1
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Fu Q, Wang Y, Yan C, Xiang YK. Phosphodiesterase in heart and vessels: from physiology to diseases. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:765-834. [PMID: 37971403 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00015.2023] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a superfamily of enzymes that hydrolyze cyclic nucleotides, including cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Both cyclic nucleotides are critical secondary messengers in the neurohormonal regulation in the cardiovascular system. PDEs precisely control spatiotemporal subcellular distribution of cyclic nucleotides in a cell- and tissue-specific manner, playing critical roles in physiological responses to hormone stimulation in the heart and vessels. Dysregulation of PDEs has been linked to the development of several cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, aneurysm, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, and heart failure. Targeting these enzymes has been proven effective in treating cardiovascular diseases and is an attractive and promising strategy for the development of new drugs. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the complex regulation of PDE isoforms in cardiovascular function, highlighting the divergent and even opposing roles of PDE isoforms in different pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Fu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chen Yan
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Yang K Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs Northern California Healthcare System, Mather, California, United States
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2
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Kostyunina DS, Pakhomov NV, Jouida A, Dillon E, Baugh JA, McLoughlin P. Transcriptomics and proteomics revealed sex differences in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells. Physiol Genomics 2024; 56:194-220. [PMID: 38047313 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00051.2023] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Marked sexual dimorphism is displayed in the onset and progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Females more commonly develop pulmonary arterial hypertension, yet females with pulmonary arterial hypertension and other types of PH have better survival than males. Pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells play a crucial role in pulmonary vascular remodeling and increased pulmonary vascular resistance in PH. Given this background, we hypothesized that there are sex differences in the pulmonary microvascular endothelium basally and in response to hypoxia that are independent of the sex hormone environment. Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) from healthy male and female donors, cultured under physiological shear stress, were analyzed using RNA sequencing and label-free quantitative proteomics. Gene set enrichment analysis identified a number of sex-different pathways in both normoxia and hypoxia, including pathways that regulate cell proliferation. In vitro, the rate of proliferation in female HPMECs was lower than in male HPMECs, a finding that supports the omics results. Interestingly, thrombospondin-1, an inhibitor of proliferation, was more highly expressed in female cells than in male cells. These results demonstrate, for the first time, important differences between female and male HPMECs that persist in the absence of sex hormone differences and identify novel pathways for further investigation that may contribute to sexual dimorphism in pulmonary hypertensive diseases.NEW & NOTEWORTHY There is marked sexual dimorphism in the development and progression of pulmonary hypertension. We show differences in RNA and protein expression between female and male human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells grown under conditions of physiological shear stress, which identify sex-different cellular pathways both in normoxia and hypoxia. Importantly, these differences were detected in the absence of sex hormone differences. The pathways identified may provide novel targets for the development of sex-specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria S Kostyunina
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nikolai V Pakhomov
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Amina Jouida
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eugene Dillon
- Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John A Baugh
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Paul McLoughlin
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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3
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Cartland SP, Stanley CP, Bursill C, Passam F, Figtree GA, Patel S, Loa J, Golledge J, Robinson DA, Aitken SJ, Kavurma MM. Sex, Endothelial Cell Functions, and Peripheral Artery Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17439. [PMID: 38139267 PMCID: PMC10744086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417439] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is caused by blocked arteries due to atherosclerosis and/or thrombosis which reduce blood flow to the lower limbs. It results in major morbidity, including ischemic limb, claudication, and amputation, with patients also suffering a heightened risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. Recent studies suggest women have a higher prevalence of PAD than men, and with worse outcomes after intervention. In addition to a potential unconscious bias faced by women with PAD in the health system, with underdiagnosis, and lower rates of guideline-based therapy, fundamental biological differences between men and women may be important. In this review, we highlight sexual dimorphisms in endothelial cell functions and how they may impact PAD pathophysiology in women. Understanding sex-specific mechanisms in PAD is essential for the development of new therapies and personalized care for patients with PAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân P. Cartland
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia; (S.P.C.); (C.P.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Christopher P. Stanley
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia; (S.P.C.); (C.P.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Christina Bursill
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia;
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Freda Passam
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia; (F.P.); (G.A.F.); (S.J.A.)
| | - Gemma A. Figtree
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia; (F.P.); (G.A.F.); (S.J.A.)
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2064, Australia
| | - Sanjay Patel
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia; (S.P.C.); (C.P.S.); (S.P.)
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia (D.A.R.)
| | - Jacky Loa
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia (D.A.R.)
| | - Jonathan Golledge
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, The Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia
| | | | - Sarah J. Aitken
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia; (F.P.); (G.A.F.); (S.J.A.)
- Concord Institute of Academic Surgery, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
| | - Mary M. Kavurma
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2042, Australia; (S.P.C.); (C.P.S.); (S.P.)
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4
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Kavurma MM, Bursill C, Stanley CP, Passam F, Cartland SP, Patel S, Loa J, Figtree GA, Golledge J, Aitken S, Robinson DA. Endothelial cell dysfunction: Implications for the pathogenesis of peripheral artery disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:1054576. [PMID: 36465438 PMCID: PMC9709122 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1054576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is caused by occluded or narrowed arteries that reduce blood flow to the lower limbs. The treatment focuses on lifestyle changes, management of modifiable risk factors and vascular surgery. In this review we focus on how Endothelial Cell (EC) dysfunction contributes to PAD pathophysiology and describe the largely untapped potential of correcting endothelial dysfunction. Moreover, we describe current treatments and clinical trials which improve EC dysfunction and offer insights into where future research efforts could be made. Endothelial dysfunction could represent a target for PAD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary M. Kavurma
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christina Bursill
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Freda Passam
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Siân P. Cartland
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sanjay Patel
- Heart Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jacky Loa
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gemma A. Figtree
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathan Golledge
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- The Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah Aitken
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Concord Institute of Academic Surgery, Concord Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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5
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Dietrich E, Jomard A, Osto E. Crosstalk between high-density lipoproteins and endothelial cells in health and disease: Insights into sex-dependent modulation. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:989428. [PMID: 36304545 PMCID: PMC9594152 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.989428] [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: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Intense research in vascular biology has advanced our knowledge of molecular mechanisms of its onset and progression until complications; however, several aspects of the patho-physiology of atherosclerosis remain to be further elucidated. Endothelial cell homeostasis is fundamental to prevent atherosclerosis as the appearance of endothelial cell dysfunction is considered the first pro-atherosclerotic vascular modification. Physiologically, high density lipoproteins (HDLs) exert protective actions for vessels and in particular for ECs. Indeed, HDLs promote endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation, contribute to the regulation of vascular lipid metabolism, and have immune-modulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. Sex- and gender-dependent differences are increasingly recognized as important, although not fully elucidated, factors in cardiovascular health and disease patho-physiology. In this review, we highlight the importance of sex hormones and sex-specific gene expression in the regulation of HDL and EC cross-talk and their contribution to cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dietrich
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne Jomard
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Osto
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Hoshino H, Toyoda K, Omae K, Takahashi K, Uchiyama S, Kimura K, Yamaguchi K, Minematsu K, Origasa H, Yamaguchi T. Sex Difference in the Impact of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy using Cilostazol for Secondary Stroke Prevention: A Sub-Analysis of CSPS.com. J Atheroscler Thromb 2022. [PMID: 36070920 DOI: 10.5551/jat.63660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Although some sex differences in stroke have been reported, differences in the effects of antiplatelet therapy for secondary stroke prevention have not been clarified. METHODS In the Cilostazol Stroke Prevention Study combination trial, patients with high-risk, non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke between 8 and 180 days after onset treated with aspirin or clopidogrel alone were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either monotherapy or dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) using cilostazol and followed up for 0.5-3.5 years. The primary efficacy outcome was recurrence of ischemic stroke. The safety outcome was severe or life-threatening hemorrhage. Outcomes were analyzed by sex. RESULTS A total of 1,320 male patients and 558 female patients were included. The male patients had more risk factors than the female patients. In male patients, the primary endpoint occurred at a rate of 2.0 per 100-patient years in the DAPT group and 5.1 per 100 patient-years in the monotherapy group (hazard ratio (HR), 0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.23-0.68). In male patients, DAPT prolonged the time to recurrent stroke by 4.02-fold (95% CI, 1.63-9.96) compared with monotherapy. In female patients, the average annual event rates were 2.7 per 100 patient-years in the DAPT group and 3.3 per 100 patient-years in the monotherapy group (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.37-1.84). Safety outcomes did not differ significantly in both male and female patients. CONCLUSIONS Long-term DAPT using cilostazol reduced the recurrence of ischemic stroke and prolonged the recurrence-free time in male patients, but not in female patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kazunori Toyoda
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center
| | - Katsuhiro Omae
- Department of Biostatistics, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center
| | - Kaito Takahashi
- Department of Biostatistics, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center
| | - Shinichiro Uchiyama
- Clinical Research Center for Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, Center for Brain and Cerebral Vessels, Sanno Medical Center
| | | | | | | | - Hideki Origasa
- Division of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Toyama
| | - Takenori Yamaguchi
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center
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7
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Phosphodiesterase-1 in the cardiovascular system. Cell Signal 2022; 92:110251. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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8
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Ji H, Kwan AC, Chen M, Ouyang D, Ebinger JE, Bell SP, Niiranen T, Bello NA, Cheng S. Sex Differences in Myocardial and Vascular Aging. Circ Res 2022; 130:566-577. [PMID: 35175845 PMCID: PMC8863105 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.121.319902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that cardiovascular disease manifests differently in women and men. The underlying causes of these differences during the aging lifespan are less well understood. Sex differences in cardiac and vascular phenotypes are seen in childhood and tend to track along distinct trajectories related to dimorphism in genetic factors as well as response to risk exposures and hormonal changes during the life course. These differences underlie sex-specific variation in cardiovascular events later in life, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, ischemic stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. With respect to cardiac phenotypes, females have intrinsically smaller body size-adjusted cardiac volumes and they tend to experience greater age-related wall thickening and myocardial stiffening with aging. With respect to vascular phenotypes, sexual dimorphism in both physiology and pathophysiology are also seen, including overt differences in blood pressure trajectories. The majority of sex differences in myocardial and vascular alterations that manifest with aging seem to follow relatively consistent trajectories from the very early to the very later stages of life. This review aims to synthesize recent cardiovascular aging-related research to highlight clinically relevant studies in diverse female and male populations that can inform approaches to improving the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of cardiovascular disease risks in the aging population at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Ji
- Department of Cardiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China,Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Alan C. Kwan
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melanie Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David Ouyang
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph E. Ebinger
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan P. Bell
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Teemu Niiranen
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland,Department of Public Health Solutions, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku, Finland
| | - Natalie A. Bello
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Cheng
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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9
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Walker CJ, Schroeder ME, Aguado BA, Anseth KS, Leinwand LA. Matters of the heart: Cellular sex differences. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2021; 160:42-55. [PMID: 34166708 PMCID: PMC8571046 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nearly all cardiovascular diseases show sexual dimorphisms in prevalence, presentation, and outcomes. Until recently, most clinical trials were carried out in males, and many animal studies either failed to identify the sex of the animals or combined data obtained from males and females. Cellular sex in the heart is relatively understudied and many studies fail to report the sex of the cells used for in vitro experiments. Moreover, in the small number of studies in which sex is reported, most of those studies use male cells. The observation that cells from males and females are inherently different is becoming increasingly clear - either due to acquired differences from hormones and other factors or due to intrinsic differences in genotype (XX or XY). Because of the likely contribution of cellular sex differences in cardiac health and disease, here, we explore differences in mammalian male and female cells in the heart, including the less-studied non-myocyte cell populations. We discuss how the heart's microenvironment impacts male and female cellular phenotypes and vice versa, including how secretory profiles are dependent on cellular sex, and how hormones contribute to sexually dimorphic phenotypes and cellular functions. Intracellular mechanisms that contribute to sex differences, including gene expression and epigenetic remodeling, are also described. Recent single-cell sequencing studies have revealed unexpected sex differences in the composition of cell types in the heart which we discuss. Finally, future recommendations for considering cellular sex differences in the design of bioengineered in vitro disease models of the heart are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cierra J Walker
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America; Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America
| | - Megan E Schroeder
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America
| | - Brian A Aguado
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America
| | - Kristi S Anseth
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America
| | - Leslie A Leinwand
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States of America; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America.
