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Xu J, Liu Z, Yang Q, Ma Q, Zhou Y, Cai Y, Zhao D, Zhao G, Lu T, Ouyang K, Hong M, Kim HW, Shi H, Zhang J, Fulton D, Miller C, Malhotra R, Weintraub NL, Huo Y. Adenosine kinase inhibition protects mice from abdominal aortic aneurysm via epigenetic modulation of VSMC inflammation. Cardiovasc Res 2024; 120:1202-1217. [PMID: 38722818 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvae093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common, serious vascular disease with no effective pharmacological treatment. The nucleoside adenosine plays an important role in modulating vascular homeostasis, which prompted us to determine whether adenosine kinase (ADK), an adenosine metabolizing enzyme, modulates AAA formation via control of the intracellular adenosine level, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS We used a combination of genetic and pharmacological approaches in murine models of AAA induced by calcium chloride (CaCl2) application or angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion to study the role of ADK in the development of AAA. In vitro functional assays were performed by knocking down ADK with adenovirus-short hairpin RNA in human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and the molecular mechanisms underlying ADK function were investigated using RNA-sequencing, isotope tracing, and chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR). The heterozygous deficiency of ADK protected mice from CaCl2- and Ang II-induced AAA formation. Moreover, specific knockout of ADK in VSMCs prevented Ang II-induced AAA formation, as evidenced by reduced aortic extracellular elastin fragmentation, neovascularization, and aortic inflammation. Mechanistically, ADK knockdown in VSMCs markedly suppressed the expression of inflammatory genes associated with AAA formation, and these effects were independent of adenosine receptors. The metabolic flux and ChIP-qPCR results showed that ADK knockdown in VSMCs decreased S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent transmethylation, thereby reducing H3K4me3 binding to the promoter regions of the genes that are associated with inflammation, angiogenesis, and extracellular elastin fragmentation. Furthermore, the ADK inhibitor ABT702 protected mice from CaCl2-induced aortic inflammation, extracellular elastin fragmentation, and AAA formation. CONCLUSION Our findings reveal a novel role for ADK inhibition in attenuating AAA via epigenetic modulation of key inflammatory genes linked to AAA pathogenesis.
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MESH Headings
- Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/prevention & control
- Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/chemically induced
- Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/pathology
- Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/enzymology
- Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/metabolism
- Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/genetics
- Animals
- Adenosine Kinase/genetics
- Adenosine Kinase/metabolism
- Adenosine Kinase/antagonists & inhibitors
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/enzymology
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/drug effects
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Disease Models, Animal
- Angiotensin II
- Humans
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/enzymology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/pathology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/drug effects
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Aorta, Abdominal/pathology
- Aorta, Abdominal/metabolism
- Aorta, Abdominal/enzymology
- Cells, Cultured
- Calcium Chloride
- Male
- Adenosine/metabolism
- Adenosine/analogs & derivatives
- Signal Transduction
- Aortitis/prevention & control
- Aortitis/enzymology
- Aortitis/pathology
- Aortitis/metabolism
- Aortitis/chemically induced
- Aortitis/genetics
- DNA Methylation
- Inflammation Mediators/metabolism
- Mice
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Morpholines
- Pyrimidines
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiean Xu
- Department of Physiology, Research Centre of Basic Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 232 Waihuan East Road, University Town, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhiping Liu
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Qiuhua Yang
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Qian Ma
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Yaqi Zhou
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Yongfeng Cai
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Dingwei Zhao
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Guizhen Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Tammy Lu
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kunfu Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Mei Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ha Won Kim
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Huidong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jifeng Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - David Fulton
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Clint Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Rajeev Malhotra
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Neal L Weintraub
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Yuqing Huo
- Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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2
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Reyes JGA, Ni D, Santner-Nanan B, Pinget GV, Kraftova L, Ashhurst TM, Marsh-Wakefield F, Wishart CL, Tan J, Hsu P, King NJC, Macia L, Nanan R. A unique human cord blood CD8 +CD45RA +CD27 +CD161 + T-cell subset identified by flow cytometric data analysis using Seurat. Immunology 2024; 173:106-124. [PMID: 38798051 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13803] [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: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Advances in single-cell level analytical techniques, especially cytometric approaches, have led to profound innovation in biomedical research, particularly in the field of clinical immunology. This has resulted in an expansion of high-dimensional data, posing great challenges for comprehensive and unbiased analysis. Conventional manual analysis is thus becoming untenable to handle these challenges. Furthermore, most newly developed computational methods lack flexibility and interoperability, hampering their accessibility and usability. Here, we adapted Seurat, an R package originally developed for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis, for high-dimensional flow cytometric data analysis. Based on a 20-marker antibody panel and analyses of T-cell profiles in both adult blood and cord blood (CB), we showcased the robust capacity of Seurat in flow cytometric data analysis, which was further validated by Spectre, another high-dimensional cytometric data analysis package, and conventional manual analysis. Importantly, we identified a unique CD8+ T-cell population defined as CD8+CD45RA+CD27+CD161+ T cell that was predominantly present in CB. We characterised its IFN-γ-producing and potential cytotoxic properties using flow cytometry experiments and scRNA-seq analysis from a published dataset. Collectively, we identified a unique human CB CD8+CD45RA+CD27+CD161+ T-cell subset and demonstrated that Seurat, a widely used package for scRNA-seq analysis, possesses great potential to be repurposed for cytometric data analysis. This facilitates an unbiased and thorough interpretation of complicated high-dimensional data using a single analytical pipeline and opens a novel avenue for data-driven investigation in clinical immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julen Gabirel Araneta Reyes
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Duan Ni
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brigitte Santner-Nanan
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gabriela Veronica Pinget
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lucie Kraftova
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
- Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Myles Ashhurst
- Sydney Cytometry Core Research Facility, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney and Centenary Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Felix Marsh-Wakefield
- Liver Injury and Cancer Program, Centenary Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Human Cancer and Viral Immunology Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Claire Leana Wishart
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Viral immunopathology Laboratory, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research Theme, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Ramaciotti Facility for Human System Biology, The University of Sydney and Centenary Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jian Tan
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Hsu
- Kids Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas Jonathan Cole King
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Cytometry Core Research Facility, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney and Centenary Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Viral immunopathology Laboratory, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research Theme, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Ramaciotti Facility for Human System Biology, The University of Sydney and Centenary Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The University of Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laurence Macia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Cytometry Core Research Facility, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney and Centenary Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ralph Nanan
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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3
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Zeng W, Liang Y, Huang S, Zhang J, Mai C, He B, Shi L, Liu B, Li W, Huang X, Li X. Ciprofloxacin Accelerates Angiotensin-II-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Senescence Through Modulating AMPK/ROS pathway in Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection. Cardiovasc Toxicol 2024; 24:889-903. [PMID: 39138741 PMCID: PMC11335803 DOI: 10.1007/s12012-024-09892-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) is a cardiovascular disease that poses a severe threat to life and has high morbidity and mortality rates. Clinical and animal-based studies have irrefutably shown that fluoroquinolones, a commonly prescribed antibiotic for treating infections, significantly increase the risk of AAD. Despite this, the precise mechanism by which fluoroquinolones cause AAD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism and role of Ciprofloxacin definitively-a type of fluoroquinolone antibiotic-in the progression of AAD. Aortic transcriptome data were collected from GEO datasets to detect the genes and pathways expressed differently between healthy donors and AAD patients. Human primary Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) were isolated from the aorta. After 72 h of exposure to 110ug/ml Ciprofloxacin or 100 nmol/L AngII, either or combined, the senescent cells were identified through SA-β-gal staining. MitoTracker staining was used to examine the morphology of mitochondria in each group. Cellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels were measured using MitoSox and DCFH-DA staining. Western blot assay was performed to detect the protein expression level. We conducted an analysis of transcriptome data from both healthy donors and patients with AAD and found that there were significant changes in cellular senescence-related signaling pathways in the latter group. We then isolated and identified human primary VSMCs from healthy donors (control-VSMCs) and patients' (AAD-VSMCs) aortic tissue, respectively. We found that VSMCs from patients exhibited senescent phenotype as compared to control-VSMCs. The higher levels of p21 and p16 and elevated SA-β-gal activity demonstrated this. We also found that pretreatment with Ciprofloxacin promoted angiotensin-II-induced cellular senescence in control-VSMCs. This was evidenced by increased SA-β-gal activity, decreased cell proliferation, and elevation of p21 and p16 protein levels. Additionally, we found that Angiotensin-II (AngII) induced VSMC senescence by promoting ROS generation. We used DCFH-DA and mitoSOX staining to identify that Ciprofloxacin and AngII pretreatment further elevated ROS levels than the vehicle or alone group. Furthermore, JC-1 staining showed that mitochondrial membrane potential significantly declined in the Ciprofloxacin and AngII combination group compared to others. Compared to the other three groups, pretreatment of Ciprofloxacin plus AngII could further induce mitochondrial fission, demonstrated by mitoTracker staining and western blotting assay. Mechanistically, we found that Ciprofloxacin impaired the balance of mitochondrial fission and fusion dynamics in VSMCs by suppressing the phosphorylation of AMPK signaling. This caused mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS generation, thereby elevating AngII-induced cellular senescence. However, treatment with the AMPK activator partially alleviated those effects. Our data indicate that Ciprofloxacin may accelerate AngII-induced VSMC senescence through modulating AMPK/ROS signaling and, subsequently, hasten the progression of AAD.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Cellular Senescence/drug effects
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/drug effects
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/enzymology
- Aortic Dissection/chemically induced
- Aortic Dissection/pathology
- Aortic Dissection/enzymology
- Aortic Dissection/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/drug effects
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/pathology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/enzymology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Angiotensin II/toxicity
- Cells, Cultured
- Ciprofloxacin/pharmacology
- AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism
- Case-Control Studies
- Aortic Aneurysm/chemically induced
- Aortic Aneurysm/pathology
- Aortic Aneurysm/metabolism
- Aortic Aneurysm/enzymology
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Oxidative Stress/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyue Zeng
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaowen Liang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Shangjun Huang
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiarui Zhang
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cong Mai
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Binbin He
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linli Shi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baojuan Liu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weifeng Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiaoran Huang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xin Li
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
- Department of Emergency Medicine, China-Algeria Joint Laboratory On Emergeney Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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4
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Mackay CDA, Meechem MB, Patel VB. Macrophages in vascular disease: Roles of mitochondria and metabolic mechanisms. Vascul Pharmacol 2024:107419. [PMID: 39181483 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2024.107419] [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: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Macrophages are a dynamic cell type of the immune system implicated in the pathophysiology of vascular diseases and are a major contributor to pathological inflammation. Excessive macrophage accumulation, activation, and polarization is observed in aortic aneurysm (AA), atherosclerosis, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. In general, macrophages become activated and polarized to a pro-inflammatory phenotype, which dramatically changes cell behavior to become pro-inflammatory and infiltrative. These cell types become cumbersome and fail to be cleared by normal mechanisms such as autophagy. The result is a hyper-inflammatory environment causing the recruitment of adjacent cells and circulating immune cells to further augment the inflammatory response. In AA, this leads to excessive ECM degradation and chemokine secretion, ultimately causing macrophages to dominate the immune cell landscape in the aortic wall. In atherosclerosis, monocytes are recruited to the vascular wall, where they polarize to the pro-inflammatory phenotype and induce inflammatory pathway activation. This leads to the development of foam cells, which significantly contribute to neointima and necrotic core formation in atherosclerotic plaques. Pro-inflammatory macrophages, which affect other vascular diseases, present with fragmented mitochondria and corresponding metabolic dysfunction. Targeting macrophage mitochondrial dynamics has proved to be an exciting potential therapeutic approach to combat vascular disease. This review will summarize mitochondrial and metabolic mechanisms of macrophage activation, polarization, and accumulation in vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron D A Mackay
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Megan B Meechem
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vaibhav B Patel
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Libin Cardiovascular Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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5
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Seeler S, Arnarsson K, Dreßen M, Krane M, Doppler SA. Beyond the Heartbeat: Single-Cell Omics Redefining Cardiovascular Research. Curr Cardiol Rep 2024:10.1007/s11886-024-02117-3. [PMID: 39158785 DOI: 10.1007/s11886-024-02117-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to explore recent advances in single-cell omics techniques as applied to various regions of the human heart, illuminating cellular diversity, regulatory networks, and disease mechanisms. We examine the contributions of single-cell transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics, epigenomics, and spatial transcriptomics in unraveling the complexity of cardiac tissues. RECENT FINDINGS Recent strides in single-cell omics technologies have revolutionized our understanding of the heart's cellular composition, cell type heterogeneity, and molecular dynamics. These advancements have elucidated pathological conditions as well as the cellular landscape in heart development. We highlight emerging applications of integrated single-cell omics, particularly for cardiac regeneration, disease modeling, and precision medicine, and emphasize the transformative potential of these technologies to advance cardiovascular research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Seeler
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Lazarettstr. 36, 80636, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Translational Cardiac Surgery (INSURE), Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kristjan Arnarsson
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Lazarettstr. 36, 80636, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Translational Cardiac Surgery (INSURE), Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martina Dreßen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Lazarettstr. 36, 80636, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Translational Cardiac Surgery (INSURE), Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Krane
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Lazarettstr. 36, 80636, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Translational Cardiac Surgery (INSURE), Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stefanie A Doppler
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Lazarettstr. 36, 80636, Munich, Germany.
