Identification of KLF6/PSGs and NPY-Related USF2/CEACAM Transcriptional Regulatory Networks via Spinal Cord Bulk and Single-Cell RNA-Seq Analysis

Usf2 Deficiency Promotes Autophagy to Alleviate Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Through Suppressing YTHDF1-m6A-Mediated Cdc25A Translation

Autophagy has been involved in protection of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury in many tissues including the brain. The upstream stimulatory factor 2 (Usf2) was proposed as a regulator in aging and degenerative brain diseases; however, the its role in autophagy during cerebral I/R injury remains unclear. Here, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) operation was applied to establish an I/R mouse model. We showed that Usf2 was significantly upregulated in I/R-injured brain, accompanied by decreased levels of autophagy. Then, oxygen-glucose deprivation/recovery (OGD/R) treatment was used to establish a cellular I/R model in HT22 neurons, and lentiviral interference vector against Usf2 (LV-sh-Usf2) was used to infect the neurons. Our results showed that Usf2 was significantly upregulated in OGD/R-treated HT22 neurons that displayed an increased level in cell apoptosis and decreased levels in cell viability and autophagy, and interference of Usf2 largely rescued the effects of OGD/R on cell viability, apoptosis, and autophagy, suggesting an important role of Usf2 in neuron autophagy. In the mechanism exploration, we found that, as a transcription factor, Usf2 bound to the promoter of YTHDF1, a famous reader of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A), also induced by OGD/R, and promoted its transcription. Overexpression of YTHDF1 was able to reverse the improvement of Usf2 interference on viability and autophagy of HT22 neurons. Moreover, YTHDF1 suppressed autophagy to induce HT22 cell apoptosis through increasing m6A-mediated stability of Cdc25A, a newly identified autophagy inhibitor. Finally, we demonstrated that interference of Usf2 markedly improved autophagy and alleviated I/R-induced injury in MCAO mice.

Intracranial Aneurysms Induced by RUNX1 Through Regulation of NFKB1 in Patients With Hypertension-An Integrated Analysis Based on Multiple Datasets and Algorithms

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify potential therapeutic targets by examining the hub genes contributing to progression of intracranial aneurysm (IA) in patients with hypertension.

Methods

The bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) datasets of hypertension and IA were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo) database. These data were then used to calculate disease-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the individual level. An scRNA-seq dataset of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) was used to analyze monocyte/macrophage-related DEGs. On the basis of the DEG data related to monocytes and macrophages, a TF-genes network has been developed. Hub genes and core sub-networks have also been identified. Furthermore, the key genes have been validated in an external cohort.

Results

From combined monocyte and macrophage-derived DEGs from abdominal aortic aneurysms, five hub DEGs were detected, including IFI30, SERPINE1, HMOX1, IL24, and RUNX1. A total of 57 genes were found in the IA bulk RNA-seq dataset. A support vector machine-recursive feature elimination algorithm (SVM-RFE) was applied to further screen the seven genes (RPS4Y1, DDX3Y, RUNX1, CLEC10A, PLAC8, SLA, and LILRB3). RUNX1 was the hub gene that regulated NFKB1 in the monocyte/macrophage-related network. And RUNX1 is implicated in IA progression by regulating hematopoietic stem cell differentiation and abnormal platelet production, according to gene set enrichment analysis.

Conclusion

Among patients with hypertension, RUNX1 in monocytes and macrophages was associated with a higher risk of IA through its regulation of NFKB1.

Bioinformatic Analysis and Cellular Assays Identify Substance P Influencing Th17/Treg Differentiation via the MyD88 Pathway as a Potential Contributor to the Progression of Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis

Objective

This study is aimed at investigating the role of substance P (SP) in the development of asthma.

Methods

The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to characterize SP expression in allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. Peripheral blood was collected from patients with asthma or AR. The expression of relevant cytokines and neuropeptides was measured. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was also performed. The mast cell line LAD2 and the lung bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B were treated with different concentrations of SP concentration. Then, the qRT-PCR method was used to determine the mRNA expression. Furthermore, p38 and p65 and their associated phosphorylated proteins (p-p38 and p-p65) were further validated by western blotting.

