_circ_0081065 on endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) was estimated by detecting the expression of EndMT related markers. Various techniques, including RNA-pull down, RIP, EMSA, dual-luciferase reporter assay and immunofluorescence staining were used to investigate the relationship among hsa_circ_0081065, miR-665 and HIF-1α. A total of 13,304 circRNAs were identified in HUVECs treatment with IH, among which 73 were differentially expressed, including 24 upregulated circRNAs and 49 downregulated circRNAs. Notably, hsa_circ_0081065 demonstrated a significantly upregulation. Hsa_circ_0081065 exhibited the circular characteristics of circRNA and was predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0081065 inhibited EndMT. Mechanically, we demonstrated that hsa_circ_0081065 acts as a sponge for miR-665 to up-regulate HIF-1α and exacerbate HIF-1α nuclear translocation in HUVECs. We have demonstrated that hsa_circ_0081065 is significantly upregulated in HUVECs treated with IH. Our findings indicate that hsa_circ_0081065 exacerbates IH-induced EndMT through the regulation of the miR-665/HIF-1α signal axis and facilitating HIF-1α nuclear translocation. These results provide a theoretical basis for considering of EndMT as a potential therapeutic target for OSAHS intervention.

Pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic approaches in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common breathing disorder in sleep in which the airways narrow or collapse during sleep, causing obstructive sleep apnea. The prevalence of OSAS continues to rise worldwide, particularly in middle-aged and elderly individuals. The mechanism of upper airway collapse is incompletely understood but is associated with several factors, including obesity, craniofacial changes, altered muscle function in the upper airway, pharyngeal neuropathy, and fluid shifts to the neck. The main characteristics of OSAS are recurrent pauses in respiration, which lead to intermittent hypoxia (IH) and hypercapnia, accompanied by blood oxygen desaturation and arousal during sleep, which sharply increases the risk of several diseases. This paper first briefly describes the epidemiology, incidence, and pathophysiological mechanisms of OSAS. Next, the alterations in relevant signaling pathways induced by IH are systematically reviewed and discussed. For example, IH can induce gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis, impair the intestinal barrier, and alter intestinal metabolites. These mechanisms ultimately lead to secondary oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and sympathetic activation. We then summarize the effects of IH on disease pathogenesis, including cardiocerebrovascular disorders, neurological disorders, metabolic diseases, cancer, reproductive disorders, and COVID-19. Finally, different therapeutic strategies for OSAS caused by different causes are proposed. Multidisciplinary approaches and shared decision-making are necessary for the successful treatment of OSAS in the future, but more randomized controlled trials are needed for further evaluation to define what treatments are best for specific OSAS patients.

Advances in Molecular Pathology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common syndrome that features a complex etiology and set of mechanisms. Here we summarized the molecular pathogenesis of OSA, especially the prospective mechanism of upper? airway dilator fatigue and the current breakthroughs. Additionally, we also introduced the molecular mechanism of OSA in terms of related studies on the main signaling pathways and epigenetics alterations, such as microRNA, long non-coding RNA, and DNA methylation. We also reviewed small molecular compounds, which are potential targets for gene regulations in the future, that are involved in the regulation of OSA. This review will be beneficial to point the way for OSA research within the next decade.

Roles of MicroRNA-21 in Skin Wound Healing: A Comprehensive Review

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21), one of the early mammalian miRNAs identified, has been detected to be upregulated in multiple biological processes. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the potential values of miR-21 in cutaneous damage and skin wound healing, but lack of a review article to summarize the current evidence on this issue. Based on this review, relevant studies demonstrated that miR-21 played an essential role in wound healing by constituting a complex network with its targeted genes (i.e., PTEN, RECK. SPRY1/2, NF-κB, and TIMP3) and the cascaded signaling pathways (i.e., MAPK/ERK, PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin/MMP-7, and TGF-β/Smad7-Smad2/3). The treatment effectiveness developed by miR-21 might be associated with the promotion of the fibroblast differentiation, the improvement of angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory, enhancement of the collagen synthesis, and the re-epithelialization of the wound. Currently, miRNA nanocarrier systems have been developed, supporting the feasibility clinical feasibility of such miR-21-based therapy. After further investigations, miR-21 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for wound healing.