- Institute for Translational Cardiac Surgery (INSURE), Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, German Heart Center Munich, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
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6
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Wu Z, Zhang P, Yue J, Wang Q, Zhuang P, Jehan S, Fan L, Xue J, Zhou W, Wang H. Tea polyphenol nanoparticles enable targeted siRNA delivery and multi-bioactive therapy for abdominal aortic aneurysms. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:471. [PMID: 39118143 PMCID: PMC11308685 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02756-2] [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: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening vascular disease, while there is a lack of pharmaceutical interventions to halt AAA progression presently. To address the multifaceted pathology of AAA, this work develops a novel multifunctional gene delivery system to simultaneously deliver two siRNAs targeting MMP-2 and MMP-9. The system (TPNs-siRNA), formed through the oxidative polymerization and self-assembly of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), efficiently encapsulates siRNAs during self-assembly. TPNs-siRNA safeguards siRNAs from biological degradation, facilitates intracellular siRNA transfection, promotes lysosomal escape, and releases siRNAs to silence MMP-2 and MMP-9. Additionally, TPNs, serving as a multi-bioactive material, mitigates oxidative stress and inflammation, fosters M1-to-M2 repolarization of macrophages, and inhibits cell calcification and apoptosis. In experiments with AAA mice, TPNs-siRNA accumulated and persisted in aneurysmal tissue after intravenous delivery, demonstrating that TPNs-siRNA can be significantly distributed in macrophages and VSMCs relevant to AAA pathogenesis. Leveraging the carrier's intrinsic multi-bioactive properties, the targeted siRNA delivery by TPNs exhibits a synergistic effect for enhanced AAA therapy. Furthermore, TPNs-siRNA is gradually metabolized and excreted from the body, resulting in excellent biocompatibility. Consequently, TPNs emerges as a promising multi-bioactive nanotherapy and a targeted delivery nanocarrier for effective AAA therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wu
- Department of Vascular and Interventional Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie Yue
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Qingshan Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Peipei Zhuang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Shah Jehan
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Liyuan Fan
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiarun Xue
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenhu Zhou
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Haiyang Wang
- Department of Vascular and Interventional Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China.
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7
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Martin-Blazquez A, Martin-Lorenzo M, Santiago-Hernandez A, Heredero A, Donado A, Lopez JA, Anfaiha-Sanchez M, Ruiz-Jimenez R, Esteban V, Vazquez J, Aldamiz-Echevarria G, Alvarez-Llamas G. Analysis of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells from Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms Reveals DNA Damage and Cell Cycle Arrest as Hallmarks in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Patients. J Proteome Res 2024; 23:3012-3024. [PMID: 38594816 PMCID: PMC11301675 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00649] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is mainly sporadic and with higher incidence in the presence of a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) for unknown reasons. The lack of drug therapy to delay TAA progression lies in the limited knowledge of pathophysiology. We aimed to identify the molecular hallmarks that differentiate the aortic dilatation associated with BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV). Aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) isolated from sporadic TAA patients with BAV or TAV were analyzed by mass spectrometry. DNA oxidative damage assay and cell cycle profiling were performed in three independent cohorts supporting proteomics data. The alteration of secreted proteins was confirmed in plasma. Stress phenotype, oxidative stress, and enhanced DNA damage response (increased S-phase arrest and apoptosis) were found in BAV-TAA patients. The increased levels of plasma C1QTNF5, LAMA2, THSB3, and FAP confirm the enhanced stress in BAV-TAA. Plasma FAP and BGN point to an increased inflammatory condition in TAV. The arterial wall of BAV patients shows a limited capacity to counteract drivers of sporadic TAA. The molecular pathways identified support the need of differential molecular diagnosis and therapeutic approaches for BAV and TAV patients, showing specific markers in plasma which may serve to monitor therapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Martin-Blazquez
- Immunology
Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez
Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Martin-Lorenzo
- Immunology
Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez
Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Angeles Heredero
- Cardiac
Surgery Service, Fundación Jiménez
Díaz Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia Donado
- Cardiac
Surgery Service, Fundación Jiménez
Díaz Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Lopez
- Laboratory
of Cardiovascular Proteomics, Centro Nacional
de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- CIBER
de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miriam Anfaiha-Sanchez
- Immunology
Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez
Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio Ruiz-Jimenez
- Immunology
Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez
Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Vanesa Esteban
- Department
of Allergy and Immunology, IIS-Fundación
Jiménez Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz
Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty
of Medicine and Biomedicine, Alfonso X El
Sabio University, 28691 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus Vazquez
- Laboratory
of Cardiovascular Proteomics, Centro Nacional
de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- CIBER
de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Gloria Alvarez-Llamas
- Immunology
Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez
Díaz, Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital-UAM, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- RICORS2040, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complutense
University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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8
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Zhao W, Chen J, Xia Y, Wei Z, Wan S, Guo H, Hao Y, Jiang W, Zhang H, Ren F, An P, Luo Y, Luo J. Temporal-specific single-cell atlas of human type A aortic dissection reveals immune cell dynamics and therapeutic targets. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024:S2095-9273(24)00462-6. [PMID: 38987092 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Zhao
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yi Xia
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhixi Wei
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Sitong Wan
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huiyuan Guo
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanling Hao
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wenjian Jiang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hongjia Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Fazheng Ren
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Peng An
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Yongting Luo
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Junjie Luo
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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9
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Zhao W, Li B, Hao J, Sun R, He P, Lv H, He M, Shen J, Han Y. Therapeutic potential of natural products and underlying targets for the treatment of aortic aneurysm. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 259:108652. [PMID: 38657777 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108652] [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: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Aortic aneurysm is a vascular disease characterized by irreversible vasodilatation that can lead to dissection and rupture of the aortic aneurysm, a life-threatening condition. Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are two main types. The typical treatments for aortic aneurysms are open surgery and endovascular aortic repair, which are only indicated for more severe patients. Most patients with aneurysms have an insidious onset and slow progression, and there are no effective drugs to treat this stage. The inability of current animal models to perfectly simulate all the pathophysiological states of human aneurysms may be the key to this issue. Therefore, elucidating the molecular mechanisms of this disease, finding new therapeutic targets, and developing effective drugs to inhibit the development of aneurysms are the main issues of current research. Natural products have been applied for thousands of years to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China and other Asian countries. In recent years, natural products have combined multi-omics, computational biology, and integrated pharmacology to accurately analyze drug components and targets. Therefore, the multi-component and multi-target complexity of natural products have made them a potentially ideal treatment for multifactorial diseases such as aortic aneurysms. Natural products have regained popularity worldwide. This review provides an overview of the known natural products for the treatment of TAA and AAA and searches for potential cardiovascular-targeted natural products that may treat TAA and AAA based on various cellular molecular mechanisms associated with aneurysm development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Zhao
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Bufan Li
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jinjun Hao
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Ruochen Sun
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Peng He
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Hongyu Lv
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Mou He
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jie Shen
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yantao Han
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
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10
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Inoue T, Emoto T, Yamanaka K, Chomei S, Miyahara S, Takahashi H, Shinohara R, Kondo T, Taniguchi M, Furuyashiki T, Yamashita T, Hirata KI, Okada K. Intense impact of IL-1β expressing inflammatory macrophages in acute aortic dissection. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14893. [PMID: 38937528 PMCID: PMC11211506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65931-3] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
There is no treatment for acute aortic dissection (AAD) targeting inflammatory cells. We aimed to identify the new therapeutic targets associated with inflammatory cells. We characterized the specific distribution of myeloid cells of both human type A AAD samples and a murine AAD model generated using angiotensin II (ANGII) and β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). We also examined the effect of an anti-interleukin-1β (IL-1β) antibody in the murine AAD model. IL1B+ inflammatory macrophages and classical monocytes were increased in human AAD samples. Trajectory analysis demonstrated that IL1B+ inflammatory macrophages differentiated from S100A8/9/12+ classical monocytes uniquely observed in the aorta of AAD. We found increased infiltration of neutrophils and monocytes with the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the aorta and accumulation of inflammatory macrophages before the onset of macroscopic AAD in the murine AAD model. In blocking experiments using an anti-IL-1β antibody, it improved survival of murine AAD model by preventing elastin degradation. We observed the accumulation of inflammatory macrophages expressing IL-1β in both human AAD samples and in a murine AAD model. Anti-IL-1β antibody could improve the mortality rate in mice, suggesting that it may be a treatment option for AAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taishi Inoue
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 6500017, Japan
| | - Takuo Emoto
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Katsuhiro Yamanaka
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 6500017, Japan
| | - Shunya Chomei
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 6500017, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Miyahara
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 6500017, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Takahashi
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 6500017, Japan
| | - Ryohei Shinohara
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kondo
- Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Social Healthcare Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Masayuki Taniguchi
- Division of Pharmacology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Furuyashiki
- Division of Pharmacology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoya Yamashita
- Division of Advanced Medical Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Hirata
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kenji Okada
- Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 6500017, Japan.
