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Yang Q, Cai Y, Ma Q, Xiong A, Xu P, Zhang Z, Xu J, Zhou Y, Liu Z, Zhao D, Asara J, Li W, Shi H, Caldwell RB, Sodhi A, Huo Y. Inactivation of adenosine receptor 2A suppresses endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and inhibits subretinal fibrosis in mice. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadk3868. [PMID: 38446902 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk3868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy has had a substantial impact on the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. Despite treatment, many patients with nAMD still develop severe and irreversible visual impairment because of the development of subretinal fibrosis. We recently reported the anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic effects of inhibiting the gene encoding adenosine receptor 2A (Adora2a), which has been implicated in cardiovascular disease. Here, using two mouse models of subretinal fibrosis (mice with laser injury-induced CNV or mice with a deficiency in the very low-density lipoprotein receptor), we found that deletion of Adora2a either globally or specifically in endothelial cells reduced subretinal fibrosis independently of angiogenesis. We showed that Adora2a-dependent endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition contributed to the development of subretinal fibrosis in mice with laser injury-induced CNV. Deficiency of Adora2a in cultured mouse and human choroidal endothelial cells suppressed induction of the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. A metabolomics analysis of cultured human choroidal endothelial cells showed that ADORA2A knockdown with an siRNA reversed the increase in succinate because of decreased succinate dehydrogenase B expression under fibrotic conditions. Pharmacological inhibition of ADORA2A with a small-molecule KW6002 in both mouse models recapitulated the reduction in subretinal fibrosis observed in mice with genetic deletion of Adora2a. ADORA2A inhibition may be a therapeutic approach to treat subretinal fibrosis associated with nAMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuhua Yang
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Yongfeng Cai
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Qian Ma
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Albert Xiong
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33606, USA
| | - Peishan Xu
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Zhidan Zhang
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jiean Xu
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Yaqi Zhou
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Zhiping Liu
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Dingwei Zhao
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - John Asara
- Division of Signal Transduction, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Huidong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Ruth B Caldwell
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Akrit Sodhi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Yuqing Huo
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Yang Q, Huo E, Cai Y, Zhang Z, Dong C, Asara JM, Shi H, Wei Q. Myeloid PFKFB3-mediated glycolysis promotes kidney fibrosis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1259434. [PMID: 38035106 PMCID: PMC10687406 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1259434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive renal fibrosis is a common pathology in progressive chronic kidney diseases. Inflammatory injury and aberrant repair processes contribute to the development of kidney fibrosis. Myeloid cells, particularly monocytes/macrophages, play a crucial role in kidney fibrosis by releasing their proinflammatory cytokines and extracellular matrix components such as collagen and fibronectin into the microenvironment of the injured kidney. Numerous signaling pathways have been identified in relation to these activities. However, the involvement of metabolic pathways in myeloid cell functions during the development of renal fibrosis remains understudied. In our study, we initially reanalyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data of renal myeloid cells from Dr. Denby's group and observed an increased gene expression in glycolytic pathway in myeloid cells that are critical for renal inflammation and fibrosis. To investigate the role of myeloid glycolysis in renal fibrosis, we utilized a model of unilateral ureteral obstruction in mice deficient of Pfkfb3, an activator of glycolysis, in myeloid cells (Pfkfb3 ΔMϕ ) and their wild type littermates (Pfkfb3 WT). We observed a significant reduction in fibrosis in the obstructive kidneys of Pfkfb3 ΔMϕ mice compared to Pfkfb3 WT mice. This was accompanied by a substantial decrease in macrophage infiltration, as well as a decrease of M1 and M2 macrophages and a suppression of macrophage to obtain myofibroblast phenotype in the obstructive kidneys of Pfkfb3 ΔMϕ mice. Mechanistic studies indicate that glycolytic metabolites stabilize HIF1α, leading to alterations in macrophage phenotype that contribute to renal fibrosis. In conclusion, our study implicates that targeting myeloid glycolysis represents a novel approach to inhibit renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuhua Yang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Emily Huo
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- Augusta Preparatory Day School, Martinez, GA, United States
| | - Yongfeng Cai
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Zhidan Zhang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Charles Dong
- Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - John M. Asara
- Division of Signal Transduction, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Huidong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Qingqing Wei