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10
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James BD, Allen JB. Sex-Specific Response to Combinations of Shear Stress and Substrate Stiffness by Endothelial Cells In Vitro. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2100735. [PMID: 34142471 PMCID: PMC8458248 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202100735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
By using a full factorial design of experiment, the combinatorial effects of biological sex, shear stress, and substrate stiffness on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) spreading and Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) activity are able to be efficiently evaluated. Within the range of shear stress (0.5-1.5 Pa) and substrate stiffness (10-100 kPa), male HUVECs are smaller than female HUVECs. Only with sufficient mechanical stimulation do they spread to a similar size. More importantly, YAP1 nuclear localization in female HUVECs is invariant to mechanical stimulation within the range of tested conditions whereas for male HUVECs it increases nonlinearly with increasing shear stress and substrate stiffness. The sex-specific response of HUVECs to combinations of shear stress and substrate stiffness reinforces the need to include sex as a biological variable and multiple mechanical stimuli in experiments, informs the design of precision biomaterials, and offers insight for understanding cardiovascular disease sexual dimorphisms. Moreover, here it is illustrated that different complex mechanical microenvironments can lead to sex-specific phenotypes and sex invariant phenotypes in cultured endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D James
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, 206 Rhines Hall, PO Box 116400, Gainesville, FL, 32611-6400, USA
| | - Josephine B Allen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, 206 Rhines Hall, PO Box 116400, Gainesville, FL, 32611-6400, USA
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11
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Tan CMJ, Lewandowski AJ, Williamson W, Huckstep OJ, Yu GZ, Fischer R, Simon JN, Alsharqi M, Mohamed A, Leeson P, Bertagnolli M. Proteomic Signature of Dysfunctional Circulating Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells of Young Adults. J Am Heart Assoc 2021; 10:e021119. [PMID: 34275329 PMCID: PMC8475699 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.121.021119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background A subpopulation of endothelial progenitor cells called endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) may offer a platform for cellular assessment in clinical studies because of their remarkable angiogenic and expansion potentials in vitro. Despite endothelial cell function being influenced by cardiovascular risk factors, no studies have yet provided a comprehensive proteomic profile to distinguish functional (ie, more angiogenic and expansive cells) versus dysfunctional circulating ECFCs of young adults. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed proteomic comparison between functional and dysfunctional ECFCs. Methods and Results Peripheral blood ECFCs were isolated from 11 subjects (45% men, aged 27±5 years) using Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. ECFCs expressed endothelial and progenitor surface markers and displayed cobblestone-patterned morphology with clonal and angiogenic capacities in vitro. ECFCs were deemed dysfunctional if <1 closed tube formed during the in vitro tube formation assay and proliferation rate was <20%. Hierarchical functional clustering revealed distinct ECFC proteomic signatures between functional and dysfunctional ECFCs with changes in cellular mechanisms involved in exocytosis, vesicle transport, extracellular matrix organization, cell metabolism, and apoptosis. Targeted antiangiogenic proteins in dysfunctional ECFCs included SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine), CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36), LUM (lumican), and PTX3 (pentraxin-related protein PYX3). Conclusions Circulating ECFCs with impaired angiogenesis and expansion capacities have a distinct proteomic profile and significant phenotype changes compared with highly angiogenic endothelial cells. Impaired angiogenesis in dysfunctional ECFCs may underlie the link between endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease risks in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M. J. Tan
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Adam J. Lewandowski
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Wilby Williamson
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Odaro J. Huckstep
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Department of BiologyUnited States Air Force AcademyColorado SpringsCOUSA
| | - Grace Z. Yu
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Wellcome Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Target Discovery Institute (TDI) Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Jillian N. Simon
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Maryam Alsharqi
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Department of Cardiac TechnologyImam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityDammamSaudi Arabia
| | - Afifah Mohamed
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversiti Kebangsaan MalaysiaKuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - Paul Leeson
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Mariane Bertagnolli
- Oxford Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Montreal Hospital Sacré‐Cœur Research CentreCentre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux du Nord‐de‐l'Île‐de‐MontréalMontréalQCCanada
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of MedicineMcGill UniversityMontréalQCCanada
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12
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Wang J, Kazmi MM, Huxley VH. Microvascular Sex- and Age- Dependent Phosphodiesterase Expression. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2021; 2:719698. [PMID: 35822023 PMCID: PMC9261398 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.719698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Objective: The cyclic nucleotide second messengers, cAMP and cGMP, are pivotal regulators of vascular functions; their cellular levels are tightly controlled by the cyclic nucleotide hydrolases, phosphodiesterases (PDE). Biologic sex and age are recognized as independent factors impacting the mechanisms mediating both vascular health and dysfunction. This study focused on microvessels isolated from male and female rats before (juvenile) and after (adult) sexual maturity under resting conditions. We tested the hypothesis that sexual dimorphism in microvascular PDE expression would be absent in juvenile rats, but would manifest in adult rats. Methods: Abdominal skeletal muscle arterioles and venules were isolated from age-matched juvenile and adult male and female rats under resting conditions. Transcripts of five PDE families (1–5) associated with coronary and vascular function with a total of ten genes were measured using TaqMan real-time RT-PCR and protein expression of microvessel PDE4 was assessed using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Results: Overall expression levels of PDE5A were highest while PDE3 levels were lowest among the five PDE families (p < 0.05) regardless of age or sex. Contrary to our hypothesis, in juveniles, sexual dimorphism in PDE expression was observed in three genes: arterioles (PDE1A, female > male) and venules (PDE1B and 3A, male > female). In adults, gene expression levels in males were higher than females for five genes in arterioles (PDE1C, 3A, 3B, 4B, 5A) and three genes (PDE3A, 3B, and 5A) in venules. Furthermore, age-related differences were observed in PDE1-5 (in males, adult > juvenile for most genes in arterioles; in females, adult > juvenile for arteriolar PDE3A; juvenile gene expression > adult for two genes in arterioles and three genes in venules). Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analysis revealed protein expression of microvessel PDE4. Conclusion: This study revealed sexual dimorphism in both juvenile and adult rats, which is inconsistent with our hypothesis. The sex- and age-dependent differences in PDE expression implicate different modulations of cAMP and cGMP pathways for microvessels in health. The implication of these sex- and age-dependent differences, as well as the duration and microdomain of PDE1-5 activities in skeletal muscle microvessels, in both health and disease, require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Jianjie Wang,
| | - Murtaza M. Kazmi
- Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Virginia H. Huxley
- Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, National Center for Gender Physiology, Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, Columbia, MO, United States
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Leptin administration during lactation leads to different nutritional, biometric, hemodynamic, and cardiac outcomes in prepubertal and adult female Wistar rats. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2021; 12:870-875. [PMID: 33517945 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174420001312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Literature reports that insults, such as hormonal disturbances, during critical periods of development may modulate organism physiology and metabolism favoring cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) later in life. Studies show that leptin administration during lactation leads to cardiovascular dysfunction in young and adult male Wistar rats. However, there are sex differences regarding CVD. Thus, the present work aimed to investigate neonatal leptin administration's consequences on different outcomes in female rats at prepubertal and adult age. Newborn Wistar female rats were divided into two groups, Leptin and Control, receiving daily subcutaneous injections of this adipokine (8 μg/100 g) or saline for the first 10 of 21 d of lactation. Nutritional, biometric, hemodynamic, and echocardiographic parameters, as well as maximal effort ergometer performance, were determined at postnatal days (PND) 30 and 150. Leptin group presented lower food intake (p = 0.0003) and higher feed efficiency (p = 0.0058) between PND 21 and 30. Differences concerning echocardiographic parameters revealed higher left ventricle internal diameter (LVID) in systole (p = 0.0051), as well as lower left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) (p = 0.0111) and fractional shortening (FS) (p = 0.0405) for this group at PND 30. Older rats treated with leptin during lactation presented only higher LVID in systole (p = 0.0270). Systolic blood pressure and maximum effort ergometer test performance was similar between groups at both ages. These data suggest that nutritional, biometric, and cardiac outcomes due to neonatal leptin administration in female rats are age-dependent.