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11
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Stefens SJM, van Vliet N, IJpma A, Burger J, Li Y, van Heijningen PM, Lindeman JHN, Majoor-Krakauer D, Verhagen HJM, Kanaar R, Essers J, van der Pluijm I. Increased vascular smooth muscle cell senescence in aneurysmal Fibulin-4 mutant mice. NPJ AGING 2024; 10:31. [PMID: 38902222 PMCID: PMC11189919 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-024-00154-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Aortic aneurysms are dilatations of the aorta that can rupture when left untreated. We used the aneurysmal Fibulin-4R/R mouse model to further unravel the underlying mechanisms of aneurysm formation. RNA sequencing of 3-month-old Fibulin-4R/R aortas revealed significant upregulation of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors and key senescence factors, indicating the involvement of senescence. Analysis of aorta histology and of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vitro confirmed the senescent phenotype of Fibulin-4R/R VSMCs by revealing increased SA-β-gal, p21, and p16 staining, increased IL-6 secretion, increased presence of DNA damage foci and increased nuclei size. Additionally, we found that p21 luminescence was increased in the dilated aorta of Fibulin-4R/R|p21-luciferase mice. Our studies identify a cellular aging cascade in Fibulin-4 aneurysmal disease, by revealing that Fibulin-4R/R aortic VSMCs have a pronounced SASP and a senescent phenotype that may underlie aortic wall degeneration. Additionally, we demonstrated the therapeutic effect of JAK/STAT and TGF-β pathway inhibition, as well as senolytic treatment on Fibulin-4R/R VSMCs in vitro. These findings can contribute to improved therapeutic options for aneurysmal disease aimed at reducing senescent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne J M Stefens
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole van Vliet
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arne IJpma
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joyce Burger
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yunlei Li
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paula M van Heijningen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H N Lindeman
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hence J M Verhagen
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roland Kanaar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Essers
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Ingrid van der Pluijm
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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12
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He Z, Chen W, Hu K, Luo Y, Zeng W, He X, Li T, Ouyang J, Li Y, Xie L, Zhang Y, Xu Q, Yang S, Guo M, Zou W, Li Y, Huang L, Chen L, Zhang X, Saiding Q, Wang R, Zhang MR, Kong N, Xie T, Song X, Tao W. Resolvin D1 delivery to lesional macrophages using antioxidative black phosphorus nanosheets for atherosclerosis treatment. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41565-024-01687-1. [PMID: 38898135 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-024-01687-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The buildup of plaques in atherosclerosis leads to cardiovascular events, with chronic unresolved inflammation and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) being major drivers of plaque progression. Nanotherapeutics that can resolve inflammation and scavenge ROS have the potential to treat atherosclerosis. Here we demonstrate the potential of black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of atherosclerosis. BPNSs can effectively scavenge a broad spectrum of ROS and suppress atherosclerosis-associated pro-inflammatory cytokine production in lesional macrophages. We also demonstrate ROS-responsive, targeted-peptide-modified BPNS-based carriers for the delivery of resolvin D1 (an inflammation-resolving lipid mediator) to lesional macrophages, which further boosts the anti-atherosclerotic efficacy. The targeted nanotherapeutics not only reduce plaque areas but also substantially improve plaque stability in high-fat-diet-fed apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. This study presents a therapeutic strategy against atherosclerosis, and highlights the potential of BPNS-based therapeutics to treat other inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongshan He
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Kuan Hu
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Advanced Nuclear Medicine Sciences, Institute for Quantum Medical Science, Quantum Life and Medical Science Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yaoyao Luo
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wanqin Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xi He
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiang Ouyang
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yongjiang Li
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lin Xie
- Department of Advanced Nuclear Medicine Sciences, Institute for Quantum Medical Science, Quantum Life and Medical Science Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yiding Zhang
- Department of Advanced Nuclear Medicine Sciences, Institute for Quantum Medical Science, Quantum Life and Medical Science Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Qin Xu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuping Yang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mengran Guo
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Zou
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanfei Li
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lingjing Huang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xingcai Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Qimanguli Saiding
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ming-Rong Zhang
- Department of Advanced Nuclear Medicine Sciences, Institute for Quantum Medical Science, Quantum Life and Medical Science Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Na Kong
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tian Xie
- College of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangrong Song
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Xiang B, Li J, Deng Y, Wang J. Causal relationship between immune cells and aortic aneurysms: a Mendelian randomization study. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2024; 65:ezae229. [PMID: 38833686 DOI: 10.1093/ejcts/ezae229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The causal association between immune cell traits and aortic aneurysm remains unknown. METHODS We performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to explore the causality between 731 immune cell characteristics and the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm and thoracic aortic aneurysms through publicly available genetic data, respectively. To examine heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy, Cochran's Q test and MR-Egger intercept were utilized. Additionally, multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis and meta-analysis were performed in further analysis. RESULTS We found that 20 immune phenotypes had a suggestive causality on abdominal aortic aneurysm, and 15 immune phenotypes had a suggestive causal effect on thoracic aortic aneurysm. After further false discovery rate adjustment (q value <0.1), CD20 on IgD+ CD38- B cell (q = 0.053) and CD127 on CD28+ CD4+ T cell (q = 0.096) were associated with an increased risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm, respectively, indicating a significant causality between them. After adjusting for smoking, there is still statistical significance between CD127 on CD28+ CD4+ T cell and abdominal aortic aneurysm. However, after adjusting for lipids, no statistical significance can be observed between CD127 on CD28+ CD4+ T cells and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Furthermore, there is still statistical significance between CD20 on IgD+ CD38- B cells and abdominal aortic aneurysm after adjusting for lipids and smoking, which was further identified by meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS We found a causal association between immune cell traits and aortic aneurysm by genetic methods, thus providing new avenues for future mechanism studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bitao Xiang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yao Deng
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Junjie Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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14
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Liu X, Zeng Q, Yang H, Li W, Chen Q, Yin K, Pan Z, Wang K, Luo M, Shu C, Zhou Z. Single-Nucleus Multiomic Analyses Identifies Gene Regulatory Dynamics of Phenotypic Modulation in Human Aneurysmal Aortic Root. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2400444. [PMID: 38552156 PMCID: PMC11165511 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Aortic root aneurysm is a potentially life-threatening condition that may lead to aortic rupture and is often associated with genetic syndromes, such as Marfan syndrome (MFS). Although studies with MFS animal models have provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis of aortic root aneurysms, this understanding of the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape in human aortic root tissue remains incomplete. This knowledge gap has impeded the development of effective targeted therapies. Here, this study performs the first integrative analysis of single-nucleus multiomic (gene expression and chromatin accessibility) and spatial transcriptomic sequencing data of human aortic root tissue under healthy and MFS conditions. Cell-type-specific transcriptomic and cis-regulatory profiles in the human aortic root are identified. Regulatory and spatial dynamics during phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the cardinal cell type, are delineated. Moreover, candidate key regulators driving the phenotypic modulation of VSMC, such as FOXN3, TEAD1, BACH2, and BACH1, are identified. In vitro experiments demonstrate that FOXN3 functions as a novel key regulator for maintaining the contractile phenotype of human aortic VSMCs through targeting ACTA2. These findings provide novel insights into the regulatory and spatial dynamics during phenotypic modulation in the aneurysmal aortic root of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
| | - Qingyi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
| | - Hang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
| | - Wenke Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
| | - Qianlong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
| | - Kunlun Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
| | - Zihang Pan
- Department of Physiology and PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and RemodelingPeking UniversityBeijing100191China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Physiology and PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and RemodelingPeking UniversityBeijing100191China
| | - Mingyao Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
- Center of Vascular SurgeryFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijing100037China
- Department of Vascular SurgeryFuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular HospitalAffiliated Cardiovascular Hospital of Kunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnan650102China
- Department of Vascular SurgeryCentral‐China Subcenter of National Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesHenan Cardiovascular Disease CenterFuwai Central‐China Cardiovascular HospitalCentral China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450046China
| | - Chang Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
- Center of Vascular SurgeryFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijing100037China
| | - Zhou Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular DiseaseNational Center for Cardiovascular DiseasesBeijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular DiseasesCenter of Laboratory MedicineFuwai HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100037China
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Xiao X, Liu H, Wan J, Yang P, Xu Z, Wang S, Guo Q, Chen S, Ye P, Wang S, Xia J. Single-cell sequencing reveals the impact of endothelial cell PIEZO1 expression on thoracic aortic aneurysm. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2024; 191:63-75. [PMID: 38718563 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2024.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a severe vascular disease that threatens human life, characterized by focal dilatation of the entire aortic wall, with a diameter 1.5 times larger than normal. PIEZO1, a mechanosensitive cationic channel, monitors mechanical stimulations in the environment, transduces mechanical signals into electrical signals, and converts them into biological signals to activate intracellular signaling pathways. However, the role of PIEZO1 in TAA is still unclear. METHODS We analyzed a single-cell database to investigate the expression level of PIEZO1 in TAA. We constructed a conditional knockout mouse model of Piezo1 and used the PIEZO1 agonist Yoda1 to intervene in the TAA model mice established by co-administration of BAPN and ANG-II. Finally, we explored the effect of Yoda1 on TAA in vitro. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We observed decreased PIEZO1 expression in TAA at both RNA and protein levels. Single-cell sequencing identified a specific reduction in Piezo1 expression in endothelial cells. Administration of PIEZO1 agonist Yoda1 prevented the formation of TAA. In PIEZO1 endothelial cell conditional knockout mice, Yoda1 inhibited TAA formation by interfering with PIEZO1. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that the effect of Yoda1 on endothelial cells involved macrophage infiltration, extracellular matrix degradation, and neovascularization. This study highlights the role of PIEZO1 in TAA and its potential as a therapeutic target, providing opportunities for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Xiao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Junhao Wan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Peiwen Yang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiyue Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shilin Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Guo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Ping Ye
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, China.
| | - Sihua Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Jiahong Xia
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Chen R, Zhang H, Tang B, Luo Y, Yang Y, Zhong X, Chen S, Xu X, Huang S, Liu C. Macrophages in cardiovascular diseases: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:130. [PMID: 38816371 PMCID: PMC11139930 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01840-1] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The immune response holds a pivotal role in cardiovascular disease development. As multifunctional cells of the innate immune system, macrophages play an essential role in initial inflammatory response that occurs following cardiovascular injury, thereby inducing subsequent damage while also facilitating recovery. Meanwhile, the diverse phenotypes and phenotypic alterations of macrophages strongly associate with distinct types and severity of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease, valvular disease, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, atherosclerosis and aneurysm, which underscores the importance of investigating macrophage regulatory mechanisms within the context of specific diseases. Besides, recent strides in single-cell sequencing technologies have revealed macrophage heterogeneity, cell-cell interactions, and downstream mechanisms of therapeutic targets at a higher resolution, which brings new perspectives into macrophage-mediated mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets in cardiovascular diseases. Remarkably, myocardial fibrosis, a prevalent characteristic in most cardiac diseases, remains a formidable clinical challenge, necessitating a profound investigation into the impact of macrophages on myocardial fibrosis within the context of cardiac diseases. In this review, we systematically summarize the diverse phenotypic and functional plasticity of macrophages in regulatory mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and unprecedented insights introduced by single-cell sequencing technologies, with a focus on different causes and characteristics of diseases, especially the relationship between inflammation and fibrosis in cardiac diseases (myocardial infarction, pressure overload, myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy and cardiac aging) and the relationship between inflammation and vascular injury in vascular diseases (atherosclerosis and aneurysm). Finally, we also highlight the preclinical/clinical macrophage targeting strategies and translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runkai Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Heart Center, Heart Center, Translational Medicine Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Industrial Avenue, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Hongrui Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Heart Center, Heart Center, Translational Medicine Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Industrial Avenue, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Botao Tang
- Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Heart Center, Heart Center, Translational Medicine Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Industrial Avenue, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Yukun Luo
- Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Heart Center, Heart Center, Translational Medicine Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Industrial Avenue, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Yufei Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Heart Center, Heart Center, Translational Medicine Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Industrial Avenue, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Xin Zhong
- Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Heart Center, Heart Center, Translational Medicine Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Industrial Avenue, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Sifei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Xinjie Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China.
| | - Shengkang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China.
| | - Canzhao Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Heart Center, Heart Center, Translational Medicine Research Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 253 Industrial Avenue, Guangzhou, 510280, China.