On the Relationship between Diabetes and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Evolution and Epigenetics

This review offers an overview of the relationship between diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), obesity, and heart disease. It then addresses evidence that the traditional understanding of this relationship is incomplete or misleading. In the process, there is a brief discussion of the evolutionary rationale for the development and retention of OSA in light of blood sugar dysregulation, as an adaptive mechanism in response to environmental stressors, followed by a brief overview of the general concepts of epigenetics. Finally, this paper presents the results of a literature search on the epigenetic marks and changes in gene expression found in OSA and diabetes. (While some of these marks will also correlate with obesity and heart disease, that is beyond the scope of this project). We conclude with an exploration of alternative explanations for the etiology of these interlinking diseases.

Current and future strategies for diagnostic and management of obstructive sleep apnea

INTRODUCTION

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder with multiple comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders. Detected based on an overnight sleep study is called polysomnography (PSG); OSA still remains undiagnosed in majority of the population mainly attributed to lack of awareness. To overcome the limitations posed by PSG such as patient discomfort and overnight hospitalization, newer technologies are being explored. In addition, challenges associated with current management of OSA using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), etc. presents several pitfalls.

AREAS COVERED

Conventional and modern detection/management techniques including PSG, CPAP, smart wearable/pillows, bio-motion sensors, etc., have both pros and cons. To fulfill the limitations in OSA diagnostics, there is an imperative need for new technology for screening of symptomatic and more importantly asymptomatic OSA patients to reduce the risk of several associated life-threatening comorbidities. In this line, molecular marker-based diagnostics have shown great promises.

EXPERT OPINION

A detailed overview is presented on the OSA management and diagnostic approaches and recent advances in the molecular screening methods. The potentials of biomarker-based detection and its limitations are also portrayed and a comparison between the standard, current modern approaches, and promising futuristic technologies for OSA diagnostics and management is set forth.ABBREVIATIONS AHI: Apnea hypopnea index; AI: artificial intelligence; CAM: Cell adhesion molecules; CPAP: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease 2019; CVD: Cardiovascular disease; ELISA: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; HSAT: Home sleep apnea testing; IR-UWB: Impulse radio-ultra wideband; MMA: maxillomandibular advancement; PSG: Polysomnography; OSA: Obstructive sleep apnea; SOD: Superoxide dismutase; QD: Quantum dot.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea-hypopnea Syndrome as a Novel Potential Risk for Aging

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a common sleep disorder, negatively influencing individuals' quality of life and socioeconomic burden. In recent years, OSAHS has been reported in not only constituting an aging-associated disease, but also in accelerating and/or potentiating aging mechanisms. However, the negative impacts of OSAHS on aging are underestimated because of low level of public awareness about this disease and high rates of undiagnosed cases, which are more critical in developing countries or economically disadvantaged regions. Hence, reviewing previously reported observations may assist scholars to better indicate that OSAHS is likely a novel potential risk for aging. Further understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism of OSAHS and its role in procession of aging may markedly highlight the importance of this common sleep disorder.

Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture Inhibits NLRP1 Inflammasome-Mediated Neuronal Pyroptosis in SAMP8 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND

It was indicated that nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain‑like receptor protein 1 (NLRP1) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis is involveg in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study was designed to explore the effect of Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture on cognitive defect and NLRP1 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in AD mouse.

METHODS

Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were used as a model of AD. Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture was performed in four acupoints: "Baihui acupoint" (GV20), "Shenshu acupoint" (BL23), "Xuehai acupoint" (SP10), and "Geshu acupoint" (BL17). Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate the cognitive function of the mouse. The levels of Aβ_1-40, Aβ_1-42, IL-1β, and IL-18 were examined by ELISA assay. Neuronal apoptosis and damage in hippocampal tissues were measured using TUNEL and Nissl staining, respectively. The expression of NLRP1, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 was examined using Western blot.

RESULTS

Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture improved the learning and memory deficits of AD mouse. Meanwhile, Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture decreased the production of Aβ in hippocampal tissues of SAMP8 mice and attenuated the neuronal apoptosis and damage. Furthermore, Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture inhibited NLRP1 inflammasome activation in SAMP8 mice.

CONCLUSION

Bushen Huoxue Acupuncture could notably attenuate the cognitive defect of mouse AD model and inhibit NLRP1 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis.