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
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Yang Q, Huo E, Cai Y, Zhang Z, Dong C, Asara JM, Wei Q. PFKFB3-Mediated Glycolysis Boosts Fibroblast Activation and Subsequent Kidney Fibrosis. Cells 2023; 12:2081. [PMID: 37626891 PMCID: PMC10453197 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Renal fibrosis, a hallmark of chronic kidney diseases, is driven by the activation of renal fibroblasts. Recent studies have highlighted the role of glycolysis in this process. Nevertheless, one critical glycolytic activator, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), remains unexplored in renal fibrosis. Upon reanalyzing the single-cell sequencing data from Dr. Humphreys' lab, we noticed an upregulation of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the TGFβ signaling pathway in myofibroblasts from fibrotic kidneys after unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) or kidney ischemia/reperfusion. Furthermore, our experiments showed significant induction of PFKFB3 in mouse kidneys following UUO or kidney ischemia/reperfusion. To delve deeper into the role of PFKFB3, we generated mice with Pfkfb3 deficiency, specifically in myofibroblasts (Pfkfb3f/f/PostnMCM). Following UUO or kidney ischemia/reperfusion, a substantial decrease in fibrosis in the injured kidneys of Pfkfb3f/f/PostnMCM mice was identified compared to their wild-type littermates. Additionally, in cultured renal fibroblast NRK-49F cells, PFKFB3 was elevated upon exposure to TGFβ1, accompanied by an increase in α-SMA and fibronectin. Notably, this upregulation was significantly diminished with PFKFB3 knockdown, correlated with glycolysis suppression. Mechanistically, the glycolytic metabolite lactate promoted the fibrotic activation of NRK-49F cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the critical role of PFKFB3 in driving fibroblast activation and subsequent renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuhua Yang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Emily Huo
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Augusta Preparatory Day School, 285 Flowing Wells Rd, Martinez, GA 30907, USA
| | - Yongfeng Cai
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Zhidan Zhang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Charles Dong
- Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - John M. Asara
- Division of Signal Transduction, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Qingqing Wei
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Wei L, Wang Z, Jing N, Lu Y, Yang J, Xiao H, Guo H, Sun S, Li M, Zhao D, Li X, Qi W, Zhang Y. Frontier progress of the combination of modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Chin Med 2022; 17:90. [PMID: 35907976 PMCID: PMC9338659 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-022-00645-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, accounting for 90% of primary liver cancer) was the sixth most common cancer in the world and the third leading cause of cancer death in 2020. The number of new HCC patients in China accounted for nearly half of that in the world. HCC was of occult and complex onset, with poor prognosis. Clinically, at least 15% of patients with HCC had strong side effects of interventional therapy (IT) and have poor sensitivity to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a multi-target adjuvant therapy, had been shown to play an active anti-tumor role in many previous studies. This review systematically summarized the role of TCM combined with clinically commonly used drugs for the treatment of HCC (including mitomycin C, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, sorafenib, etc.) in the past basic research, and summarized the efficacy of TCM combined with surgery, IT and conventional therapy (CT) in clinical research. It was found that TCM, as an adjuvant treatment, played many roles in the treatment of HCC, including enhancing the tumor inhibition, reducing toxic and side effects, improving chemosensitivity and prolonging survival time of patients. This review summarized the advantages of integrated traditional Chinese and modern medicine in the treatment of HCC and provides a theoretical basis for clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Wei
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, Jilin, China
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Scientific Research, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, Jilin, China
| | - Niancai Jing
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Jili Yang
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Hongyu Xiao
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Huanyu Guo
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Shoukun Sun
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Mingjing Li
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Daqing Zhao
- Northeast Asia Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Active Substances and Biological Mechanisms of Ginseng Efficacy, Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-Macromolecules of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, Jilin, China
| | - Xiangyan Li
- Northeast Asia Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Active Substances and Biological Mechanisms of Ginseng Efficacy, Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-Macromolecules of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, Jilin, China
| | - Wenxiu Qi
- Northeast Asia Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Active Substances and Biological Mechanisms of Ginseng Efficacy, Ministry of Education, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Bio-Macromolecules of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, Jilin, China.
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China.
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