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Gao H, Wang X, Gan H, Li M, Shi J, Guo Y. Deciphering the circulating immunological landscape of thoracic aortic aneurysm: Insights from a two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31198. [PMID: 38803862 PMCID: PMC11128510 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31198] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (TAA) poses significant health risks due to aortic dilation. Recent evidence suggests a pivotal role for the immune-inflammatory response in the mechanism of aortic aneurysm formation. In this study, we aim to investigate the causal relationship between circulating immune cells and TAA. Methods This study employs a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach, utilizing genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for 731 immune cell types and two TAA data from large-scale studies. Causal effects of both peripheral immune cells on TAA and TAA on peripheral immune cells are explored. To ensure more accurate results, we intersected the findings from two TAA data from large-scale studies, excluding results where the direction of the odds ratio (OR) was inconsistent. Findings The study identifies specific immune cells associated with TAA. Notably, CD45+ NKT cell (OR: 0.95, 95CI%: 0.90-0.99 in FinnGen study; OR: 0.91, 95CI%: 0.84-0.99 in CHIP + MGI study) and CD45+ HLA-DR + CD8+ T cells (OR: 0.95, 95CI%: 0.90-0.99 in FinnGen study; OR: 0.90, 95CI%: 0.82-0.99 in CHIP + MGI study) demonstrate a protective role against TAA. In addition, CD28+ CD45RA- CD8+ T cells (relative cell counts and absolute cell counts) and HVEM + CM + CD8+ T cells are adversely affected by TAA. Interpretation The findings indicate that the potential protective influence exerted by specific subsets of peripheral NKT cells and CD8+ T cells in mitigating the development of TAA, while simultaneously highlighting the reciprocal effects of TAA on peripheral Treg cells subsets and T cell subsets. The complex interaction between immune cells and TAA could provide valuable clues for earlier detection and more efficacious treatment strategies for TAA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Gao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hanghang Gan
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun Shi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingqiang Guo
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Malhi NK, Luo Y, Tang X, Chadha RS, Tapia A, Liu X, Chen M, Yuan D, Qi M, Wei L, Cooke JP, Natarajan R, Southerland KW, Chen ZB. Mapping Endothelial-Macrophage Interactions in Diabetic Vasculature: Role of TREM2 in Vascular Inflammation and Ischemic Response. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.14.594235. [PMID: 38798611 PMCID: PMC11118321 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.14.594235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Vasculopathies occur 15 years earlier in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) as compared to those without, but the underlying mechanisms driving diabetic vasculopathy remain incompletely understood. Endothelial cells (ECs) and macrophages (MΦ) are critical players in vascular wall and their crosstalk is crucial in diabetic vasculopathy. In diabetes, EC activation enables monocyte recruitment, which transmigrate into the intima and differentiate into macrophages (MΦ). Beyond this established model of diapedesis, EC-MΦ interplay is highly intricate and heterogenous. To capture these highly context dependent EC-MΦ interactions, we leveraged single-cell (sc)RNA-seq in conjunction with spatial transcriptome (ST)-seq profiling to analyze human mesenteric arteries from non-diabetic (ND) and type 2 diabetic (T2D) donors. We provide in this study a transcriptomic map encompassing major arterial vascular cells, e.g., EC, mononuclear phagocyte (MP), and T cells, and their interactions associated with human T2D. Furthermore, we identified Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 ( TREM2) as a top T2D-induced gene in MP, with concomitant increase of TREM2 ligands in ECs. TREM2 induction was confirmed in mouse models of T2D and monocyte/MΦ subjected to DM-mimicking stimuli. Perturbing TREM2 with either an antibody or silencing RNA in MPs led to decreased pro-inflammatory responses in MPs and ECs and increased EC migration in vitro . In a mouse model of diabetes, TREM2 expression and its interaction with ECs are increased in the ischemic, as compared to non-ischemic muscles. Importantly, neutralization of TREM2 using a neutralizing antibody enhanced ischemic recovery and flow reperfusion in the diabetic mice, suggesting a role of TREM2 in promoting diabetic PAD. Finally, we verified that both TREM2 expression and the TREM2-EC-interaction are increased in human patients with DM-PAD. Collectively, our study presents the first atlas of human diabetic vessels with a focus on EC-MP interactions. Exemplified by TREM2, our study provides valuable insights into EC-MΦ interactions, key processes contributing to diabetic vasculopathies and the potential of targeting these interactions for therapeutic development.
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Valdivia Callejon I, Buccioli L, Bastianen J, Schippers J, Verstraeten A, Luyckx I, Peeters S, Danser AHJ, Van Kimmenade RRJ, Meester J, Loeys B. Investigation of Strategies to Block Downstream Effectors of AT1R-Mediated Signalling to Prevent Aneurysm Formation in Marfan Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5025. [PMID: 38732244 PMCID: PMC11084825 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095025] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular outcome in Marfan syndrome (MFS) patients most prominently depends on aortic aneurysm progression with subsequent aortic dissection. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) prevent aneurysm formation in MFS mouse models. In patients, ARBs only slow down aortic dilation. Downstream signalling from the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is mediated by G proteins and β-arrestin recruitment. AT1R also interacts with the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) receptor, resulting in inflammation. In this study, we explore the targeting of β-arrestin signalling in MFS mice by administering TRV027. Furthermore, because high doses of the ARB losartan, which has been proven beneficial in MFS, cannot be achieved in humans, we investigate a potential additive effect by combining lower concentrations of losartan (25 mg/kg/day and 5 mg/kg/day) with barbadin, a β-arrestin blocker, and DMX20, a C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) blocker. A high dose of losartan (50 mg/kg/day) slowed down aneurysm progression compared to untreated MFS mice (1.73 ± 0.12 vs. 1.96 ± 0.08 mm, p = 0.0033). TRV027, the combination of barbadin with losartan (25 mg/kg/day), and DMX-200 (90 mg/kg/day) with a low dose of losartan (5 mg/kg/day) did not show a significant beneficial effect. Our results confirm that while losartan effectively halts aneurysm formation in Fbn1C1041G/+ MFS mice, neither TRV027 alone nor any of the other compounds combined with lower doses of losartan demonstrate a notable impact on aneurysm advancement. It appears that complete blockade of AT1R function, achieved by administrating a high dosage of losartan, may be necessary for inhibiting aneurysm progression in MFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Valdivia Callejon
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
| | - Lucia Buccioli
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
| | - Jarl Bastianen
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
| | - Jolien Schippers
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
| | - Aline Verstraeten
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
| | - Ilse Luyckx
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Silke Peeters
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
| | - A. H. Jan Danser
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | | | - Josephina Meester
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
| | - Bart Loeys
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.V.C.); (L.B.); (J.B.); (J.S.); (A.V.); (I.L.); (S.P.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
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Fang G, Tian Y, Huang S, Zhang X, Liu Y, Li Y, Du J, Gao S. KLF15 maintains contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells and prevents thoracic aortic dissection by interacting with MRTFB. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107260. [PMID: 38582447 PMCID: PMC11061230 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107260] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is a highly dangerous cardiovascular disorder caused by weakening of the aortic wall, resulting in a sudden tear of the internal face. Progressive loss of the contractile apparatus in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is a major event in TAD. Exploring the endogenous regulators essential for the contractile phenotype of VSMCs may aid the development of strategies to prevent TAD. Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) overexpression was reported to inhibit TAD formation; however, the mechanisms by which KLF15 prevents TAD formation and whether KLF15 regulates the contractile phenotype of VSMCs in TAD are not well understood. Therefore, we investigated these unknown aspects of KLF15 function. We found that KLF15 expression was reduced in human TAD samples and β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate-induced TAD mouse model. Klf15KO mice are susceptible to both β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate- and angiotensin II-induced TAD. KLF15 deficiency results in reduced VSMC contractility and exacerbated vascular inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation. Mechanistically, KLF15 interacts with myocardin-related transcription factor B (MRTFB), a potent serum response factor coactivator that drives contractile gene expression. KLF15 silencing represses the MRTFB-induced activation of contractile genes in VSMCs. Thus, KLF15 cooperates with MRTFB to promote the expression of contractile genes in VSMCs, and its dysfunction may exacerbate TAD. These findings indicate that KLF15 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of TAD.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Humans
- Male
- Mice
- Angiotensin II/metabolism
- Angiotensin II/pharmacology
- Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic/metabolism
- Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic/genetics
- Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic/pathology
- Dissection, Thoracic Aorta
- Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/genetics
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Muscle Contraction/genetics
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/cytology
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/metabolism
- Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/pathology
- Phenotype
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Transcription Factors/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangming Fang
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yexuan Tian
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Li
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Du
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Shijuan Gao
- Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cardiovascular Disorders, The Key Laboratory of Remodeling-Related Cardiovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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Ren P, Jiang B, Hassab A, Li G, Li W, Assi R, Tellides G. Heterogeneous Cardiac- and Neural Crest-Derived Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells have Similar Transcriptional Changes after TGFβ Signaling Disruption. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.28.591539. [PMID: 38746256 PMCID: PMC11092432 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.28.591539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of cardiac and neural crest origin contribute to the developing proximal aorta and are linked to disease propensity in adults. We analyzed single-cell transcriptomes of SMCs from mature thoracic aortas in mice to determine basal states and changes after disrupting transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling necessary for aortic homeostasis. A minority of Myh11 lineage-marked SMCs differentially expressed genes suggestive of embryological origin. Additional analyses in Nkx2-5 and Wnt1 lineage-marked SMCs derived from cardiac and neural crest progenitors, respectively, showed both lineages contributed to a major common cluster and each lineage to a minor distinct cluster. Common cluster SMCs extended from root to arch, cardiac subset cluster SMCs from root to mid-ascending, while neural crest subset cluster SMCs were restricted to the arch. The neural crest subset cluster had greater expression of a subgroup of TGFβ-dependent genes suggesting specific responsiveness or skewed extracellular matrix synthesis. Nonetheless, deletion of TGFβ receptors in SMCs resulted in similar transcriptional changes among all clusters, primarily decreased extracellular matrix molecules and modulators of TGFβ signaling. Many embryological markers of murine aortic SMCs were not confirmed in adult human aortas. We conclude: (i) there are multiple subtypes of cardiac- and neural crest-derived SMCs with shared or distinctive transcriptional profiles, (ii) neural crest subset SMCs with increased expression of certain TGFβ-inducible genes are not spatially linked to the aortic root predisposed to aneurysms from aberrant TGFβ signaling, and (iii) loss of TGFβ responses after receptor deletion is uniform among SMCs of different embryological origins.
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Qian X, Zheng Y, Xu L, Liu Z, Chen M, Tong F, Fan P, Chen Z, Dong N, Zhang C, Liu J. Deciphering the role of CX3CL1-CX3CR1 in aortic aneurysm pathogenesis: insights from Mendelian randomization and transcriptomic analyses. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1383607. [PMID: 38715600 PMCID: PMC11074460 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1383607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The crucial role of inflammation in aortic aneurysm (AA) is gaining prominence, while there is still a lack of key cytokines or targets for effective clinical translation. Methods Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to identify the causal relationship between 91 circulating inflammatory proteins and AA and between 731 immune traits and AA. Bulk RNA sequencing data was utilized to demonstrate the expression profile of the paired ligand-receptor. Gene enrichment analysis, Immune infiltration, and correlation analysis were employed to deduce the potential role of CX3CR1. We used single-cell RNA sequencing data to pinpoint the localization of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1, which was further validated by multiplex immunofluorescence staining. Cellchat analysis was utilized to infer the CX3C signaling pathway. Trajectory analysis and the Cytosig database were exploited to determine the downstream effect of CX3CL1-CX3CR1. Results We identified 4 candidates (FGF5, CX3CL1, IL20RA, and SCF) in multiple two-sample MR analyses. Subsequent analysis of the expression profile of the paired receptor revealed the significant upregulation of CX3CR1 in AA and its positive correlation with pro-inflammatory macrophages. Two sample MR between immune cell traits and AA demonstrated the potential causality between intermediate monocytes and AA. We finally deciphered in single-cell sequencing data that CX3CL1 sent by endothelial cells (ECs) acted on CX3CR1 of intermediated monocytes, leading to its recruitment and pro-inflammatory responses. Conclusion Our study presented a genetic insight into the pathogenetic role of CX3CL1-CX3CR1 in AA, and further deciphered the CX3C signaling pathway between ECs and intermediate monocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Nianguo Dong
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junwei Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Liu G, Pan S, Xia H, Li M, Wu A. The causal relationship between thoracic aortic aneurysm and immune cells: a mendelian randomization study. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2024; 24:212. [PMID: 38627614 PMCID: PMC11020992 DOI: 10.1186/s12872-024-03876-1] [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: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the pathogenic causes of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), a dangerous vascular condition that can cause aortic rupture, is autoimmune disorders. Currently, immune cell clustering is becoming more and more refined, and the specific immune cell phenotypes involved are yet unknown. Here, we want to clarify the causal link between TAA risk and 731 immune cell traits. There was a Mendelian randomization analysis (MR). We discovered that the presence of TAA led to an increase in CD45 on CD33- HLA-DR- myeloid cells, an increase in CD45 on natural killer cells, and a decrease in FSC-A on granulocytes after applying FDR correction. Our research also revealed a strong correlation between the incidence of TAA and an increase in immune cells with CD3 on CD39+ CD4+, and CD25 on IgD- CD27- phenotypes. Through genetic techniques, our research has shown the intimate relationship between immune cells and TAA, offering direction for future clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoli Liu
- Deparment of Vascular surgery, Xianning Central Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, P. R. China
| | - Sha Pan
- Department of Neonatology, Xianning Central Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, P. R. China
| | - Hongli Xia
- Deparment of Vascular surgery, Xianning Central Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, P. R. China.
| | - Mincai Li
- Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, 437100, Hubei, P. R. China
| | - Ansen Wu
- Deparment of Vascular surgery, Xianning Central Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, P. R. China.