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14
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Blanco-Rivero J, Xavier FE. Therapeutic Potential of Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors for Endothelial Dysfunction- Related Diseases. Curr Pharm Des 2021; 26:3633-3651. [PMID: 32242780 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200403172736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are considered a major health problem worldwide, being the main cause of mortality in developing and developed countries. Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by a decline in nitric oxide production and/or bioavailability, increased oxidative stress, decreased prostacyclin levels, and a reduction of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor is considered an important prognostic indicator of various CVD. Changes in cyclic nucleotides production and/ or signalling, such as guanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cGMP) and adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP), also accompany many vascular disorders that course with altered endothelial function. Phosphodiesterases (PDE) are metallophosphohydrolases that catalyse cAMP and cGMP hydrolysis, thereby terminating the cyclic nucleotide-dependent signalling. The development of drugs that selectively block the activity of specific PDE families remains of great interest to the research, clinical and pharmaceutical industries. In the present review, we will discuss the effects of PDE inhibitors on CVD related to altered endothelial function, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, stroke, aging and cirrhosis. Multiple evidences suggest that PDEs inhibition represents an attractive medical approach for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction-related diseases. Selective PDE inhibitors, especially PDE3 and PDE5 inhibitors are proposed to increase vascular NO levels by increasing antioxidant status or endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and activation and to improve the morphological architecture of the endothelial surface. Thereby, selective PDE inhibitors can improve the endothelial function in various CVD, increasing the evidence that these drugs are potential treatment strategies for vascular dysfunction and reinforcing their potential role as an adjuvant in the pharmacotherapy of CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Blanco-Rivero
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fabiano E Xavier
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Centro de Biociencias, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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15
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Cattaneo MG, Banfi C, Brioschi M, Lattuada D, Vicentini LM. Sex-dependent differences in the secretome of human endothelial cells. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:7. [PMID: 33413676 PMCID: PMC7791663 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00350-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cellular sex has rarely been considered as a biological variable in preclinical research, even when the pathogenesis of diseases with predictable sex differences is studied. In this perspective, proteomics, and “omics” approaches in general, can provide powerful tools to obtain comprehensive cellular maps, thus favoring the discovery of still unknown sex-biased physio-pathological mechanisms. Methods We performed proteomic and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses of the secretome from human serum-deprived male and female endothelial cells (ECs) followed by ELISA validation. Apoptosis was detected by FACS and Western blot techniques and efferocytosis through the ability of the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 to engulf apoptotic ECs. PTX3 mRNA levels were measured by RT-qPCR. Results Proteomic and GO analyses of the secretome from starved human male and female ECs demonstrated a significant enrichment in proteins related to cellular responses to stress and to the regulation of apoptosis in the secretome of male ECs. Accordingly, a higher percentage of male ECs underwent apoptosis in response to serum deprivation in comparison with female ECs. Among the secreted proteins, we reliably found higher levels of PTX3 in the male EC secretome. The silencing of PTX3 suggested that male ECs were dependent on its expression to properly carry out the efferocytotic process. At variance, female EC efferocytosis seemed to be independent on PTX3 expression. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that serum-starved male and female ECs possess different secretory phenotypes that might take part in the sex-biased response to cellular stress. We identified PTX3 as a crucial player in the male-specific endothelial response to an apoptotic trigger. This novel and sex-related role for secreted proteins, and mainly for PTX3, may open the way to the discovery of still unknown sex-specific mechanisms and pharmacological targets for the prevention and treatment of endothelial dysfunction at the onset of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13293-020-00350-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Cattaneo
- Dept of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milan, Italy.
| | | | | | - Donatella Lattuada
- Dept of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia M Vicentini
- Dept of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli 32, Milan, Italy
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16
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Shi Y, Leung SWS. Long-term nitric oxide synthase inhibition prevents 17β-estradiol-induced suppression of cyclooxygenase-dependent contractions and enhancement of endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization-like relaxation in mesenteric arteries of ovariectomized rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 882:173275. [PMID: 32535100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173275] [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: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Endothelial dysfunction is associated with a reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO). In this study, the effects of 17β-estradiol supplement on endothelial function were examined in ovariectomized (OVX) rats following long-term inhibition of NO synthases with L-NAME. Female Sprague Dawley rats were ovariectomized at 12 weeks old. They were supplemented with 17β-estradiol (25 μg/kg/day, intramuscularly) or its vehicle (olive oil) until they were killed. At 18 weeks old, they were administered daily with NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME (60 mg/kg, by gavage) or its vehicle (distilled water) for 6 weeks. Rats were then anesthetized for blood pressure measurement and for isolation of mesenteric arteries and aortae for isometric tension measurement. Long-term L-NAME-treatment, without or with 17β-estradiol supplement, resulted in reduced plasma nitrite/nitrate level without causing an increase in blood pressure in OVX rats. Acute inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) with indomethacin improved relaxations of mesenteric arteries to the calcium ionophore A23187 in OVX rats, and in those with long-term L-NAME-treatment without or with 17β-estradiol supplement, but not in those with female hormone supplement only. 17β-estradiol supplement or long-term L-NAME-treatment resulted in a greater endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization-like relaxation in mesenteric arteries. In the quiescent aorta, 17β-estradiol supplement or long-term L-NAME-treatment unmasked the COX-dependent components of A23187-induced contractions, but prevented that of the smooth muscle contractions to U46619 in OVX rats. In summary, long-term 17β-estradiol-supplement results in differential effects in different blood vessel types, and its beneficial vascular effects are masked under the conditions with NO synthase inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Shi
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, PR China
| | - Susan Wai Sum Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
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17
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Medzikovic L, Cunningham CM, Li M, Amjedi M, Hong J, Ruffenach G, Eghbali M. Sex differences underlying preexisting cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular injury in COVID-19. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2020; 148:25-33. [PMID: 32835666 PMCID: PMC7442559 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), resulting from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronarvirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, typically leads to respiratory failure in severe cases; however, cardiovascular injury is reported to contribute to a substantial proportion of COVID-19 deaths. Preexisting cardiovascular disease (CVD) is among the most common risk factors for hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients, and the pathogenic mechanisms of COVID-19 disease progression itself may promote the development of cardiovascular injury, increasing risk of in-hospital death. Sex differences in COVID-19 are becoming more apparent as mounting data indicate that males seem to be disproportionately at risk of severe COVID-19 outcome due to preexisting CVD and COVID-19-related cardiovascular injury. In this review, we will provide a basic science perspective on current clinical observations in this rapidly evolving field and discuss the interplay sex differences, preexisting CVD and COVID-19-related cardiac injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lejla Medzikovic
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christine M Cunningham
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Min Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marjan Amjedi
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason Hong
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gregoire Ruffenach
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mansoureh Eghbali
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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18
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Sexual dimorphism of miRNA signatures in feto-placental endothelial cells is associated with altered barrier function and actin organization. Clin Sci (Lond) 2020; 134:39-51. [PMID: 31825070 DOI: 10.1042/cs20190379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Endothelial function and the risk for endothelial dysfunction differ between males and females. Besides the action of estrogen, sex chromosome gene expression and programming effects also provoke this sexual dimorphism. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as regulators of endothelial cell function and dysfunction. We here hypothesized distinct miRNA expression patterns in male versus female human endothelial cells that contribute to the functional differences. We used our well-established model of fetal endothelial cells isolated from placenta (fpEC) and analyzed sexual dimorphic miRNA expression and potentially affected biological functions. Next-generation miRNA sequencing of fpEC isolated after pregnancies with male and female neonates identified sex-dependent miRNA expression patterns. Potential biological pathways regulated by the altered set of miRNAs were determined using mirPath and mirSystem softwares, and suggested differences in barrier function and actin organization. The identified pathways were further investigated by monolayer impedance measurements (ECIS) and analysis of F-actin organization (Phalloidin). Nine miRNAs were differentially expressed in fpEC of male versus female neonates. Functional pathways most significantly regulated by these miRNAs included 'Adherens junction', 'ECM receptor interaction' and 'Focal adhesion'. These pathways control monolayer barrier function and may be paralleled by altered cytoskeletal organization. In fact, monolayer impedance was higher in fpEC of male progeny, and F-actin staining revealed more pronounced peripheral stress fibers in male versus female fpEC. Our data highlight that endothelial cell function differs between males and females already in utero, and that altered miRNAs are associated with sex dependent differences in barrier function and actin organization.
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19
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Role of Gender and Physical Activity Level on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in the Elderly. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2020; 2020:1315471. [PMID: 32655757 PMCID: PMC7321518 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1315471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Background Cardiovascular diseases remain as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Ageing and gender strongly modulate the risk to develop cardiovascular diseases but very few studies have investigated the impact of gender on cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, which represents a growing population. The purpose of this study was to test the impact of gender and physical activity level on several biochemical and clinical markers of cardiovascular risk in elderly individuals. Methods Elderly individuals (318 women (75.8 ± 1.2 years-old) and 227 men (75.8 ± 1.1 years-old)) were recruited. Physical activity was measured by a questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel's definition. Polysomnography and digital tonometry were used to detect obstructive sleep apnea and assess vascular reactivity, respectively. Blood was sampled to measure several oxidative stress markers and adhesion molecules. Results The frequency of cardiovascular diseases was significantly higher in men (16.4%) than in women (6.1%) (p < 0.001). Body mass index (25.0 ± 4.3 vs. 25.8 ± 3.13 kg.m−2) and glycaemia (94.9 ± 16.5 vs. 101.5 ± 22.6 mg.dL−1) were lower, and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) (74.6 ± 17.8 vs. 65.0 ± 17.2 mg.dL−1) was higher in women compared to men (p < 0.05). Oxidative stress was lower in women than in men (uric acid: 52.05 ± 13.78 vs. 59.84 ± 13.58, advanced oxidation protein products: 223 ± 94 vs. 246 ± 101 μmol.L−1, malondialdehyde: 22.44 ± 6.81 vs. 23.88 ± 9.74 nmol.L−1). Physical activity was not associated with lower cardiovascular risk factors in both genders. Multivariate analyses showed an independent effect of gender on acid uric (β = 0.182; p = 0.020), advanced oxidation protein products (β = 0.257; p < 0.001), and HDL concentration (β = −0.182; p = 0.026). Conclusion These findings suggest that biochemical cardiovascular risk factors are lower in women than men which could explain the lower cardiovascular disease proportion observed in women in the elderly.
