1
|
Cheng YC, Ma WC, Li YH, Wu J, Liang KW, Lee WJ, Liu HC, Sheu WHH, Lee IT. Plasma aryl hydrocarbon receptor associated with epicardial adipose tissue in men: a cross-sectional study. Diabetol Metab Syndr 2023; 15:188. [PMID: 37749614 PMCID: PMC10519097 DOI: 10.1186/s13098-023-01166-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a type of ectopic fat with endocrine and paracrine functions. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that responds to environmental stimuli. AhR expression is associated with obesity. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the relationship between circulating AhR concentrations and EAT. METHODS A total of 30 men with obesity and 23 age-matched men as healthy controls were enrolled. Plasma AhR concentrations were determined at fasting. The EAT thickness was measured on the free wall of the right ventricle from the basal short-axis plane by magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS The participants with obesity had a higher plasma AhR level than the controls (81.0 ± 24.5 vs. 65.1 ± 16.4 pg/mL, P = 0.010). The plasma AhR level was positively correlated with EAT thickness (correlation coefficient = 0.380, P = 0.005). After adjusting for fasting glucose levels, plasma AhR levels were still significantly associated with EAT thickness (95% CI 0.458‒5.357, P = 0.021) but not with body mass index (P = 0.168). CONCLUSION Plasma AhR concentrations were positively correlated with EAT thickness on the free wall of the right ventricle in men. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the causal effects and underlying mechanisms between AhR and EAT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Cheng Cheng
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 1650 Taiwan Boulevard, Sect. 4, Taichung, 40705, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 40227, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chun Ma
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Feng Yuan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung, 42055, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsuan Li
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 1650 Taiwan Boulevard, Sect. 4, Taichung, 40705, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
- Department of Computer Science & Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Junyi Wu
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 1650 Taiwan Boulevard, Sect. 4, Taichung, 40705, Taiwan
| | - Kae-Woei Liang
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
- Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, School of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402204, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Jane Lee
- Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 40705, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Chen Liu
- Department of Nursing, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 40705, Taiwan
| | | | - I-Te Lee
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 1650 Taiwan Boulevard, Sect. 4, Taichung, 40705, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 40201, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lee WJ, Lin KH, Wang JS, Sheu WHH, Shen CC, Yang CN, Wu SM, Shen LW, Lee SH, Lai DW, Lan KL, Tung CW, Liu SH, Sheu ML. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor deficiency augments dysregulated microangiogenesis and diabetic retinopathy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113725. [PMID: 36152407 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a pathophysiologic vasculopathic process with obscure mechanisms and limited effective therapeutic strategies. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an important regulator of xenobiotic metabolism and an environmental sensor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of AhR in the development of DR and elucidate the molecular mechanism of its downregulation. DR was evaluated in diabetes-induced retinal injury in wild type and AhR knockout (AhR-/-) mice. Retinal expression of AhR was determined in human donor and mice eyes by immunofluorescence since AhR activity was examined in diabetes. AhR knockout (AhRKO) mice were used to induce diabetes with streptozotocin, high-fat diet, or genetic double knockout with diabetes spontaneous mutation (Leprdb) (DKO; AhR-/-×Leprdb/db) for investigating structural, functional, and metabolic abnormalities in vascular and epithelial retina. Structural molecular docking simulation was used to survey the pharmacologic AhR agonists targeting phosphorylated AhR (Tyr245). Compared to diabetic control mice, diabetic AhRKO mice had aggravated alterations in retinal vasculature that amplified hallmark features of DR like vasopermeability, vascular leakage, inflammation, blood-retinal barrier breakdown, capillary degeneration, and neovascularization. AhR agonists effectively inhibited inflammasome formation and promoted AhR activity in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells and pigment epithelial cells. AhR activity and protein expression was downregulated, resulting in a decrease in DNA promoter binding site of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) by gene regulation in transcriptional cascade. This was reversed by AhR agonists. Our study identified a novel of DR model that target the protective AhR/PEDF axis can potentially maintain retinal vascular homeostasis, providing opportunities to delay the development of DR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jane Lee
- Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Hung Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan; Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jun-Sing Wang
- Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wayne Huey-Herng Sheu
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Chang Shen
- Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ning Yang
- Department of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Mao Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Wei Shen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Hua Lee
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - De-Wei Lai
- Experimental Animal Center, Department of Molecular Biology and Cell Research, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Li Lan
- Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Wei Tung
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Shing-Hwa Liu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Meei-Ling Sheu
- Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan; Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sczepanik FSC, Grossi ML, Casati M, Goldberg M, Glogauer M, Fine N, Tenenbaum HC. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of oxidative stress: We should treat it that way. Periodontol 2000 2020; 84:45-68. [PMID: 32844417 DOI: 10.1111/prd.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Periodontitis is a highly prevalent disease. As it progresses, it causes serious morbidity in the form of periodontal abscesses and tooth loss and, in the latter stages, pain. It is also now known that periodontitis is strongly associated with several nonoral diseases. Thus, patients with periodontitis are at greater risk for the development and/or exacerbation of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular diseases, among other conditions. Although it is without question that specific groups of oral bacteria which populate dental plaque play a causative role in the development of periodontitis, it is now thought that once this disease has been triggered, other factors play an equal, and possibly more important, role in its progression, particularly in severe cases or in cases that prove difficult to treat. In this regard, we allude to the host response, specifically the notion that the host, once infected with oral periodontal pathogenic bacteria, will mount a defense response mediated largely through the innate immune system. The most abundant cell type of the innate immune system - polymorphonuclear neutrophils - can, when protecting the host from microbial invasion, mount a response that includes upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and reactive oxygen species, all of which then contribute to the tissue damage and loss of teeth commonly associated with periodontitis. Of the mechanisms referred to here, we suggest that upregulation of reactive oxygen species might play one of the most important roles in the establishment and progression of periodontitis (as well as in other diseases of inflammation) through the development of oxidative stress. In this overview, we discuss both innate and epigenetic factors (eg, diabetes, smoking) that lead to the development of oxidative stress. This oxidative stress then provides an environment conducive to the destructive processes observed in periodontitis. Therefore, we shall describe some of the fundamental characteristics of oxidative stress and its effects on the periodontium, discuss the diseases and other factors that cause oxidative stress, and, finally, review potentially novel therapeutic approaches for the management (and possibly even the reversal) of periodontitis, which rely on the use of therapies, such as resveratrol and other antioxidants, that provide increased antioxidant activity in the host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Márcio Lima Grossi
- School of Health Sciences, Dentistry, Post-Graduate Program in Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Márcio Casati
- Dental Research Division, School of Dentistry, Paulista University (UNIP), Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontics, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Michael Goldberg
- Discipline of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Dentistry, Centre for Advanced Dental Research and Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Periodontology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Glogauer
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Dentistry, Centre for Advanced Dental Research and Care, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Noah Fine
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Centre for Advanced Dental Research and Care, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Howard C Tenenbaum
- Department of Dentistry, Mount Sinai Hospital, Thodupuzha, India.,Faculty of Dentistry, Centre for Advanced Dental Research and Care, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Shahin NN, Abd-Elwahab GT, Tawfiq AA, Abdelgawad HM. Potential role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling in childhood obesity. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1865:158714. [PMID: 32302739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing concern that junk food has contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic. Recently, experimental studies suggested that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) gene is strongly linked to western diet-induced obesity. AIM This study investigated the potential role of AHR signaling in childhood obesity and the possible associations of the AHR-aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR)-cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) axis with fatty acid homeostasis and the appetite-related hormones, leptin and ghrelin. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The study included 80 children; 54 obese and 26 non-obese of matched age and sex. Demographic data, anthropometric measurements, and lipid profile were assessed. Expression of AHR signaling genes was analyzed in blood cells by qRT-PCR. Serum insulin, leptin and ghrelin levels were measured using ELISA. RESULTS The statistical power of this study, calculated using G*Power version 3.1.9.2, was 90% (α = 0.05). AHR and CYP1B1 gene expression levels were upregulated in the obese group compared to controls, whereas AHRR, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ2 (PPARγ2) were downregulated. Serum leptin correlated positively, while serum ghrelin correlated negatively with both AHR and CYP1B1. Stratification of obese children by age revealed more activated AHR signaling in younger than in older children. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that AHR, AHRR and CYP1B1 could discriminate between obese and normal weight children. Multivariate analysis showed that AHRR, CYP1B1 and ghrelin could be significant independent predictors of obesity. CONCLUSION This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms contributing to childhood obesity by revealing alterations in the AHR-AHRR-CYP1B1 axis, which could serve as a promising therapeutic target for childhood obesity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy N Shahin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ghada T Abd-Elwahab
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | | | - Hanan M Abdelgawad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|