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Tan Y, Song L, Ma J, Pan M, Niu S, Yue X, Li Y, Gu L, Liu S, Chang J. Single-cell analysis identified POSTN + cells associated with the aggressive phenotype and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. HGG ADVANCES 2024; 5:100278. [PMID: 38369754 PMCID: PMC10924139 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2024.100278] [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: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumors are intricate and heterogeneous systems characterized by mosaic cancer cell populations with diverse expression profiles. Leveraging single-cell technologies, we employed the Scissor algorithm to delineate an epithelial subpopulation associated with the aggressive phenotype in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This identified subpopulation exhibited elevated expression of genes involved in critical pathways, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition and PI3K-Akt. Key signature genes within this subpopulation, namely CAV1, COL3A1, COL6A1, POSTN, and TAGLN, demonstrated significant upregulation concomitant with both tumorigenesis and tumor progression across independent single-cell datasets. Furthermore, we selected 1,450 expression quantitative trait loci of the top 62 signature genes of this cell subpopulation to investigate their potential in predicting ESCC risk. The results showed that the POSTN loci were predominantly associated with ESCC susceptibility. Through functional annotation and replication analyses, we identified that the rs1028728 in the POSTN promoter was significantly associated with increased ESCC risk in 7,049 ESCC cases and 8,063 controls (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.18-1.42, p = 4.03 × 10-8). Subsequent biochemical experiments showed that the rs1028728[T] allele enhanced POSTN expression by affecting the binding of PRRX1 in the POSTN promoter. In summary, our meticulous single-cell analysis delineates an invasive epithelial subpopulation in ESCC, with POSTN emerging as an important marker for the aggressive phenotype. These findings offer more insights into potential strategies for the prevention and intervention of ESCC, enriching our understanding of this complex cancer landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Tan
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Lina Song
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jialing Ma
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Miaoxin Pan
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Siyuan Niu
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xinying Yue
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yueping Li
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Linglong Gu
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shasha Liu
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jiang Chang
- Department of Health Toxicology, Key Laboratory for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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Lv Z, Pan T, Zhang H, Wang Y, Matniyaz Y, Tang Y, Lu L, Wang D. Safety and efficacy of ketorolac in improving the prognosis of acute type A aortic dissection patients: a protocol of a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study. Trials 2024; 25:250. [PMID: 38600561 PMCID: PMC11005260 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08093-x] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute type A aortic dissection (aTAAD) is a critical and life-threatening condition. Previous research has demonstrated that the use of ketorolac not only reduces the progression, incidence, and severity of aortic aneurysms in animal models, but also decreases postoperative mortality and complications in patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm replacement. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the efficacy of ketorolac in treating aTAAD in humans. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ketorolac in patients with aTAAD. Our hypothesis was that ketorolac treatment for aTAAD patients would meet safety indicators and effectively improve patient prognosis. METHODS/DESIGN This study is a single-center, randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study. A total of 120 patients with aTAAD will be recruited and will be randomized into the ketorolac group and placebo group with a ratio of 1:1. Ketorolac tromethamine 60 mg per 2 ml will be intramuscularly injected within 2 h before surgery, followed by intramuscular injections of 30 mg per 1 ml BID. on the first and second postoperative days in the Ketorolac group, while 0.9% saline will be administered at the same dose, dosage form, and time in the placebo group. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ketorolac in improving the prognosis of aTAAD. The primary endpoint is the composite endpoint event concerning drug-related adverse events. Secondary endpoints include drug-related adverse events, laboratory examination of blood, diagnostic imaging tests, clinical biomarkers, etc. DISCUSSION: This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical College (approval number: 2023-197-02). This study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ketorolac in patients with aTAAD. All participating patients will sign an informed consent form, and the trial results will be published in international peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( http://www.chictr.org.cn ) ChiCTR2300074394. Registered on 4 October 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikang Lv
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tuo Pan
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Haitao Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Yapeng Wang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China
| | - Yusanjian Matniyaz
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxian Tang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lichong Lu
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Dongjin Wang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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26
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Liu XW, Wang P, Zhang L, Zhu Y, Zhai JY, Wang CN, Li J, Xiao J. Single-cell RNA sequencing and ATAC sequencing identify novel biomarkers for bicuspid aortic valve-associated thoracic aortic aneurysm. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1265378. [PMID: 38685981 PMCID: PMC11057375 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1265378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most prevalent congenital cardiovascular defect and known to cause thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs). To improve our understanding of BAV pathogenesis, we characterized the cellular composition of BAV tissues and identified molecular changes in each cell population. Methods Tissue samples from two patients with BAV and two heart transplant donors were analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing, and weighted gene coexpression network analysis for differential gene analysis. TAA-related changes were evaluated by comparing the proportion of each cell type and gene expression profiles between TAA and control tissues. Further, by combining our single-cell RNA sequencing data with publicly available data from genome-wide association studies, we determined critical genes for BAV. Results We found 20 cell subpopulations in TAA tissues, including multiple subtypes of smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, and T lymphocytes. This result suggested that these cells play multiple functional roles in BAV development. Several differentially expressed genes, including CD9, FHL1y, HSP90AA1, GAS6, PALLD, and ACTA2, were identified. Discussion We believe that this comprehensive assessment of the cellular composition of TAA tissues and the insights into altered gene expression patterns can facilitate identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for BAV-associated TAA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Wen Liu
- School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Pei Wang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhang
- School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yu Zhu
- School of Health Sciences and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Yu Zhai
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chang-Nan Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Xiao
- School of Medicine, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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27
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Gibson Hughes TA, Dona MSI, Sobey CG, Pinto AR, Drummond GR, Vinh A, Jelinic M. Aortic Cellular Heterogeneity in Health and Disease: Novel Insights Into Aortic Diseases From Single-Cell RNA Transcriptomic Data Sets. Hypertension 2024; 81:738-751. [PMID: 38318714 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.123.20597] [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] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Aortic diseases such as atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysms, and aortic stiffening are significant complications that can have significant impact on end-stage cardiovascular disease. With limited pharmacological therapeutic strategies that target the structural changes in the aorta, surgical intervention remains the only option for some patients with these diseases. Although there have been significant contributions to our understanding of the cellular architecture of the diseased aorta, particularly in the context of atherosclerosis, furthering our insight into the cellular drivers of disease is required. The major cell types of the aorta are well defined; however, the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing provides unrivaled insights into the cellular heterogeneity of each aortic cell type and the inferred biological processes associated with each cell in health and disease. This review discusses previous concepts that have now been enhanced with recent advances made by single-cell RNA sequencing with a focus on aortic cellular heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayla A Gibson Hughes
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Anatomy Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia (T.A.G.H., C.G.S., A.R.P., G.R.D., A.V., M.J.)
| | - Malathi S I Dona
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (M.S.I.D., A.R.P.)
| | - Christopher G Sobey
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Anatomy Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia (T.A.G.H., C.G.S., A.R.P., G.R.D., A.V., M.J.)
| | - Alexander R Pinto
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Anatomy Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia (T.A.G.H., C.G.S., A.R.P., G.R.D., A.V., M.J.)
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (M.S.I.D., A.R.P.)
| | - Grant R Drummond
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Anatomy Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia (T.A.G.H., C.G.S., A.R.P., G.R.D., A.V., M.J.)
| | - Antony Vinh
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Anatomy Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia (T.A.G.H., C.G.S., A.R.P., G.R.D., A.V., M.J.)
| | - Maria Jelinic
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Anatomy Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia (T.A.G.H., C.G.S., A.R.P., G.R.D., A.V., M.J.)
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28
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Liu Z, Feng G, Chen Y, Fan J, Liang Z, Bi J, Dai X. Hyperhomocysteinemia may aggravate abdominal aortic aneurysm formation by up-regulating RASSF2. Gene 2024; 898:148036. [PMID: 38036076 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.148036] [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: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a fatal cardiovascular disorder with high mortality and morbidity rates. To date, no drug has shown to significantly alleviate the risk of AAA. Previous studies have indicated that hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) significantly increases the incidence of AAA by disrupting endothelial cell homeostasis; however, the potential molecular mechanisms require clarification. Herein, we aimed to integrate transcriptomics analysis and molecular biology experiments to explore the potential molecular targets by which HHcy may increase the incidence of AAA. We integrated two AAA data profiles (GSE57691 and GSE7084) based on previously published microarray ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNAseq) data from the GEO database. Additionally, 500 μM homocysteine-treated human aorta endothelium cells microarray dataset (GSE175748) was downloaded and processed. Subsequently, single-cell RNA-seq profiles of the aortic aneurysms (GSE155468) were downloaded, scaled, and processed for further analysis. The microarray profiles analysis demonstrated that the Ras association domain family member 2 (RASSF2) and interleukin (IL)-1β are potentially the target genes involved in the HHcy-mediated aggravation of AAA formation. Single-cell RNAseq analysis revealed that RASSF2 might impair endothelial cell function by increasing inflammatory cell infiltration to participate in AAA formation. Finally, we conducted reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence analysis to validate the up-regulated mRNA expression of RASSF2 (p = 0.008) and IL-1β (p = 0.002) in AAA tissue compared to control tissue. Immunofluorescence staining revealed overexpression of RASSF2 protein in AAA tissue sections compared to control tissue (p = 0.037). Co-localization of RASSF2 and the aortic endothelium cell marker, CD31, was observed in tissue sections, indicating the potential involvement of RASSF2 in aortic endothelial cells. To summarise, our preliminary study revealed that HHcy may worsen AAA formation by up-regulating the expression of RASSF2 and IL-1β in aortic endothelium cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongwei Liu
- Department of Vascular surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Guilin Feng
- Department of Vascular surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Yonghui Chen
- Department of Vascular surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Jibo Fan
- Department of Vascular surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Zhian Liang
- Department of Vascular surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Jiaxue Bi
- Department of Vascular surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
| | - Xiangchen Dai
- Department of Vascular surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
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29
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Ji H, Li Y, Sun H, Chen R, Zhou R, Yang Y, Wang R, You C, Xiao A, Yi L. Decoding the Cell Atlas and Inflammatory Features of Human Intracranial Aneurysm Wall by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing. J Am Heart Assoc 2024; 13:e032456. [PMID: 38390814 PMCID: PMC10944067 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.123.032456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is common and occasionally results in life-threatening hemorrhagic strokes. However, the cell architecture and inflammation in the IA dome remain less understood. METHODS AND RESULTS Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on ruptured and unruptured human IA domes for delineating the cell atlas, gene expression perturbations, and inflammation features. Two external bulk mRNA sequencing-based data sets and serological results of 126 patients were collected for validation. As a result, a total of 21 332 qualified cells were captured. Vascular cells, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and pericytes, were assigned in extremely sparse numbers (4.84%), and were confirmed by immunofluorescence staining. Pericytes, characterized by ABCC9 and HIGD1B, were identified in the IA dome for the first time. Abundant immune cells were identified, with the proportion of monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils being remarkably higher in ruptured IA. The lymphocyte compartment was also thoroughly categorized. By leveraging external data sets and machine learning algorithms, macrophages were robustly associated with IA rupture, irrespective of their polarization status. The single nucleotide polymorphism rs2280543, which is identified in East Asian populations, was associated with macrophage metabolic reprogramming through regulating TALDO1 expression. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insights into the cellular architecture and inflammatory features in the IA dome and may enlighten novel therapeutics for unruptured IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Ji
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Haogeng Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Ruiqi Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Ran Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yongbo Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalThe Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical SchoolNanjingChina
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Chao You
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Anqi Xiao
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Liu Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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Chen Y, Zou J. GenePT: A Simple But Effective Foundation Model for Genes and Cells Built From ChatGPT. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.16.562533. [PMID: 37905130 PMCID: PMC10614824 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.16.562533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
There has been significant recent progress in leveraging large-scale gene expression data to develop foundation models for single-cell biology. Models such as Geneformer and scGPT implicitly learn gene and cellular functions from the gene expression profiles of millions of cells, which requires extensive data curation and resource-intensive training. Here we explore a much simpler alternative by leveraging ChatGPT embeddings of genes based on literature. Our proposal, GenePT, uses NCBI text descriptions of individual genes with GPT-3.5 to generate gene embeddings. From there, GenePT generates single-cell embeddings in two ways: (i) by averaging the gene embeddings, weighted by each gene's expression level; or (ii) by creating a sentence embedding for each cell, using gene names ordered by the expression level. Without the need for dataset curation and additional pretraining, GenePT is efficient and easy to use. On many downstream tasks used to evaluate recent single-cell foundation models - e.g., classifying gene properties and cell types - GenePT achieves comparable, and often better, performance than Geneformer and other models. GenePT demonstrates that large language model embedding of literature is a simple and effective path for biological foundation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Chen
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA
| | - James Zou
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA
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31
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Shu T, Zhou Y, Yan C. The perspective of cAMP/cGMP signaling and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in aortic aneurysm and dissection. Vascul Pharmacol 2024; 154:107278. [PMID: 38262506 PMCID: PMC10939884 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2024.107278] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Aortic aneurysm (AA) and dissection (AD) are aortic diseases caused primarily by medial layer degeneration and perivascular inflammation. They are lethal when the rupture happens. Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) play critical roles in the pathogenesis of medial degeneration, characterized by SMC loss and elastin fiber degradation. Many molecular pathways, including cyclic nucleotide signaling, have been reported in regulating vascular SMC functions, matrix remodeling, and vascular structure integrity. Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are second messengers that mediate intracellular signaling transduction through activating effectors, such as protein kinase A (PKA) and PKG, respectively. cAMP and cGMP are synthesized by adenylyl cyclase (AC) and guanylyl cyclase (GC), respectively, and degraded by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs). In this review, we will discuss the roles and mechanisms of cAMP/cGMP signaling and PDEs in AA/AD formation and progression and the potential of PDE inhibitors in AA/AD, whether they are beneficial or detrimental. We also performed database analysis and summarized the results showing PDEs with significant expression changes under AA/AD, which should provide rationales for future research on PDEs in AA/AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Shu
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, New York, United States
| | - Yitian Zhou
- Peking Union Medical College, MD Program, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Yan
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, New York, United States.