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20
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Yasuda K, Maki T, Kinoshita H, Kaji S, Toyokawa M, Nishigori R, Kinoshita Y, Ono Y, Kinoshita A, Takahashi R. Sex-specific differences in transcriptomic profiles and cellular characteristics of oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Stem Cell Res 2020; 46:101866. [PMID: 32563975 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.101866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The susceptibility to neurological and psychiatric disorders reveals sexual dimorphism in the structure and function of human brains. Recent evidence has also demonstrated the sex-related differences in cellular components of the brain, including neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and endothelial cells. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) regulate the neuronal system in various ways and play crucial roles in brain homeostasis beyond their well-known role as a reservoir for mature oligodendrocytes. Although recent studies have shown regional diversities and heterogeneities of OPCs, sex-related differences in OPCs are largely unknown. Here, we revealed transcriptomic differences in OPCs isolated from male and female neonatal rat brains. Furthermore, we demonstrated sex-dependent differences in OPCs regarding proliferation, migration, differentiation, tolerance against ischemic stress, energy metabolism, and the ability to regulate the blood-brain barrier integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Yasuda
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8397, Japan
| | - Takakuni Maki
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8397, Japan.
| | - Hisanori Kinoshita
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8397, Japan
| | - Seiji Kaji
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8397, Japan
| | - Masaru Toyokawa
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Ryusei Nishigori
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8397, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kinoshita
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, KAN Research Institute, Inc., Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ono
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, KAN Research Institute, Inc., Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Ayae Kinoshita
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8397, Japan
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Trincot C, Caron KM. Lymphatic Function and Dysfunction in the Context of Sex Differences. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2019; 2:311-324. [PMID: 32259065 PMCID: PMC7089000 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.9b00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Endothelial cells are the building blocks of the blood vascular system and exhibit well-characterized sexually dimorphic phenotypes with regard to chromosomal and hormonal sex, imparting innate genetic and physiological differences between male and female vascular systems and cardiovascular disease. However, even though females are predominantly affected by disorders of lymphatic vascular function, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the effects of sex and sex hormones on lymphatic growth, function, and dysfunction. Here, we attempt to comprehensively evaluate the current understanding of sex as a biological variable influencing lymphatic biology. We first focus on elucidating innate and fundamental differences between the sexes in lymphatic function and development. Next, we delve into lymphatic disease and explore the potential underpinnings toward bias prevalence in the female population. Lastly, we incorporate more broadly the role of the lymphatic system in sex-biased diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, reproductive disorders, and autoimmune diseases to explore whether and how sex differences may influence lymphatic function in the context of these pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire
E. Trincot
- Department of Cell Biology
and Physiology, University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, 111 Mason Farm Road, 6312B Medical Biomolecular Research Building,
CB#7545, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina 27599-7545, United States
| | - Kathleen M. Caron
- Department of Cell Biology
and Physiology, University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, 111 Mason Farm Road, 6312B Medical Biomolecular Research Building,
CB#7545, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina 27599-7545, United States
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22
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Sanfilippo C, Castrogiovanni P, Imbesi R, Tibullo D, Li Volti G, Barbagallo I, Vicario N, Musumeci G, Di Rosa M. Middle-aged healthy women and Alzheimer's disease patients present an overlapping of brain cell transcriptional profile. Neuroscience 2019; 406:333-344. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Derici MK, Sadi G, Cenik B, Güray T, Demirel-Yilmaz E. Differential expressions and functions of phosphodiesterase enzymes in different regions of the rat heart. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 844:118-129. [PMID: 30529467 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Phosphodiesterase enzymes (PDEs) are responsible for the adjustment of cyclic nucleotide levels. Alterations in PDE expressions in different tissues cause conflicts between functional and clinical effects of PDE inhibitors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the gene and protein expressions and the functional role of PDEs in atrium and ventricle of rat heart. The expressions of PDEs were examined in cardiac intact tissues and enzymatically isolated cells. The effects of PDE1-5 inhibitors (vinpocetine, EHNA, milrinone, rolipram, sildenafil, and IBMX) on basal and isoprenaline-stimulated contractions and sinus rate were recorded in the isolated spontaneously beating right atrium and electrically stimulated left papillary muscles. The mRNA and protein levels of PDEs were significantly different in atrial and ventricular intact tissues and isolated myocytes. Atrial contractions were increased with vinpocetine while suppressed by EHNA, milrinone, rolipram, sildenafil and IBMX. Milrinone, sildenafil and IBMX increased the heart rate whereas vinpocetine caused negative chronotropy. Papillary muscle contractions have been increased only with the vinpocetine and IBMX. Both the expression and the action of PDE-1-5 show atrial and ventricular differences. Therefore, these differences should be taken into account in the experimental or therapeutic approaches of the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Kürşat Derici
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Kirikkale University, Yahsihan, Kirikkale, Turkey.
| | - Gökhan Sadi
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey
| | - Başar Cenik
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Tülin Güray
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emine Demirel-Yilmaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
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Abstract
High quality empirical data assessing morbidity and mortality and cancer incidence among transgender people are almost non-existent. Sex hormone treatment of conditions in older non-transgender people might as yet be taken as the best available analogy to hormone administration to aging transgender persons. Testosterone administration to transgender men carries little risk with regard to cardiovascular disease and cancer. A dose adaptation may be needed in men with a high hematocrit or cardiac insufficiency. In transgender men, even after breast ablation, breast cancer may occur in residual mammary tissue. Treatment with estrogens (specifically oral ethinylestradiol) of transgender women, particularly in combination with progestins, carries a significant relative risk of developing cardiovascular disease (almost a twofold incidence compared to the general population). The dose of estrogens may have to be reduced with aging. A change from oral to probably safer transdermal estrogens must be considered. Though rare, tumors of the breasts, prostate, meninges and pituitary have been encountered. Based upon the available expertise, initiation of cross-sex hormone treatment in elderly subjects is without disproportionate risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis J Gooren
- Emeritus, Department of Endocrinology, VU Medical Center, PO box 7057, 1007MB, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- , Chiang Mai, Thailand.
| | - Guy T'Sjoen
- Department of Endocrinology and Center for Sexology and Gender Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10 9 K12, 9000, Ghent, IE, Belgium
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25
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Huxley VH, Kemp SS, Schramm C, Sieveking S, Bingaman S, Yu Y, Zaniletti I, Stockard K, Wang J. Sex differences influencing micro- and macrovascular endothelial phenotype in vitro. J Physiol 2018; 596:3929-3949. [PMID: 29885204 DOI: 10.1113/jp276048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Endothelial dysfunction is an early hallmark of multiple disease states that also display sex differences with respect to age of onset, frequency and severity. Results of in vivo studies of basal and stimulated microvascular barrier function revealed sex differences that are difficult to ascribe to specific cells or environmental factors. The present study evaluated endothelial cells (EC) isolated from macro- and/or microvessels of reproductively mature rats under the controlled conditions of low-passage culture aiming to test the assumption that EC phenotype would be sex independent. The primary finding was that EC, regardless of where they are derived, retain a sex-bias in low-passage culture, independent of varying levels of reproductive hormones. The implications of the present study include the fallacy of expecting a universal set of mechanisms derived from study of EC from one sex and/or one vascular origin to apply uniformly to all EC under unstimulated conditions, and no less in disease. ABSTRACT Vascular endothelial cells (EC) are heterogeneous with respect to phenotype, reflecting at least the organ of origin, location within the vascular network and physical forces. As an independent influence on EC functions in health or aetiology, susceptibility, and progression of dysfunction in numerous disease states, sex has been largely ignored. The present study focussed on EC isolated from aorta (macrovascular) and skeletal muscle vessels (microvascular) of age-matched male and female rats under identical conditions of short-term (passage 4) culture. We tested the hypothesis that genomic sex would not influence endothelial growth, wound healing, morphology, lactate production, or messenger RNA and protein expression of key proteins (sex hormone receptors for androgen and oestrogens α and β; platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 and vascular endothelial cadherin mediating barrier function; αv β3 and N-cadherin influencing matrix interactions; intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 mediating EC/white cell adhesion). The hypothesis was rejected because the EC origin (macro- vs. microvessel) and sex influenced multiple phenotypic characteristics. Statistical model analysis of EC growth demonstrated an hierarchy of variable importance, recapitulated for other phenotypic characteristics, with predictions assuming EC homogeneity < sex < vessel origin < sex and vessel origin. Furthermore, patterns of EC mRNA expression by vessel origin and by sex did not predict protein expression. Overall, the present study demonstrated that accurate assessment of sex-linked EC dysfunction first requires an understanding of EC function by position in the vascular tree and by sex. The results from a single EC tissue source/species/sex cannot provide universal insight into the mechanisms regulating in vivo endothelial function in health, and no less in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia H Huxley
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Scott S Kemp
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Christine Schramm
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Steve Sieveking
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Susan Bingaman
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Yang Yu
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Isabella Zaniletti
- Department of Statistics, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Kevin Stockard
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jianjie Wang
- National Center for Gender Physiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
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26
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Huxley VH, Kemp SS. Sex-Specific Characteristics of the Microcirculation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1065:307-328. [PMID: 30051393 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-77932-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The requirements of metabolizing tissue are both continuous and variable; accordingly, the microvasculature serving that tissue must be similarly dynamic. Just as it is recognized that males and females of the same species have differing metabolic requirements, is it not likely that the microvasculature serving these tissues will differ by sex? This section focusing on the constituents of the microcirculation identifies what is known presently about the role sex plays in matching metabolic demand with microvascular function and areas requiring additional study. Many of the identified sex differences are subtle and easily ignored. In the aggregate, though, they can profoundly alter phenotype, especially under stressful conditions including pregnancy, exercise, and disease states ranging from diabetes to heart failure. Although the features presently identified to "have sex" range from differences in growth, morphology, protein expression, and intracellular signaling, males and females alike achieve homeostasis, likely by different means. Studies of microvascular sexual dimorphism are also identifying age as an independent but interacting factor requiring additional attention. Overall, attempting to ignore either sex and/or age is inappropriate and will prevent the design and implementation of appropriate interventions to present, ameliorate, or correct microvascular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia H Huxley
- Center for Gender Physiology, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
| | - Scott S Kemp
- Center for Gender Physiology, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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27
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Pomatto LCD, Wong S, Tower J, Davies KJA. Sexual dimorphism in oxidant-induced adaptive homeostasis in multiple wild-type D. melanogaster strains. Arch Biochem Biophys 2017; 636:57-70. [PMID: 29100984 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2017.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism includes the physical and reproductive differences between the sexes, including differences that are conserved across species, ranging from the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to humans. Sex-dependent variations in adaptive homeostasis, and adaptive stress responses may offer insight into the underlying mechanisms for male and female survival differences and into differences in chronic disease incidence and severity in humans. Earlier work showed sex-specific differences in adaptive responses to oxidative stressors in hybrid laboratory strains of D. melanogaster. The present study explored whether this phenomenon is also observed in wild-type D. melanogaster strains Oregon-R (Or-R) and Canton-S (Ca-S), as well as the common mutant reference strain w[1118], in order to better understand whether such findings are descriptive of D. melanogaster in general. Flies of each strain were pretreated with non-damaging, adaptive concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or of different redox cycling agents (paraquat, DMNQ, or menadione). Adaptive homeostasis, and changes in the expression of the Proteasome and overall cellular proteasomal proteolytic capacity were assessed. Redox cycling agents exhibited a male-specific adaptive response, whereas H2O2 exposure provoked female-specific adaptation. These findings demonstrate that different oxidants can elicit sexually dimorphic adaptive homeostatic responses in multiple fly strains. These results (and those contained in a parallel study [1]) highlight the need to address sex as a biological variable in fundamental science, clinical research, and toxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C D Pomatto
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 00089-0191, USA
| | - Sarah Wong
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 00089-0191, USA
| | - John Tower
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 00089-0191, USA,; Molecular and Computational Biology Program of the Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA
| | - Kelvin J A Davies
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 00089-0191, USA,; Molecular and Computational Biology Program of the Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA.