Result

Clinical and GSE75011 data analysis suggested that MyD88 expression was upregulated in AR and asthma. Through the gene set variation analysis (GSVA), MyD88-related pathways were noticed and further investigated. ELISA results suggested that the SP expression was significantly increased in AR and asthma and IL-10 expression was decreased, whereas the expression of IL-6, IL-17A, IL-23, and TGF-β expressions increased. The mast cell line LAD2 was treated with different SP concentrations, and ELISA results showed that the expression of IL-6, IL-17A, IL-23, and TGF-β in the cell supernatant gradually increased with increasing SP concentrations, whereas that of IL-10 decreased. The lung bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B was treated with different SP concentrations, and the expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and its related proteins was elevated. The expression of p38 and p-p38 proteins was elevated after SP treatment, and their expression levels elevated as SP concentrations increased. Finally, MyD88 expression at the single-cell level was also demonstrated.

Conclusion

SP may affect the cytokine expression through the MyD88 pathway, thereby influencing Th17/Treg differentiation and eventually participating in the pathological process of asthma and AR. There are many pathological similarities between allergic rhinitis (AR) and bronchial asthma. In the present study, SP was found to possibly activate downstream inflammatory signaling pathways via MyD88, thereby affecting Th17/Treg differentiation and ultimately participating in the pathological process of asthma and AR.

The Neuronal Transcription Factor Creb3l1 Potential Upregulates Ntrk2 in the Hypertensive Microenvironment to Promote Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell-Neuron Interaction and Prevent Neurons from Ferroptosis: A Bioinformatic Research of scRNA-seq Data

Background

There is still a lack of knowledge regarding the association between hypertension and ferroptosis. A single-cell approach was used to study the changes in neuropeptide expression as they might contribute to the mechanisms leading to ferroptosis in a hypertensive microenvironment.

Methods

We analyzed 11798 cells from the SHR group and 12589 cells from the WKY group of mouse arterial cells. CellPhoneDB was used for cell communication analysis, and the SCENIC method was used to identify key transcription factors in neurons. The correlation between Ntrk2 and ferroptosis-related genes was further analyzed and validated via quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The arterial cells were clustered into six cell types. Ligand-receptor analysis suggested that Ngf, Ntf3, Cxcr4, and Ntrk2 were key neuropeptide-related genes involved in the communication between vascular smooth muscle cells and neural cells. In the hypertensive microenvironment, the neuronal transcription factor Creb3l1 appears to play a key role in the upregulation of Ntrk2 to promote the interaction between neurons and vascular smooth muscle cells. An association between Ntrk2 and the ferroptosis death inhibitor Gpx4 was suggested. RT-qPCR experiments confirmed that Ntrk2 downregulation in neural cells was followed by downregulated expression of Gpx4.

Conclusions

Creb3l1, a key transcription factor in vascular neurons, may upregulate Ntrk2 to promote vascular smooth muscle cell-neuron interaction and thereby potentially prevent ferroptosis in neurons.

A Hyperglycemic Microenvironment Inhibits Tendon-to-Bone Healing through the let-7b-5p/CFTR Pathway

Background

Tendon-to-bone healing is a difficult process in treatment of rotator cuff tear (RCT). In addition, diabetes is an important risk factor for poor tendon-to-bone healing. Therefore, we investigated the specific mechanisms through which diabetes affects tendon-to-bone healing by regulating the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR).

Methods

Tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs) were extracted from rats after which their proliferative capacities were evaluated by the MTT assay. The expression levels of CFTR and tendon-related markers were determined by qRT-PCR. Then, bioinformatics analyses and dual luciferase reporter gene assays were used to identify miRNAs with the ability to bind CFTR mRNA. Finally, CFTR was overexpressed in TDSCs to validate the specific mechanisms through which the high glucose microenvironment inhibits tendon-to-bone healing.

Results

The high glucose microenvironment downregulated mRNA expression levels of tendon-related markers and CFTR in TDSCs cultured with different glucose concentrations. Additionally, bioinformatics analyses revealed that let-7b-5p may be regulated by the high glucose microenvironment and can regulate CFTR levels. Moreover, a dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to confirm that let-7b-5p targets and binds CFTR mRNA. Additional experiments also confirmed that overexpressed CFTR effectively reversed the negative effects of the hyperglycaemic microenvironment and upregulation of let-7b-5p on TDSC proliferation and differentiation. These findings imply that the hyperglycemic microenvironment inhibits CFTR transcription and, consequently, proliferation and differentiation of TDSCs in vitro by upregulating let-7b-5p.

Conclusions

A hyperglycemic microenvironment inhibits TDSC proliferation in vitro via the let-7b-5p/CFTR pathway, and this is a potential mechanism in diabetes-induced poor tendon-to-bone healing.