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32
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Liu B, Yang H, Song YS, Sorenson CM, Sheibani N. Thrombospondin-1 in vascular development, vascular function, and vascular disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 155:32-44. [PMID: 37507331 PMCID: PMC10811293 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenesis is vital to developmental, regenerative and repair processes. It is normally regulated by a balanced production of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors. Alterations in this balance under pathological conditions are generally mediated through up-regulation of pro-angiogenic and/or downregulation of anti-angiogenic factors, leading to growth of new and abnormal blood vessels. The pathological manifestation of many diseases including cancer, ocular and vascular diseases are dependent on the growth of these new and abnormal blood vessels. Thrompospondin-1 (TSP1) was the first endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor identified and its anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory activities have been the subject of many studies. Studies examining the role TSP1 plays in pathogenesis of various ocular diseases and vascular dysfunctions are limited. Here we will discuss the recent studies focused on delineating the role TSP1 plays in ocular vascular development and homeostasis, and pathophysiology of various ocular and vascular diseases with a significant clinical relevance to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Huan Yang
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Yong-Seok Song
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Christine M Sorenson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Nader Sheibani
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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33
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Lei J, Qiu P, Wu Z, Ding A, Hu J, Hou J, Jiang Y, Pu H, Huang Q, Zhang X, Li B, Wang X, Ye K, Xu Z, Lu X. Integrative multi-omics analyses reveal vesicle transport as a potential target for thoracic aortic aneurysm. Comput Biol Med 2024; 170:108071. [PMID: 38325212 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108071] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) refers to dilation and enlargement of the thoracic aorta caused by various reasons. Most patients have no apparent symptoms in the early stage and are subject to a poor prognosis once the aneurysm ruptures. It is crucial to identify individuals who are predisposed to TAA and to discover effective therapeutic targets for early intervention. METHODS We conducted a label-free quantitative proteomic analysis among aorta tissue samples from TAA patients to screen differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and key co-expression modules. Two datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were included for integrative analysis, and the identified genes were subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) validation. Detailed vesicle transport related enrichment analysis was conducted and two FDA-approved drugs, chlorpromazine (CPZ) and chloroquine (CQ), were selected for in vivo inhibition of vesicle transport in mice TAA model. The diameter of thoracic aorta, mortality and histological differences after interventions were evaluated. RESULTS We found significant enrichments in functions involved with vesicle transport, extracellular matrix organizing, and infection diseases in TAA. Endocytosis was the most essential vesicle transport process in TAA formation. Interventions with CPZ and CQ significantly reduced the aneurysm diameter and elastin degradation in vivo and enhanced the survival rates of TAA mice. CONCLUSIONS We systematically screened the aberrantly regulated bioprocesses in TAA based on integrative multi-omics analyses, identified and demonstrated the importance of vesicle transport in the TAA formation. Our study provided pilot evidence that vesicular transport was a potential and promising target for the treatment of TAA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Lei
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Peng Qiu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Zhaoyu Wu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Angang Ding
- Department of Ultrasound, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Jiateng Hu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Jingli Hou
- Instrumental analysis center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yihong Jiang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Hongji Pu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Qun Huang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Kaichuang Ye
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China.
| | - Zhijue Xu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Xinwu Lu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China.
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Zeng L, Liu Y, Li X, Gong X, Tian M, Yang P, Cai Q, Wu G, Zeng C. Comprehensive scRNA-seq Model Reveals Artery Endothelial Cell Heterogeneity and Metabolic Preference in Human Vascular Disease. Interdiscip Sci 2024; 16:104-122. [PMID: 37976024 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-023-00591-x] [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: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Vascular disease is one of the major causes of death worldwide. Endothelial cells are important components of the vascular structure. A better understanding of the endothelial cell changes in the development of vascular disease may provide new targets for clinical treatment strategies. Single-cell RNA sequencing can serve as a powerful tool to explore transcription patterns, as well as cell type identity. Our current study is based on comprehensive scRNA-seq data of several types of human vascular disease datasets with deep-learning-based algorithm. A gene set scoring system, created based on cell clustering, may help to identify the relative stage of the development of vascular disease. Metabolic preference patterns were estimated using a graphic neural network model. Overall, our study may provide potential treatment targets for retaining normal endothelial function under pathological situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Zeng
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunchang Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoping Li
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Gong
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Department of Cardiology, The Sixth Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Miao Tian
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Peili Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Cai
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
- Department of Cardiology, Fujian Heart Center, Provincial Institute of Coronary Disease, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Gengze Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chunyu Zeng
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (Army Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, Chongqing Institute of Cardiology, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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Liu J, Xu M, Ni B, Zhang Z, Gao X, Zhang D, Yang L, Ye Z, Wen J, Liu P. Metformin Therapeutic Targets for Aortic Aneurysms: A Mendelian Randomization and Colocalization Study. Rev Cardiovasc Med 2024; 25:89. [PMID: 39076954 PMCID: PMC11263823 DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2503089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Identifying effective pharmacological interventions to prevent the progressive enlargement and rupture of aortic aneurysms (AAs) is critical. Previous studies have suggested links between metformin use and a decreased incidence of AAs. In this study, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate causal effects of metformin's targets on AA risk and to explore the underlying mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods To examine the relationship between metformin use and AA risk, we implemented both two-sample MR and multivariable MR analyses. Utilizing genetic instrumental variables, we retrieved cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) data for potential targets of metformin from the Expression Quantitative Trait Loci Genetics Consortium (eQTLGen) Consortium and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. Colocalization analysis was employed to ascertain the probability of shared causal genetic variants between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with eQTLs and AA. Results Our findings reveal that metformin use reduces AA risk, exhibiting a protective effect with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.88 × 10 - 3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.30 × 10 - 5 -0.33, p = 0.01). Furthermore, the protective effect of type 2 diabetes on AA risk appears to be driven by metformin use ( OR MVMR = 1.34 × 10 - 4 , 95% CI: 3.97 × 10 - 8 -0.45, p = 0.03). Significant Mendelian randomization (MR) results were observed for the expression of two metformin-related genes in the bloodstream: NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit A6 (NDUFA6) and cytochrome b5 type B (CYB5B), across two independent datasets ( OR CYB5B = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.20-1.51, p = 2.41 × 10 - 7 ; OR NDUFA6 = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07-1.17, p = 1.69 × 10 - 6 ). The MR analysis of tissue-specific expression also demonstrated a positive correlation between increased NDUFA6 expression and heightened AA risk. Lastly, NDUFA6 exhibited evidence of colocalization with AA. Conclusions Our study suggests that metformin may play a significant role in lowering the risk of AA. This protective effect could potentially be linked to the mitigation of mitochondrial and immune dysfunction. Overall, NDUFA6 has emerged as a potential mechanism through which metformin intervention may confer AA protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Liu
- Peking University China‐Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, 100029 Beijing, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Mingyuan Xu
- Peking University China‐Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, 100029 Beijing, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Bin Ni
- Peking University China‐Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, 100029 Beijing, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Zhaohua Zhang
- Peking University China‐Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, 100029 Beijing, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Xixi Gao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Dingkai Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Liang Yang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Zhidong Ye
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Jianyan Wen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Peking University China‐Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, 100029 Beijing, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
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Liu X, Su M, Wei L, Zhang J, Wang W, Hao Q, Lin X, Wang L. Single-cell analysis of uterosacral ligament revealed cellular heterogeneity in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Commun Biol 2024; 7:159. [PMID: 38326542 PMCID: PMC10850063 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05808-3] [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: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) markedly affects the quality of life of women, including significant financial burden. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we constructed a transcriptional profile of 30,452 single cells of the uterosacral ligament in POP and control samples, which has never been constructed before. We identified 10 major cell types, including smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, neutrophils, macrophages, monocytes, mast cells, T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells. We performed subpopulation analysis and pseudo-time analysis of POP primary cells, and explored differentially expressed genes. We verified previous cell clusters of human neutrophils of uterosacral ligaments. We found a significant reduction in receptor-ligand pairs related to ECM and cell adhesion between fibroblasts and endothelial cells in POP. The transcription factors related to the extracellular matrix, development, and immunity were identified in USL. Here we provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of POP and valuable information for future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochun Liu
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China.