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28
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Epigenetic regulation of TGF-β1 signalling in dilative aortopathy of the thoracic ascending aorta. Clin Sci (Lond) 2017; 130:1389-405. [PMID: 27389586 DOI: 10.1042/cs20160222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The term 'epigenetics' refers to heritable, reversible DNA or histone modifications that affect gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. Epigenetic modulation of gene expression also includes the RNA interference mechanism. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is fundamental during development and throughout life, also playing a central role in disease progression. The transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and its downstream effectors are key players in tissue repair and fibrosis, extracellular matrix remodelling, inflammation, cell proliferation and migration. TGF-β1 can also induce cell switch in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, leading to myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Cellular pathways triggered by TGF-β1 in thoracic ascending aorta dilatation have relevant roles to play in remodelling of the vascular wall by virtue of their association with monogenic syndromes that implicate an aortic aneurysm, including Loeys-Dietz and Marfan's syndromes. Several studies and reviews have focused on the progression of aneurysms in the abdominal aorta, but research efforts are now increasingly being focused on pathogenic mechanisms of thoracic ascending aorta dilatation. The present review summarizes the most recent findings concerning the epigenetic regulation of effectors of TGF-β1 pathways, triggered by sporadic dilative aortopathy of the thoracic ascending aorta in the presence of a tricuspid or bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital malformation occurring in 0.5-2% of the general population. A more in-depth comprehension of the epigenetic alterations associated with TGF-β1 canonical and non-canonical pathways in dilatation of the ascending aorta could be helpful to clarify its pathogenesis, identify early potential biomarkers of disease, and, possibly, develop preventive and therapeutic strategies.
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29
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Ng MCY, Graff M, Lu Y, Justice AE, Mudgal P, Liu CT, Young K, Yanek LR, Feitosa MF, Wojczynski MK, Rand K, Brody JA, Cade BE, Dimitrov L, Duan Q, Guo X, Lange LA, Nalls MA, Okut H, Tajuddin SM, Tayo BO, Vedantam S, Bradfield JP, Chen G, Chen WM, Chesi A, Irvin MR, Padhukasahasram B, Smith JA, Zheng W, Allison MA, Ambrosone CB, Bandera EV, Bartz TM, Berndt SI, Bernstein L, Blot WJ, Bottinger EP, Carpten J, Chanock SJ, Chen YDI, Conti DV, Cooper RS, Fornage M, Freedman BI, Garcia M, Goodman PJ, Hsu YHH, Hu J, Huff CD, Ingles SA, John EM, Kittles R, Klein E, Li J, McKnight B, Nayak U, Nemesure B, Ogunniyi A, Olshan A, Press MF, Rohde R, Rybicki BA, Salako B, Sanderson M, Shao Y, Siscovick DS, Stanford JL, Stevens VL, Stram A, Strom SS, Vaidya D, Witte JS, Yao J, Zhu X, Ziegler RG, Zonderman AB, Adeyemo A, Ambs S, Cushman M, Faul JD, Hakonarson H, Levin AM, Nathanson KL, Ware EB, Weir DR, Zhao W, Zhi D, Arnett DK, Grant SFA, Kardia SLR, Oloapde OI, Rao DC, Rotimi CN, Sale MM, Williams LK, Zemel BS, Becker DM, Borecki IB, Evans MK, Harris TB, Hirschhorn JN, Li Y, Patel SR, Psaty BM, Rotter JI, Wilson JG, Bowden DW, Cupples LA, Haiman CA, Loos RJF, North KE. Discovery and fine-mapping of adiposity loci using high density imputation of genome-wide association studies in individuals of African ancestry: African Ancestry Anthropometry Genetics Consortium. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006719. [PMID: 28430825 PMCID: PMC5419579 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified >300 loci associated with measures of adiposity including body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (adjusted for BMI, WHRadjBMI), but few have been identified through screening of the African ancestry genomes. We performed large scale meta-analyses and replications in up to 52,895 individuals for BMI and up to 23,095 individuals for WHRadjBMI from the African Ancestry Anthropometry Genetics Consortium (AAAGC) using 1000 Genomes phase 1 imputed GWAS to improve coverage of both common and low frequency variants in the low linkage disequilibrium African ancestry genomes. In the sex-combined analyses, we identified one novel locus (TCF7L2/HABP2) for WHRadjBMI and eight previously established loci at P < 5×10−8: seven for BMI, and one for WHRadjBMI in African ancestry individuals. An additional novel locus (SPRYD7/DLEU2) was identified for WHRadjBMI when combined with European GWAS. In the sex-stratified analyses, we identified three novel loci for BMI (INTS10/LPL and MLC1 in men, IRX4/IRX2 in women) and four for WHRadjBMI (SSX2IP, CASC8, PDE3B and ZDHHC1/HSD11B2 in women) in individuals of African ancestry or both African and European ancestry. For four of the novel variants, the minor allele frequency was low (<5%). In the trans-ethnic fine mapping of 47 BMI loci and 27 WHRadjBMI loci that were locus-wide significant (P < 0.05 adjusted for effective number of variants per locus) from the African ancestry sex-combined and sex-stratified analyses, 26 BMI loci and 17 WHRadjBMI loci contained ≤ 20 variants in the credible sets that jointly account for 99% posterior probability of driving the associations. The lead variants in 13 of these loci had a high probability of being causal. As compared to our previous HapMap imputed GWAS for BMI and WHRadjBMI including up to 71,412 and 27,350 African ancestry individuals, respectively, our results suggest that 1000 Genomes imputation showed modest improvement in identifying GWAS loci including low frequency variants. Trans-ethnic meta-analyses further improved fine mapping of putative causal variants in loci shared between the African and European ancestry populations. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified >300 genetic regions that influence body size and shape as measured by body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), respectively, but few have been identified in populations of African ancestry. We conducted large scale high coverage GWAS and replication of these traits in 52,895 and 23,095 individuals of African ancestry, respectively, followed by additional replication in European populations. We identified 10 genome-wide significant loci in all individuals, and an additional seven loci by analyzing men and women separately. We combined African and European ancestry GWAS and were able to narrow down 43 out of 74 African ancestry associated genetic regions to contain small number of putative causal variants. Our results highlight the improvement of applying high density genome coverage and combining multiple ancestries in the identification and refinement of location of genetic regions associated with adiposity traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie C. Y. Ng
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
- Center for Diabetes Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Mariaelisa Graff
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Yingchang Lu
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icachn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Anne E. Justice
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Poorva Mudgal
- Center for Diabetes Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Ching-Ti Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Kristin Young
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Lisa R. Yanek
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Mary F. Feitosa
- Division of Statistical Genomics, Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis MO, United States of America
| | - Mary K. Wojczynski
- Division of Statistical Genomics, Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis MO, United States of America
| | - Kristin Rand
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A. Brody
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Brian E. Cade
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Latchezar Dimitrov
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Qing Duan
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Xiuqing Guo
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
| | - Leslie A. Lange
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Nalls
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Data Tecnica International, Glen Echo, MD, United States of America
| | - Hayrettin Okut
- Center for Diabetes Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Salman M. Tajuddin
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Bamidele O. Tayo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, United States of America
| | - Sailaja Vedantam
- Division of Endocrinology and Center for Basic and Translational Obesity Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Jonathan P. Bradfield
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Guanjie Chen
- Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Wei-Min Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Alessandra Chesi
- Division of Human Genetics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Marguerite R. Irvin
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Badri Padhukasahasram
- Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A. Smith
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Wei Zheng
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Matthew A. Allison
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Christine B. Ambrosone
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, United States of America
| | - Elisa V. Bandera
- Department of Population Science, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Traci M. Bartz
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Departments of Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Sonja I. Berndt
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, United States of America
| | - Leslie Bernstein
- Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States of America
| | - William J. Blot
- International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD, United States of America
| | - Erwin P. Bottinger
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icachn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - John Carpten
- Department of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Chanock
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, United States of America
| | - Yii-Der Ida Chen
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
| | - David V. Conti
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Richard S. Cooper
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, United States of America
| | - Myriam Fornage
- Center for Human Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Barry I. Freedman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - Melissa Garcia
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Phyllis J. Goodman
- SWOG Statistical Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Yu-Han H. Hsu
- Division of Endocrinology and Center for Basic and Translational Obesity Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Hu
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States of America
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Chad D. Huff
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Sue A. Ingles
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Esther M. John
- Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Fremont, CA, United States of America
- Department of Health Research and Policy (Epidemiology) and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Rick Kittles
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Eric Klein
- Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - Jin Li
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States of America
| | - Barbara McKnight
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Uma Nayak
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Barbara Nemesure
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | | | - Andrew Olshan
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Michael F. Press
- Department of Pathology and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Rohde
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Benjamin A. Rybicki
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | | | - Maureen Sanderson
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Yaming Shao
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - David S. Siscovick
- The New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Janet L. Stanford
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Victoria L. Stevens
- Epidemiology Research Program, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Alex Stram
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Sara S. Strom
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Dhananjay Vaidya
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - John S. Witte