The Value of Serum MicroRNA Expression Signature in Predicting Refractoriness to Bortezomib-Based Therapy in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Bortezomib is the first-in-class proteasome inhibitor, commonly used in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). The mechanisms underlying acquired bortezomib resistance in MM are poorly understood. Several cell-free miRNAs have been found to be aberrantly regulated in MM patients. The aim of this pilot study was to identify a blood-based miRNA signature that predicts bortezomib-based therapy efficacy in MM patients. Thirty MM patients treated with bortezomib-based regimens were studied, including 19 with refractory disease and 11 who were bortezomib sensitive. Serum miRNA expression patterns were identified with miRCURY LNA miRNA miRNome PCR Panels I+II (Exiqon/Qiagen). Univariate analysis found a total of 21 miRNAs to be differentially expressed in patients with MM according to bortezomib sensitivity. Multivariate logistic regression was created and allowed us to discriminate refractory from sensitive patients with a very high AUC of 0.95 (95%CI: 0.84-1.00); sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were estimated as 0.95, 0.91, and 0.93. The model used expression of 3 miRNAs: miR-215-5p, miR-181a-5p and miR-376c-3p. This study is the first to demonstrate that serum expression of several miRNAs differs between patients who are bortezomib refractory and those who are sensitive which may prove useful in studies aimed at overcoming drug resistance in MM treatment.

Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: An Enigmatic Risk Factor

Synchronization of molecular, metabolic, and cardiovascular circadian oscillations is fundamental to human health. Sleep-disordered breathing, which disrupts such temporal congruence, elicits hemodynamic, autonomic, chemical, and inflammatory disturbances with acute and long-term consequences for heart, brain, and circulatory and metabolic function. Sleep apnea afflicts a substantial proportion of adult men and women but is more prevalent in those with established cardiovascular diseases and especially fluid-retaining states. Despite the experimental, epidemiological, observational, and interventional evidence assembled in support of these concepts, this substantial body of work has had relatively modest pragmatic impact, thus far, on the discipline of cardiology. Contemporary estimates of cardiovascular risk still are derived typically from data acquired during wakefulness. The impact of sleep-related breathing disorders rarely is entered into such calculations or integrated into diagnostic disease-specific algorithms or therapeutic recommendations. Reasons for this include absence of apnea-related symptoms in most with cardiovascular disease, impediments to efficient diagnosis at the population level, debate as to target, suboptimal therapies, difficulties mounting large randomized trials of sleep-specific interventions, and the challenging results of those few prospective cardiovascular outcome trials that have been completed and reported. The objectives of this review are to delineate the bidirectional interrelationship between sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease, consider the findings and implications of observational and randomized trials of treatment, frame the current state of clinical equipoise, identify principal current controversies and potential paths to their resolution, and anticipate future directions.

MicroRNA expression profile is altered in the upper airway skeletal muscle tissue of patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome

Objective

To investigate the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods

In this study, we investigated miRNA profiles in the upper airway (UA) skeletal muscles of four patients with OSAHS and four matched controls using the miRCURY miRNA array. In another cohort of 12 OSAHS cases and 7 controls, the mRNA expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and Lin-28 homolog A (Lin28A), targets of the downregulated let-7 family members, were measured by real-time quantitative-PCR. The potential targets of the miRNAs were predicted by miRNA target prediction databases miRanda, Microcosm, and Targetscan.

Results

The array identified 370 differentially expressed miRNAs, of which 181 were upregulated and 189 were downregulated in OSAHS patients (based on a fold-change >2.0 and p < 0.05). Upregulation of IL-6 and Lin28A was validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The 612 targets predicted by all three algorithms were subjected to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The results revealed perturbations in signaling pathways and cellular functions.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated profoundly altered miRNA expression profiles in upper airway muscular tissues of patients with OSAHS, which might contribute to the formation and development of OSAHS.

Epigenetics: A Potential Mechanism Involved in the Pathogenesis of Various Adverse Consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Epigenetics is defined as the heritable phenotypic changes which do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence, including histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, and DNA methylation. Recently, much attention has been paid to the role of hypoxia-mediated epigenetic regulation in cancer, pulmonary hypertension, adaptation to high altitude, and cardiorenal disease. In contrast to sustained hypoxia, chronic intermittent hypoxia with re-oxygenation (IHR) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of various adverse consequences of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), resembling ischemia re-perfusion injury. Nevertheless, the role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of OSA is currently underexplored. This review proposes that epigenetic processes are involved in the development of various adverse consequences of OSA by influencing adaptive potential and phenotypic variability under conditions of chronic IHR. Improved understanding of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors through epigenetic regulations holds great value to give deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying IHR-related low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, and sympathetic hyperactivity, and clarify their implications for biomedical research.