| | - Minna Su
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Lingyun Wei
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Wenzhen Wang
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qian Hao
- Taiyuan Health School, 030012, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiling Lin
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Taiyuan University of Technology, 030024, Taiyuan, China
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Raghavan A, Pirruccello JP, Ellinor PT, Lindsay ME. Using Genomics to Identify Novel Therapeutic Targets for Aortic Disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2024; 44:334-351. [PMID: 38095107 PMCID: PMC10843699 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.318771] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Aortic disease, including dissection, aneurysm, and rupture, carries significant morbidity and mortality and is a notable cause of sudden cardiac death. Much of our knowledge regarding the genetic basis of aortic disease has relied on the study of individuals with Mendelian aortopathies and, until recently, the genetic determinants of population-level variance in aortic phenotypes remained unclear. However, the application of machine learning methodologies to large imaging datasets has enabled researchers to rapidly define aortic traits and mine dozens of novel genetic associations for phenotypes such as aortic diameter and distensibility. In this review, we highlight the emerging potential of genomics for identifying causal genes and candidate drug targets for aortic disease. We describe how deep learning technologies have accelerated the pace of genetic discovery in this field. We then provide a blueprint for translating genetic associations to biological insights, reviewing techniques for locus and cell type prioritization, high-throughput functional screening, and disease modeling using cellular and animal models of aortic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avanthi Raghavan
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James P. Pirruccello
- Division of Cardiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Patrick T. Ellinor
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark E. Lindsay
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Song W, Shen K, Fu G, Qin L, Bagaber G, Chen J, Wei L. Inhibition of heme oxygenase 1 alleviates thoracic aortic aneurysm via restoration of extracellular matrix. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 694:149405. [PMID: 38147696 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149405] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a silent but life-threatening cardiovascular disease. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) plays an important role in the cardiovascular diseases but is poorly understood in TAA. This study aims at investigating the role of HO-1 in TAA. METHODS Single-cell RNA sequencing, Western blot and histological assay were performed to identify specific cellular expression of HO-1 in both human and β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN)-induced mice TAA. Zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a pharmacological inhibitor of HO-1, was used to investigate whether inhibition of HO-1 could attenuate BAPN-induced TAA in rodent model. Histological assay, Western blot assay, and mRNA sequencing were further performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS Single-cell transcriptomic analyses of 113,800 thoracic aortic cells identified an increase of HO-1(+) macrophage in aneurysmal thoracic aorta from BAPN-induced TAA mice and TAA patients. Histological assay verified HO-1 overexpression in clinical TAA specimens, which was co-localized with CD68(+) macrophage. HO-1(+) macrophage was closely associated with pro-inflammatory response and immune activation. Inhibition of HO-1 through ZnPP significantly alleviated BAPN-induced TAA in mice and restored extracellular matrix (ECM) in vivo. Further experiments showed that ZnPP treatment suppressed the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in aneurysmal thoracic aortic tissues from BAPN-induced TAA mice, including MMP2 and MMP9. Macrophages from myeloid specific HO-1 knockout mice displayed weakened pro-inflammatory activity and ECM degradation capability. CONCLUSION HO-1(+) macrophage subgroup is a typical hallmark of TAA. Inhibition of HO-1 through ZnPP alleviates BAPN-induced TAA in mice, which might work through restoration of ECM via suppressing MMP2 and MMP9 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Song
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Kangjie Shen
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Guangguo Fu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lieyang Qin
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ghufran Bagaber
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jinmiao Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Lai Wei
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Luo Y, Luo J, An P, Zhao Y, Zhao W, Fang Z, Xia Y, Zhu L, Xu T, Zhang X, Zhou S, Yang M, Li J, Zhu J, Liu Y, Li H, Gong M, Liu Y, Han J, Guo H, Zhang H, Jiang W, Ren F. The activator protein-1 complex governs a vascular degenerative transcriptional programme in smooth muscle cells to trigger aortic dissection and rupture. Eur Heart J 2024; 45:287-305. [PMID: 37992083 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Stanford type A aortic dissection (AD) is a degenerative aortic remodelling disease marked by an exceedingly high mortality without effective pharmacologic therapies. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) lining tunica media adopt a range of states, and their transformation from contractile to synthetic phenotypes fundamentally triggers AD. However, the underlying pathomechanisms governing this population shift and subsequent AD, particularly at distinct disease temporal stages, remain elusive. METHODS Ascending aortas from nine patients undergoing ascending aorta replacement and five individuals undergoing heart transplantation were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing. The pathogenic targets governing the phenotypic switch of SMCs were identified by trajectory inference, functional scoring, single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering, regulon, and interactome analyses and confirmed using human ascending aortas, primary SMCs, and a β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate-induced AD model. RESULTS The transcriptional profiles of 93 397 cells revealed a dynamic temporal-specific phenotypic transition and marked elevation of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) complex, actively enabling synthetic SMC expansion. Mechanistically, tumour necrosis factor signalling enhanced AP-1 transcriptional activity by dampening mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Targeting this axis with the OXPHOS enhancer coenzyme Q10 or AP-1-specific inhibitor T-5224 impedes phenotypic transition and aortic degeneration while improving survival by 42.88% (58.3%-83.3% for coenzyme Q10 treatment), 150.15% (33.3%-83.3% for 2-week T-5224), and 175.38% (33.3%-91.7% for 3-week T-5224) in the β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate-induced AD model. CONCLUSIONS This cross-sectional compendium of cellular atlas of human ascending aortas during AD progression provides previously unappreciated insights into a transcriptional programme permitting aortic degeneration, highlighting a translational proof of concept for an anti-remodelling intervention as an attractive strategy to manage temporal-specific AD by modulating the tumour necrosis factor-OXPHOS-AP-1 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongting Luo
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Junjie Luo
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Peng An
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yuanfei Zhao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Wenting Zhao
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhou Fang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yi Xia
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Teng Xu
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuaishuai Zhou
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Mingyan Yang
- Analytical Biosciences Limited, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiayao Li
- Analytical Biosciences Limited, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Junming Zhu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yongmin Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Haiyang Li
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Ming Gong
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yuyong Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jie Han
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Huiyuan Guo
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hongjia Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Wenjian Jiang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Lab for Cardiovascular Precision Medicine, Capital Medical University, No. 2 Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Fazheng Ren
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, No. 10 Tianxiu Road, Haidian District, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Fu M, Hua X, Shu S, Xu X, Zhang H, Peng Z, Mo H, Liu Y, Chen X, Yang Y, Zhang N, Wang X, Liu Z, Yue G, Hu S, Song J. Single-cell RNA sequencing in donor and end-stage heart failure patients identifies NLRP3 as a therapeutic target for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. BMC Med 2024; 22:11. [PMID: 38185631 PMCID: PMC10773142 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03232-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dilation may be the first right ventricular change and accelerates the progression of threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias and heart failure for patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), but the treatment for right ventricular dilation remains limited. METHODS Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of blood and biventricular myocardium from 8 study participants was performed, including 6 end-stage heart failure patients with ARVC and 2 normal controls. ScRNA-seq data was then deeply analyzed, including cluster annotation, cellular proportion calculation, and characterization of cellular developmental trajectories and interactions. An integrative analysis of our single-cell data and published genome-wide association study-based data provided insights into the cell-specific contributions to the cardiac arrhythmia phenotype of ARVC. Desmoglein 2 (Dsg2)mut/mut mice were used as the ARVC model to verify the therapeutic effects of pharmacological intervention on identified cellular cluster. RESULTS Right ventricle of ARVC was enriched of CCL3+ proinflammatory macrophages and TNMD+ fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were preferentially affected in ARVC and perturbations associated with ARVC overlap with those reside in genetic variants associated with cardiac arrhythmia. Proinflammatory macrophages strongly interact with fibroblast. Pharmacological inhibition of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), a transcriptional factor predominantly expressed by the CCL3+ proinflammatory macrophages and several other myeloid subclusters, could significantly alleviate right ventricular dilation and dysfunction in Dsg2mut/mut mice (an ARVC mouse model). CONCLUSIONS This study provided a comprehensive analysis of the lineage-specific changes in the blood and myocardium from ARVC patients at a single-cell resolution. Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 could prevent right ventricular dilation and dysfunction of mice with ARVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxia Fu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
- Galactophore Department, Galactophore Center, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiumeng Hua
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Songren Shu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Xinjie Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Hang Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Zhiming Peng
- Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Han Mo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, 518057, China
| | - Yanyun Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Shaanxi, 710126, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Yicheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Ningning Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Xiaohu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Zirui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China
| | - Guangxin Yue
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Shengshou Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China.
- The Cardiomyopathy Research Group, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China.
| | - Jiangping Song
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167A Beilishi Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 10037, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China.
- The Cardiomyopathy Research Group, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 10037, China.
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Jeuken GS, Käll L. Pathway analysis through mutual information. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btad776. [PMID: 38195928 PMCID: PMC10783954 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION In pathway analysis, we aim to establish a connection between the activity of a particular biological pathway and a difference in phenotype. There are many available methods to perform pathway analysis, many of them rely on an upstream differential expression analysis, and many model the relations between the abundances of the analytes in a pathway as linear relationships. RESULTS Here, we propose a new method for pathway analysis, MIPath, that relies on information theoretical principles and, therefore, does not model the association between pathway activity and phenotype, resulting in relatively few assumptions. For this, we construct a graph of the data points for each pathway using a nearest-neighbor approach and score the association between the structure of this graph and the phenotype of these same samples using Mutual Information while adjusting for the effects of random chance in each score. The initial nearest neighbor approach evades individual gene-level comparisons, hence making the method scalable and less vulnerable to missing values. These properties make our method particularly useful for single-cell data. We benchmarked our method on several single-cell datasets, comparing it to established and new methods, and found that it produces robust, reproducible, and meaningful scores. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Source code is available at https://github.com/statisticalbiotechnology/mipath, or through Python Package Index as "mipathway."