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Jie Yao
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
| | - Xiaofeng Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - Regina G. Ziegler
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Alan B. Zonderman
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Adebowale Adeyemo
- Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Stefan Ambs
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Mary Cushman
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Jessica D. Faul
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Hakon Hakonarson
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Albert M. Levin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - Katherine L. Nathanson
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Erin B. Ware
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - David R. Weir
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Degui Zhi
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | | | - Donna K. Arnett
- School of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - Struan F. A. Grant
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Division of Human Genetics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Division of Endocrinology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Sharon L. R. Kardia
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Olufunmilayo I. Oloapde
- Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics, Department of Medicine and Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - D. C. Rao
- Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Charles N. Rotimi
- Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Michele M. Sale
- Department of Public Health Sciences and Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - L. Keoki Williams
- Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, United States of America
- Department of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - Babette S. Zemel
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Diane M. Becker
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Ingrid B. Borecki
- Division of Statistical Genomics, Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis MO, United States of America
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc, United States of America
| | - Michele K. Evans
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Tamara B. Harris
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Joel N. Hirschhorn
- Division of Endocrinology and Center for Basic and Translational Obesity Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Departments of Genetics and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Sanjay R. Patel
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Bruce M. Psaty
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Jerome I. Rotter
- Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States of America
- Division of Genomic Outcomes, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - James G. Wilson
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States of America
| | - Donald W. Bowden
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
- Center for Diabetes Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America
| | - L. Adrienne Cupples
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
- NHLBI Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Haiman
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CAH); (RJFL); (KEN)
| | - Ruth J. F. Loos
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icachn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CAH); (RJFL); (KEN)
| | - Kari E. North
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CAH); (RJFL); (KEN)
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Mudrovcic N, Arefin S, Van Craenenbroeck AH, Kublickiene K. Endothelial maintenance in health and disease: Importance of sex differences. Pharmacol Res 2017; 119:48-60. [PMID: 28108363 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The vascular endothelium has emerged as more than just an inert monolayer of cells lining the vascular bed. It represents the interface between the blood stream and vessel wall, and has a strategic role in regulating vascular homeostasis by the release of vasoactive substances. Endothelial dysfunction contributes to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Recognition of sex-specific factors implicated in endothelial cell biology is important for the identification of clinically relevant preventive and/or therapeutic strategies. This review aims to give an overview of the recent advances in understanding the importance of sex specific observations in endothelial maintenance, both in healthy and diseased conditions. The female endothelium is highlighted in the context of polycystic ovary syndrome and pre-eclampsia. Furthermore, sex differences are explored in chronic kidney disease, which is currently appreciated as one of public health priorities. Overall, this review endorses integration of sex analysis in experimental and patient-oriented research in the exciting field of vascular biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neja Mudrovcic
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention & Technology, Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Samsul Arefin
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention & Technology, Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amaryllis H Van Craenenbroeck
- Department of Nephrology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Clinical Science, Intervention & Technology, Division of Renal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karolina Kublickiene
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention & Technology, Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Science, Intervention & Technology, Division of Renal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Gender Medicine, Department of Medicine-Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Leung SWS, Vanhoutte PM. Endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization: age, gender and blood pressure, do they matter? Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2017; 219:108-123. [PMID: 26548576 DOI: 10.1111/apha.12628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Under physiological conditions, the endothelium generates vasodilator signals [prostacyclin, nitric oxide NO and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization (EDH)], for the regulation of vascular tone. The relative importance of these two signals depends on the diameter of the blood vessels: as the diameter of the arteries decreases, the contribution of EDH to the regulation of vascular tone increases. The mechanism involved in EDH varies with species and blood vessel types; nevertheless, activation of endothelial intermediate- and small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (IKCa and SKCa , respectively) is characteristic of the EDH pathway. IKCa - and SKCa -mediated EDH are reduced with endothelial dysfunction, which develops with ageing and hypertension, and is less pronounced in female than in age-matched male until after menopause. Impaired EDH-mediated relaxation is related to a reduced involvement of SKCa , so that the response becomes more dependent on IKCa . The latter depends on the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and silent information regulator T1 (SIRT1), proteins associated with the process of cellular senescence and vascular signalling in response to the female hormone. An understanding of the role of AMPK and/or SIRT1 in EDH-like responses may help identifying effective pharmacological strategies to prevent the development of vascular complications of different aetiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. W. S. Leung
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy; University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - P. M. Vanhoutte
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy; University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
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Multiple Genetic Associations with Irish Wolfhound Dilated Cardiomyopathy. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:6374082. [PMID: 28070514 PMCID: PMC5187458 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6374082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs and humans, with dilated cardiomyopathy being a large contributor to this. The Irish Wolfhound (IWH) is one of the most commonly affected breeds and one of the few breeds with genetic loci associated with the disease. Mutations in more than 50 genes are associated with human dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), yet very few are also associated with canine DCM. Furthermore, none of the identified canine loci explain many cases of the disease and previous work has indicated that genotypes at multiple loci may act together to influence disease development. In this study, loci previously associated with DCM in IWH were tested for associations in a new cohort both individually and in combination. We have identified loci significantly associated with the disease individually, but no genotypes individually or in pairs conferred a significantly greater risk of developing DCM than the population risk. However combining three loci together did result in the identification of a genotype which conferred a greater risk of disease than the overall population risk. This study suggests multiple rather than individual genetic factors, cooperating to influence DCM risk in IWH.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review provides a brief synopsis of sexual dimorphism in atherosclerosis with an emphasis on genetic studies aimed to better understand the atherosclerotic process and clinical outcomes in women. Such studies are warranted because development of atherosclerosis, impact of several traditional risk factors, and burden of coronary heart disease (CHD) differ between women and men. RECENT FINDINGS While most candidate gene studies pool women and men and adjust for sex, some sex-specific studies provide evidence of association between candidate genes and prevalent and incident CHD in women. So far, most genome-wide association studies (GWAS) also failed to consider sex-specific associations. The few GWAS focused on women tended to have small sample sizes and insufficient power to reject the null hypothesis of no association even if associations exist. Few studies consider that sex can modify the effect of gene variants on CHD. Sufficiently large-scale genetic studies in women of different race/ethnic groups, taking into account possible gene-gene and gene-environment interactions as well as hormone-mediated epigenetic mechanisms, are needed. Using the same disease definition for women and men might not be appropriate. Accurate phenotyping and inclusion of relevant outcomes in women, together with targeting the entire spectrum of atherosclerosis, could help address the contribution of genes to sexual dimorphism in atherosclerosis. Discovered genetic loci should be taken forward for replication and functional studies to elucidate the plausible underlying biological mechanisms. A better understanding of the etiology of atherosclerosis in women would facilitate future prevention efforts and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Kavousi
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Lawrence F Bielak
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA
| | - Patricia A Peyser
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA
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Interaction between integrin α5 and PDE4D regulates endothelial inflammatory signalling. Nat Cell Biol 2016; 18:1043-53. [PMID: 27595237 PMCID: PMC5301150 DOI: 10.1038/ncb3405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is primarily a disease of lipid metabolism and inflammation; however, it is also closely associated with endothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling, with fibronectin accumulating in the laminin-collagen basement membrane. To investigate how fibronectin modulates inflammation in arteries, we replaced the cytoplasmic tail of the fibronectin receptor integrin α5 with that of the collagen/laminin receptor integrin α2. This chimaera suppressed inflammatory signalling in endothelial cells on fibronectin and in knock-in mice. Fibronectin promoted inflammation by suppressing anti-inflammatory cAMP. cAMP was activated through endothelial prostacyclin secretion; however, this was ECM-independent. Instead, cells on fibronectin suppressed cAMP via enhanced phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity, through direct binding of integrin α5 to phosphodiesterase-4D5 (PDE4D5), which induced PP2A-dependent dephosphorylation of PDE4D5 on the inhibitory site Ser651. In vivo knockdown of PDE4D5 inhibited inflammation at athero-prone sites. These data elucidate a molecular mechanism linking ECM remodelling and inflammation, thereby identifying a new class of therapeutic targets.
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Yoshino S, Cilluffo R, Prasad M, Best PJM, Atkinson EJ, Aoki T, Cunningham JM, de Andrade M, Lerman LO, Lerman A. Sex-Specific Genetic Variants are Associated With Coronary Endothelial Dysfunction. J Am Heart Assoc 2016; 5:e002544. [PMID: 27091178 PMCID: PMC4859270 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.115.002544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Background Endothelial dysfunction is an early stage of atherosclerosis. Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with vascular dysfunction, cardiac events, and coronary artery remodeling. We aimed to detect SNPs associated with endothelial dysfunction and determine whether these associations are sex specific. Methods and Results Six hundred forty‐three subjects without significant obstructive coronary artery disease underwent invasive coronary endothelial function assessment. We collected data from 1536 SNPs that had previously been associated with vasoreactivity, angiogenesis, inflammation, artery calcification, atherosclerotic risk factors, insulin resistance, hormone levels, blood coagulability, or with coronary heart disease. Coronary vascular reactivity was assessed by the percent change in coronary artery diameter ≤ −20% after an intracoronary bolus injection of acetylcholine on invasive coronary physiology study. SNPs significantly associated with coronary epicardial endothelial dysfunction were ADORA1,KCNQ1, and DNAJC4 in the whole cohort, LPA, MYBPH, ADORA3, and PON1 in women and KIF6 and NFKB1 in men (P<0.01). Conclusions We have identified several significant SNPs that are associated with an increased risk of coronary endothelial dysfunction. These associations appear to be sex specific and may explain gender‐related differences in development of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yoshino
- Cardiovascular Medicine and Hypertension, Kagoshima University Hospital, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Rebecca Cilluffo
- Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
| | - Megha Prasad
- Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
| | - Patricia J M Best
- Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
| | - Elizabeth J Atkinson
- Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
| | - Tatsuo Aoki
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| | - Julie M Cunningham
- Genomics Shared Resource, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
| | - Mariza de Andrade
- Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
| | - Lilach O Lerman
- Nephrology and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
| | - Amir Lerman
- Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine, Rochester, MN
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Warrington NM, Sun T, Rubin JB. Targeting brain tumor cAMP: the case for sex-specific therapeutics. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:153. [PMID: 26283963 PMCID: PMC4516881 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A relationship between cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (cAMP) levels and brain tumor biology has been evident for nearly as long as cAMP and its synthetase, adenylate cyclase (ADCY) have been known. The importance of the pathway in brain tumorigenesis has been demonstrated in vitro and in multiple animal models. Recently, we provided human validation for a cooperating oncogenic role for cAMP in brain tumorigenesis when we found that SNPs in ADCY8 were correlated with glioma (brain tumor) risk in individuals with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Together, these studies provide a strong rationale for targeting cAMP in brain tumor therapy. However, the cAMP pathway is well-known to be sexually dimorphic, and SNPs in ADCY8 affected glioma risk in a sex-specific fashion, elevating the risk for females while protecting males. The cAMP pathway can be targeted at multiple levels in the regulation of its synthesis and degradation. Sex differences in response to drugs that target cAMP regulators indicate that successful targeting of the cAMP pathway for brain tumor patients is likely to require matching specific mechanisms of drug action with patient sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Warrington
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tao Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua B Rubin
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine St Louis, MO, USA ; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine St Louis, MO, USA
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Abstract
Using historical data from 1,763 birth cohorts from 1800 to 1935 in 13 developed countries, we show that what is now seen as normal-a large excess of female life expectancy in adulthood-is a demographic phenomenon that emerged among people born in the late 1800s. We show that excess adult male mortality is clearly rooted in specific age groups, 50-70, and that the sex asymmetry emerged in cohorts born after 1880 when male:female mortality ratios increased by as much as 50% from a baseline of about 1.1. Heart disease is the main condition associated with increased excess male mortality for those born after 1900. We further show that smoking-attributable deaths account for about 30% of excess male mortality at ages 50-70 for cohorts born in 1900-1935. However, after accounting for smoking, substantial excess male mortality at ages 50-70 remained, particularly from cardiovascular disease. The greater male vulnerability to cardiovascular conditions emerged with the reduction in infectious mortality and changes in health-related behaviors.
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Lorenz M, Koschate J, Kaufmann K, Kreye C, Mertens M, Kuebler WM, Baumann G, Gossing G, Marki A, Zakrzewicz A, Miéville C, Benn A, Horbelt D, Wratil PR, Stangl K, Stangl V. Does cellular sex matter? Dimorphic transcriptional differences between female and male endothelial cells. Atherosclerosis 2015; 240:61-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Gooren LJ, Kreukels B, Lapauw B, Giltay EJ. (Patho)physiology of cross-sex hormone administration to transsexual people: the potential impact of male-female genetic differences. Andrologia 2014; 47:5-19. [PMID: 25495275 DOI: 10.1111/and.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a limited body of knowledge of desired and undesired effects of cross-sex hormones in transsexual people. Little attention has been given to the fact that chromosomal configurations, 46,XY in male-to-female transsexuals subjects (MtoF) and 46,XX in female-to-male transsexual subjects (FtoM), obviously, remain unchanged. These differences in their genomes cause sex differences in the functions of cells. This study reviews sex differences in metabolism/cardiovascular pathology, immune mechanisms, bone (patho)physiology and brain functions and examines whether they are, maybe partially, determined by genetic mechanisms rather than by (cross-sex) hormones. There do not appear to be major genetic impacts on the changes in bone physiology. Also immune functions are rather unaffected and the evidence for an increase of autoimmune disease in MtoF is preliminary. Brain functions of transsexuals may have differed from controls before cross-sex hormones; they do undergo shifts upon cross-sex hormone treatment, but there is no evidence for changes in sex-specific brain disease. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is higher in MtoF receiving oestrogens than in FtoM receiving androgens. While type of oestrogen and route of administration might be significant, it is reasonable to speculate that nonhormonal/genetic factors play a role.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Gooren
- Emeritus VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Androconsult, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Gooren LJ, Wierckx K, Giltay EJ. Cardiovascular disease in transsexual persons treated with cross-sex hormones: reversal of the traditional sex difference in cardiovascular disease pattern. Eur J Endocrinol 2014; 170:809-19. [PMID: 24616414 DOI: 10.1530/eje-14-0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The incidence of heart disease increases with age, but is lower in women than in men up to 75 years. A protective effect of female sex hormones or, alternatively, acceleration in male heart disease by testosterone at younger ages, could explain this sex difference. In contrast with the above, male-to-female transsexual subjects (MtoF) treated with estrogens (+anti-androgens) show more cardiovascular pathology than female-to-male transsexual subjects (FtoM) receiving testosterone. Why MtoF suffer more frequently from cardiovascular disease than females is as yet unclear. The mode of cross-sex hormone treatment may be a factor, and, if so, it may need adaptations. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Studies in transsexual people on the effects of cross-sex hormone treatment on surrogate cardiovascular risks and on clinical endpoints were reviewed. With regard to MtoF, a parallel was sought with men with prostate cancer, undergoing androgen deprivation and estrogen administration. RESULTS Exposure of FtoM to testosterone was not associated with a strong increase in cardiovascular events. Aging and pre-existing cardiovascular pathology contributed to the risk of cardiovascular disease in MtoF. Use of the synthetic biopotent compound ethinyl estradiol in a dose two to four times of oral contraceptives increased cardiovascular risk substantially. The route of administration of estrogens (oral vs transdermal) may have impacted on the risks. CONCLUSION MtoF should not be treated with oral ethinyl estradiol. Transdermal estrogens are probably safer than oral estrogens. Pre-existing cardiovascular risks should be taken into consideration when prescribing and choosing the type of estrogens in cross-sex hormone administration (oral vs transdermal). In addition, risk factors, as they emerge with aging, should be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis J Gooren
- EmeritusVU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, NL-1007 MB Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of EndocrinologyUZ Gent, Gent, BelgiumDepartment of PsychiatryLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Katrien Wierckx
- EmeritusVU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, NL-1007 MB Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of EndocrinologyUZ Gent, Gent, BelgiumDepartment of PsychiatryLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Erik J Giltay
- EmeritusVU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, NL-1007 MB Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of EndocrinologyUZ Gent, Gent, BelgiumDepartment of PsychiatryLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Two recent studies identify how sex-specific pheromonal factors in flies and worms alter lifespan through metabolic pathways that are shared with mammals. Sex differences in human lifespans imply nonautonomous effects modulated by sex-specific gene-environment interactions that could still include pheromonal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb E Finch
- Davis School of Gerontology and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - John Tower
- Davis School of Gerontology and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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Panazzolo DG, Silva LHAD, Cyrino FZGDA, Sicuro FL, Kraemer-Aguiar LG, Bouskela E. Gender differences in microcirculation: observation using the hamster cheek pouch. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2013; 68:1537-42. [PMID: 24473512 PMCID: PMC3840373 DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2013(12)10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estrogen has been shown to play an important protective role in non-reproductive systems, such as the cardiovascular system. Our aim was to observe gender differences in vivo with regard to the increase in macromolecular permeability and leukocyte-endothelium interaction induced by ischemia/reperfusion as well as in microvascular reactivity to vasoactive substances using the hamster cheek pouch preparation. METHODS Thirty-six male and 36 female hamsters, 21 weeks old, were selected for this study, and their cheek pouches were prepared for intravital microscopy. An increase in the macromolecular permeability of post-capillary venules was quantified as a leakage of intravenously injected fluorescein-labeled dextran, and the leukocyte-endothelium interaction was measured as the number of fluorescent rolling leukocytes or leukocytes adherent to the venular wall, labeled with rhodamin G, during reperfusion after 30 min of local ischemia. For microvascular reactivity, the mean internal diameter of arterioles was evaluated after the topical application of different concentrations of two vasoconstrictors, phenylephrine (α1-agonist) and endothelin-1, and two vasodilators, acetylcholine (endothelial-dependent) and sodium nitroprusside (endothelial-independent). RESULTS The increase in macromolecular permeability induced by ischemia/reperfusion was significantly lower in females compared with males [19 (17-22) leaks/cm2 vs. 124 (123-128) leaks/cm2, respectively, p<0.001), but the number of rolling or adherent leukocytes was not different between the groups. Phenylephrine-induced arteriolar constriction was significantly lower in females compared with males [77 (73-102)% vs. 64 (55-69)%, p<0.04], but there were no detectable differences in endothelin-1-dependent vasoreactivity. Additionally, arteriolar vasodilatation elicited by acetylcholine or sodium nitroprusside did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION The female gender could have a direct protective role in microvascular reactivity and the increase in macromolecular permeability induced by ischemia/reperfusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Guarnieri Panazzolo
- Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology, Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil
| | - Lucia Henriques Alves da Silva
- Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology, Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil
| | - Fátima Zely Garcia de Almeida Cyrino
- Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology, Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil
| | - Fernando Lencastre Sicuro
- Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology, Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil
| | - Luiz Guilherme Kraemer-Aguiar
- Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology, Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil
| | - Eliete Bouskela
- Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology, Biomedical Center, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroRJ, Brazil