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo S Jeuken
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH – Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 171 65, Sweden
- Computer Science Department, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Lukas Käll
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH – Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 171 65, Sweden
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Akerman AW, Alexander KC, Caranasos TG, Ikonomidis JS. Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells and their secreted extracellular vesicles in thoracic aortic aneurysm disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2024; 167:89-93.e1. [PMID: 37084818 PMCID: PMC10882625 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2023.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam W Akerman
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Kyle C Alexander
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Thomas G Caranasos
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - John S Ikonomidis
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
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Song W, Tu G, Qin L, Wei L, Chen J. Macrophage in Sporadic Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection: Potential Therapeutic and Preventing Target. Rev Cardiovasc Med 2023; 24:340. [PMID: 39077089 PMCID: PMC11272886 DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2412340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular disorder lacking effective clinical pharmacological therapies. The underlying molecular mechanisms of TAAD still remain elusive with participation of versatile cell types and components including endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), fibroblasts, immune cells, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The main pathological features of TAAD include SMC dysfunction, phenotypic switching, and ECM degradation, which is closely associated with inflammation and immune cell infiltration. Among various types of immune cells, macrophages are a distinct participator in the formation and progression of TAAD. In this review, we first highlight the important role of inflammation and immune cell infiltration in TAAD. Furthermore, we discuss the role of macrophages in TAAD from the aspects of macrophage origination, classification, and functions. On the basis of experimental and clinical studies, we summarize key regulators of macrophages in TAAD. Finally, we review how targeting macrophages can reduce TAAD in murine models. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of TAAD may provide novel insights into preventing and treating the condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Song
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Guowei Tu
- Cardiac Intensive Care Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Lieyang Qin
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Lai Wei
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Jinmiao Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
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Seeburun S, Wu S, Hemani D, Pham L, Ju D, Xie Y, Kata P, Li L. Insights into elastic fiber fragmentation: Mechanisms and treatment of aortic aneurysm in Marfan syndrome. Vascul Pharmacol 2023; 153:107215. [PMID: 37640090 PMCID: PMC10872825 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2023.107215] [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: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in fibrillin 1 (FBN1) gene. These mutations result in defects in the skeletal, ocular, and cardiovascular systems. Aortic aneurysm is the leading cause of premature mortality in untreated MFS patients. Elastic fiber fragmentation in the aortic vessel wall is a hallmark of MFS-associated aortic aneurysms. FBN1 mutations result in FBN1 fragments that also contribute to elastic fiber fragmentation. Although recent research has advanced our understanding of MFS, the contribution of elastic fiber fragmentation to the pathogenesis of aneurysm formation remains poorly understood. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms of elastic fiber fragmentation and its role in the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysm progression. Increased comprehension of elastic fragmentation has significant clinical implications for developing targeted interventions to block aneurysm progression, which would benefit not only individuals with Marfan syndrome but also other patients with aneurysms. Moreover, this review highlights an overlooked connection between inhibiting aneurysm and the restoration of elastic fibers in the vessel wall with various aneurysm inhibitors, including drugs and chemicals. Investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms could uncover innovative therapeutic strategies to inhibit elastin fragmentation and prevent the progression of aneurysms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheilabi Seeburun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Shichao Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Darshi Hemani
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Lucynda Pham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Donghong Ju
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Youming Xie
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Priyaranjan Kata
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
| | - Li Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit MI, USA
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Yurdagul A, Aikawa E. Discovering a Rare Smooth Muscle Cell Population Specific to Men in Ascending Aortic Aneurysm Using Spatial Transcriptomics. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2023; 43:2298-2300. [PMID: 37916413 PMCID: PMC10842258 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.320235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Arif Yurdagul
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71130
| | - Elena Aikawa
- Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Cho MJ, Lee MR, Park JG. Aortic aneurysms: current pathogenesis and therapeutic targets. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:2519-2530. [PMID: 38036736 PMCID: PMC10766996 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01130-w] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aortic aneurysm is a chronic disease characterized by localized expansion of the aorta, including the ascending aorta, arch, descending aorta, and abdominal aorta. Although aortic aneurysms are generally asymptomatic, they can threaten human health by sudden death due to aortic rupture. Aortic aneurysms are estimated to lead to 150,000 ~ 200,000 deaths per year worldwide. Currently, there are no effective drugs to prevent the growth or rupture of aortic aneurysms; surgical repair or endovascular repair is the only option for treating this condition. The pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic targets for aortic aneurysms have been examined over the past decade; however, there are unknown pathogenic mechanisms involved in cellular heterogeneity and plasticity, the complexity of the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway, inflammation, cell death, intramural neovascularization, and intercellular communication. This review summarizes the latest research findings and current pathogenic mechanisms of aortic aneurysms, which may enhance our understanding of aortic aneurysms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Ji Cho
- Biotherapeutics Translational Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Ran Lee
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Jungwon University, 85 Munmu-ro, Goesan-eup, Goesan-gun, Chungbuk, 28024, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Gil Park
- Biotherapeutics Translational Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Bioscience, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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Mizrak D, Zhao Y, Feng H, Macaulay J, Tang Y, Sultan Z, Zhao G, Guo Y, Zhang J, Yang B, Eugene Chen Y. Single-Molecule Spatial Transcriptomics of Human Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms Uncovers Calcification-Related CARTPT-Expressing Smooth Muscle Cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2023; 43:2285-2297. [PMID: 37823268 PMCID: PMC10842613 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.319329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although single-cell RNA-sequencing is commonly applied to dissect the heterogeneity in human tissues, it involves the preparation of single-cell suspensions via cell dissociation, causing loss of spatial information. In this study, we employed high-resolution single-cell transcriptome imaging to reveal rare smooth muscle cell (SMC) types in human thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) tissue samples. METHODS Single-molecule spatial distribution of transcripts from 140 genes was analyzed in fresh-frozen human TAA samples with region and sex-matched controls. In vitro studies and tissue staining were performed to examine human CART prepropeptide (CARTPT) regulation and function. RESULTS We captured thousands of cells per sample including a spatially distinct CARTPT-expressing SMC subtype enriched in male TAA samples. Immunoassays confirmed human CART (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript) protein enrichment in male TAA tissue and truncated CARTPT secretion into cell culture medium. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein, a cardiovascular risk factor, induced CARTPT expression, whereas CARTPT overexpression in human aortic SMCs increased the expression of key osteochondrogenic transcription factors and reduced contractile gene expression. Recombinant human CART treatment of human SMCs further confirmed this phenotype. Alizarin red staining revealed calcium deposition in male TAA samples showing similar localization with human CART staining. CONCLUSIONS Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of single-molecule imaging in uncovering rare SMC subtypes in the diseased human aorta, a difficult tissue to dissociate. We identified a spatially distinct CARTPT-expressing SMC subtype enriched in male human TAA samples. Our functional studies suggest that human CART promotes osteochondrogenic switch of aortic SMCs, potentially leading to medial calcification of the thoracic aorta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dogukan Mizrak
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hao Feng
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jane Macaulay
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zain Sultan
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Guizhen Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yanhong Guo
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jifeng Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Y. Eugene Chen
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Song W, Chen Y, Qin L, Xu X, Sun Y, Zhong M, Lu Y, Hu K, Wei L, Chen J. Oxidative stress drives vascular smooth muscle cell damage in acute Stanford type A aortic dissection through HIF-1α/HO-1 mediated ferroptosis. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22857. [PMID: 38125409 PMCID: PMC10730757 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is characterized by intimal tearing and false lumen formation containing large amounts of erythrocytes with heme. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is the key enzyme to degrade heme for iron accumulation and further ferroptosis. The current study aimed at investigating the role of HO-1 in the dissection progression of ATAAD. Methods Bioinformatic analyses and experimental validation were performed to reveal ferroptosis and HO-1 expression in ATAAD. Human aortic vascular smooth muscle cell (HA-VSMC) was used to explore underlying molecular mechanisms and the role of HO-1 overexpression in ATAAD. Results Ferroptosis was identified as a critical manner of regulated cell death in ATAAD. HO-1 was screened as a key signature of ferroptosis in ATAAD, which was closely associated with oxidative stress. Single cell/nucleus transcriptomic analysis and histological staining revealed that HO-1 and HIF-1α were upregulated in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) of ATAAD. Further in vitro experiments showed that H2O2-induced oxidative stress increased VSMC ferroptosis with the overexpression of HO-1, which could be suppressed by HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478. HIF-1α could transcriptionally regulate the expression of HO-1 through binding to its promoter region. Pharmacological inhibition of HO-1 by zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) did not reduce H2O2-induced HA-VSMC damage without heme co-incubation. However, H2O2-induced HA-VSMC damage was worsened when heme was added into the medium, and ZnPP could reduce HA-VSMC damage in this condition. Conclusion HO-1 is a key signature of VSMC ferroptosis in ATAAD. HIF-1α/HO-1 mediated ferroptosis might participate in oxidative stress induced VSMC damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Song
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yifu Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Lieyang Qin
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xinyuan Xu
- The Second Clinical Medical School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yu Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Mingzhu Zhong
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yuntao Lu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Kui Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Lai Wei
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jinmiao Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Arduini A, Fleming SJ, Xiao L, Hall AW, Akkad AD, Chaffin M, Bendinelli KJ, Tucker NR, Papangeli I, Mantineo H, Babadi M, Stegmann CM, García-Cardeña G, Lindsay ME, Klattenhoff C, Ellinor PT. Transcriptional profile of the rat cardiovascular system at single cell resolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.14.567085. [PMID: 38014050 PMCID: PMC10680727 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.567085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Despite the critical role of the cardiovascular system, our understanding of its cellular and transcriptional diversity remains limited. We therefore sought to characterize the cellular composition, phenotypes, molecular pathways, and communication networks between cell types at the tissue and sub-tissue level across the cardiovascular system of the healthy Wistar rat, an important model in preclinical cardiovascular research. We obtained high quality tissue samples under controlled conditions that reveal a level of cellular detail so far inaccessible in human studies. Methods and Results We performed single nucleus RNA-sequencing in 78 samples in 10 distinct regions including the four chambers of the heart, ventricular septum, sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, aorta, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary veins (PV), which produced an aggregate map of 505,835 nuclei. We identified 26 distinct cell types and additional subtypes, including a number of rare cell types such as PV cardiomyocytes and non-myelinating Schwann cells (NMSCs), and unique groups of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), endothelial cells (ECs) and fibroblasts (FBs), which gave rise to a detailed cell type distribution across tissues. We demonstrated differences in the cellular composition across different cardiac regions and tissue-specific differences in transcription for each cell type, highlighting the molecular diversity and complex tissue architecture of the cardiovascular system. Specifically, we observed great transcriptional heterogeneities among ECs and FBs. Importantly, several cell subtypes had a unique regional localization such as a subtype of VSMCs enriched in the large vasculature. We found the cellular makeup of PV tissue is closer to heart tissue than to the large arteries. We further explored the ligand-receptor repertoire across cell clusters and tissues, and observed tissue-enriched cellular communication networks, including heightened Nppa - Npr1 / 2 / 3 signaling in the sinoatrial node. Conclusions Through a large single nucleus sequencing effort encompassing over 500,000 nuclei, we broadened our understanding of cellular transcription in the healthy cardiovascular system. The existence of tissue-restricted cellular phenotypes suggests regional regulation of cardiovascular physiology. The overall conservation in gene expression and molecular pathways across rat and human cell types, together with our detailed transcriptional characterization of each cell type, offers the potential to identify novel therapeutic targets and improve preclinical models of cardiovascular disease.
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Pedroza AJ, Cheng P, Dalal AR, Baeumler K, Kino A, Tognozzi E, Shad R, Yokoyama N, Nakamura K, Mitchel O, Hiesinger W, MacFarlane EG, Fleischmann D, Woo YJ, Quertermous T, Fischbein MP. Early clinical outcomes and molecular smooth muscle cell phenotyping using a prophylactic aortic arch replacement strategy in Loeys-Dietz syndrome. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2023; 166:e332-e376. [PMID: 37500053 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2023.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome demonstrate a heightened risk of distal thoracic aortic events after valve-sparing aortic root replacement. This study assesses the clinical risks and hemodynamic consequences of a prophylactic aortic arch replacement strategy in Loeys-Dietz syndrome and characterizes smooth muscle cell phenotype in Loeys-Dietz syndrome aneurysmal and normal-sized downstream aorta. METHODS Patients with genetically confirmed Loeys-Dietz syndrome (n = 8) underwent prophylactic aortic arch replacement during valve-sparing aortic root replacement. Four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed in 4 patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (valve-sparing aortic root replacement + arch) and compared with patients with contemporary Marfan syndrome (valve-sparing aortic root replacement only, n = 5) and control patients (without aortopathy, n = 5). Aortic tissues from 4 patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome and 2 organ donors were processed for anatomically segmented single-cell RNA sequencing and histologic assessment. RESULTS Patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome valve-sparing aortic root replacement + arch had no deaths, major morbidity, or aortic events in a median of 2 years follow-up. Four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated altered flow parameters in patients with postoperative aortopathy relative to controls, but no clear deleterious changes due to arch replacement. Integrated analysis of aortic single-cell RNA sequencing data (>49,000 cells) identified a continuum of abnormal smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation in Loeys-Dietz syndrome defined by reduced contractility and enriched extracellular matrix synthesis, adhesion receptors, and transforming growth factor-beta signaling. These modulated smooth muscle cells populated the Loeys-Dietz syndrome tunica media with gradually reduced density from the overtly aneurysmal root to the nondilated arch. CONCLUSIONS Patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome demonstrated excellent surgical outcomes without overt downstream flow or shear stress disturbances after concomitant valve-sparing aortic root replacement + arch operations. Abnormal smooth muscle cell-mediated aortic remodeling occurs within the normal diameter, clinically at-risk Loeys-Dietz syndrome arch segment. These initial clinical and pathophysiologic findings support concomitant arch replacement in Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert J Pedroza
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Paul Cheng
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Alex R Dalal
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Kathrin Baeumler
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Aya Kino
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Emily Tognozzi
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Rohan Shad
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Nobu Yokoyama
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Ken Nakamura
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Olivia Mitchel
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - William Hiesinger
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Elena Gallo MacFarlane
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md
| | - Dominik Fleischmann
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Y Joseph Woo
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Thomas Quertermous
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
| | - Michael P Fischbein
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.
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