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Cvitic S, Longtine MS, Hackl H, Wagner K, Nelson MD, Desoye G, Hiden U. The human placental sexome differs between trophoblast epithelium and villous vessel endothelium. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79233. [PMID: 24205377 PMCID: PMC3812163 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in mammals, fetal sex influences on intrauterine development, and the sex-biased susceptibility for selected diseases in adulthood are novel areas of current research. As importantly, two decades of multifaceted research has established that susceptibility to many adult disorders originates in utero, commonly secondary to the effects of placental dysfunction. We hypothesized that fetal sex influences gene expression and produces functional differences in human placentas. We thus extended previous studies on sexual dimorphism in mammals, which used RNA isolated from whole tissues, to investigate the effects of sex on four cell-phenotypes within a single key tissue, human placental villi. The cells studied included cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblast, arterial and venous endothelial cells. The cells were isolated from placentas of male or female fetuses and subjected to microarray analysis. We found that fetal sex differentially affected gene expression in a cell-phenotype dependent manner among all four cell-phenotypes. The markedly enriched pathways in males were identified to be signaling pathways for graft-versus-host disease as well as the immune and inflammatory systems that parallel the reported poorer outcome of male fetuses. Our study is the first to compare global gene expression by microarray analysis in purified, characterized, somatic cells from a single human tissue, i.e. placental villi. Importantly, our findings demonstrate that there are cell-phenotype specific, and tissue-specific, sex-biased responses in the human placenta, suggesting fetal sex should be considered as an independent variable in gene expression analysis of human placental villi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvija Cvitic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Mark S. Longtine
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Hubert Hackl
- Division of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Karin Wagner
- Center for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Michael D. Nelson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Gernot Desoye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ursula Hiden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- * E-mail:
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Chinnathambi V, Yallampalli C, Sathishkumar K. Prenatal testosterone induces sex-specific dysfunction in endothelium-dependent relaxation pathways in adult male and female rats. Biol Reprod 2013; 89:97. [PMID: 23966325 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.111542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (T) exposure impacts postnatal cardiovascular function, leading to increases in blood pressure with associated decreased endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in adult females. Endothelial function in males is not known. Furthermore, which of the endothelial pathways contributes to endothelial dysfunction and if there exists sex differences are not known. The objective of this study was to characterize the relative contribution of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) to the impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in prenatal T-exposed adult males and females. Offspring of pregnant rats treated with T propionate or its vehicle were examined. Telemetric blood pressure levels and endothelium-dependent vascular reactivity were assessed with wire myography. Levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) and Kcnn3 and Kcnn4 channel expression were examined in mesenteric arteries. Mean arterial pressure was significantly higher in T males and females than in controls. Endothelium-dependent acetylcholine relaxation was significantly lower in both T males and females. EDHF-mediated relaxation was specifically blunted in T males (Emax = 48.64% ± 3.73%) compared to that in control males (Emax = 81.71% ± 3.18%); however, NO-mediated relaxation was specifically impaired in T females (Emax = 36.01% ± 4.29%) compared with that in control females (Emax = 54.56% ± 6.37%). Relaxation to sodium nitroprusside and levcromakalim were unaffected with T-treatment. NOS3 protein was decreased in T females but not in T males. Kcnn3 expression was decreased in both T males and females compared to controls. These findings suggest that prenatal T leads to an increase in blood pressure in the adult offspring, associated with blunting of endothelial cell-associated relaxation and that the effects are sex-specific: EDHF-related in males and NO-related in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijayakumar Chinnathambi
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
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Su Y, Carey LC, Rose JC, Pulgar VM. Antenatal glucocorticoid exposure enhances the inhibition of adrenal steroidogenesis by leptin in a sex-specific fashion. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2013; 304:E1404-11. [PMID: 23632631 PMCID: PMC3680693 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00013.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Antenatal treatment with glucocorticoids (GC) poses long-lasting effects on endocrine and cardiovascular function. Given that leptin attenuates adrenal function and the reported sex differences in plasma leptin concentration, we hypothesized that antenatal GC will affect leptin levels and leptin modulation of adrenal function in a sex-specific manner. Pregnant sheep were randomly given betamethasone or vehicle at 80 days of gestational age, and offspring were allowed to deliver at term. Adrenocortical cells (ADC) were studied from male and female animals at 1.5 yr of age. Plasma leptin was increased 66% in male and 41% in female GC-treated animals (P < 0.05), but adrenal leptin mRNA was increased only in GC-treated males (P < 0.05). Whereas mRNA expression of adrenal leptin receptor isoforms showed sex (Ob-Ra and Ob-Rb) and treatment-dependent (Ob-Rb) differences, protein expression remained unchanged. GC-treated females showed greater plasma cortisol and greater ACTH-stimulated cortisol production (P < 0.05) in ADC. Leptin exerted a greater inhibitory effect on basal and stimulated cortisol by ADC from GC-treated males (P < 0.05), with no differences in females. Similarly, greater inhibitory effects on basal and ACTH-stimulated StAR and ACTH-R mRNA expression by leptin were observed in cells from GC males (P < 0.05), with no changes in females. Persistent effects of antenatal GC on leptin levels and leptin modulation of adrenal function are expressed in a sex-specific manner; males are more sensitive than females to the inhibitory influences of leptin on adrenal function, and this effect appears to be mediated by a greater inhibition of StAR and ACTH-R expression in adrenals of adult GC-treated males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Su
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Uptake of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Conjugated with DNA by Microvascular Endothelial Cells. JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1155/2012/196189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been proposed to have great therapeutic potential. SWCNTs conjugated with drugs or genes travel in the systemic circulation to reach target cells or tissues following extravasation from microvessels although the interaction between SWCNT conjugates and the microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) remains unknown. We hypothesized that SWCNT-DNA conjugates would be taken up by microvascular ECs and that this process would be facilitated by SWCNTs compared to facilitation by DNA alone. ECs were treated with various concentrations of SWCNT-DNA-FITC conjugates, and the uptake and intracellular distribution of these conjugates were determined by a confocal microscope imaging system followed by quantitative analysis of fluorescence intensity. The uptake of SWCNT-DNA-FITC conjugates (2 μg/mL) by microvascular ECs was significantly greater than that of DNA-FITC (2 μg/mL), observed at 6 hrs after treatment. For the intracellular distribution, SWCNT-DNA-FITC conjugates were detected in the nucleus of ECs, while DNA-FITC was restricted to the cytoplasm. The fluorescence intensity and distribution of SWCNTs were concentration and time independent. The findings demonstrate that SWCNTs facilitate DNA delivery into microvascular ECs, thus suggesting that SWCNTs serving as drug and gene vehicles have therapeutic potential.
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Joseph EK, Levine JD. Sexual dimorphism in endothelin-1 induced mechanical hyperalgesia in the rat. Exp Neurol 2011; 233:505-12. [PMID: 22155617 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2011] [Revised: 10/26/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
While the onset of mechanical hyperalgesia induced by endothelin-1 was delayed in female rats, compared to males, the duration was much longer. Given that the repeated test stimulus used to assess nociceptive threshold enhances hyperalgesia, a phenomenon we have referred to as stimulus-induced enhancement of hyperalgesia, we also evaluated for sexual dimorphism in the impact of repeated application of the mechanical test stimulus on endothelin-1 hyperalgesia. In male and female rats, endothelin-1 induced hyperalgesia is already maximal at 30 min. At this time stimulus-induced enhancement of hyperalgesia, which is observed only in male rats, persisted for 3-4h. In contrast, in females, it develops only after a very long (15 day) delay, and is still present, without attenuation, at 45 days. Ovariectomy eliminated these differences between male and female rats. These findings suggest marked, ovarian-dependent sexual dimorphism in endothelin-1 induced mechanical hyperalgesia and its enhancement by repeated mechanical stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Joseph
- Department of Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0440, USA
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Chan S, Yan C. PDE1 isozymes, key regulators of pathological vascular remodeling. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2011; 11:720-4. [PMID: 21962439 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2011.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 09/07/2011] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Pathological vascular remodeling is a hallmark of most vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis, postangioplasty restenosis, allograft vasculopathy, and pulmonary hypertension. Pathological vascular remodeling is a multi-cell-dependent process leading to detrimental changes of vessel structure and eventual vessel occlusion. Cyclic nucleotide signaling regulates a variety of vascular functions ranging from cell contractility to cell growth. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs), a large family of structurally and functionally distinct isozymes, regulate cyclic nucleotide levels and compartmentalization through catalyzing their degradation reaction. Increasing evidence has suggested that one of the important mechanisms for specific cyclic nucleotide regulation is exerted through selective activation or inhibition of distinct PDE isozymes. This review summarizes the work done to characterize the role and therapeutic potential of PDE1 isozymes in pathological vascular remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Chan
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
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Moro PJ, Flavian A, Jacquier A, Kober F, Quilici J, Gaborit B, Bonnet JL, Moulin G, Cozzone PJ, Bernard M. Gender differences in response to cold pressor test assessed with velocity-encoded cardiovascular magnetic resonance of the coronary sinus. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2011; 13:54. [PMID: 21943255 PMCID: PMC3189123 DOI: 10.1186/1532-429x-13-54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gender-specific differences in cardiovascular risk are well known, and current evidence supports an existing role of endothelium in these differences. The purpose of this study was to assess non invasively coronary endothelial function in male and female young volunteers by myocardial blood flow (MBF) measurement using coronary sinus (CS) flow quantification by velocity encoded cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) at rest and during cold pressor test (CPT). METHODS Twenty-four healthy volunteers (12 men, 12 women) underwent CMR in a 3 Tesla MR imager. Coronary sinus flow was measured at rest and during CPT using non breath-hold velocity encoded phase contrast cine-CMR. Myocardial function and morphology were acquired using a cine steady-state free precession sequence. RESULTS At baseline, mean MBF was 0.63 ± 0.23 mL·g⁻¹·min⁻¹ in men and 0.79 ± 0.21 mL·g⁻¹·min⁻¹ in women. During CPT, the rate pressure product in men significantly increased by 49 ± 36% (p < 0.0001) and in women by 52 ± 22% (p < 0.0001). MBF increased significantly in both men and women by 0.22 ± 0.19 mL·g⁻¹·min⁻¹ (p = 0.0022) and by 0.73 ± 0.43 mL·g⁻¹·min⁻¹ (p = 0.0001), respectively. The increase in MBF was significantly higher in women than in men (p = 0.0012). CONCLUSION CMR coronary sinus flow quantification for measuring myocardial blood flow revealed a higher response of MBF to CPT in women than in men. This finding may reflect gender differences in endothelial-dependent vasodilatation in these young subjects. This non invasive rest/stress protocol may become helpful to study endothelial function in normal physiology and in physiopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Julien Moro
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), UMR 6612 CNRS, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
- Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire La Timone, 264 rue St Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Antonin Flavian
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), UMR 6612 CNRS, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
- Service de Radiologie Cardiovasculaire, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire La Timone, 264 rue St Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Alexis Jacquier
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), UMR 6612 CNRS, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
- Service de Radiologie Cardiovasculaire, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire La Timone, 264 rue St Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Frank Kober
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), UMR 6612 CNRS, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Jacques Quilici
- Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire La Timone, 264 rue St Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Bénédicte Gaborit
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), UMR 6612 CNRS, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Jean-Louis Bonnet
- Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire La Timone, 264 rue St Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Guy Moulin
- Service de Radiologie Cardiovasculaire, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire La Timone, 264 rue St Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Patrick J Cozzone
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), UMR 6612 CNRS, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
| | - Monique Bernard
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM), UMR 6612 CNRS, Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France
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