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Troyer B, Rodgers J, Wolf BJ, Oates JC, Drake RR, Nowling TK. Glycosphingolipid Levels in Urine Extracellular Vesicles Enhance Prediction of Therapeutic Response in Lupus Nephritis. Metabolites 2022; 12:134. [PMID: 35208209 PMCID: PMC8876142 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12020134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of nephritis increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. While standard induction therapies, such as mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) induce clinical remission (i.e., complete response) in approximately 50% of SLE patients with nephritis, many patients fail to respond. Therapeutic response is often not assessed until 6-12 months after beginning treatment. Those patients that fail to respond to treatment continue to accumulate organ damage, thus, there is a critical need to predict which patients will fail therapy before beginning treatment, allowing physicians to optimize therapy. Our previous studies demonstrated elevated urine, but not serum, glycosphingolipids (GSLs) in SLE patients with nephritis compared to SLE patients without nephritis, suggesting the urine GSLs were derived from the kidney. In this study, we measured the GSLs hexosylceramide and lactosylceramide in extracellular vesicles isolated from longitudinal urine samples of LN patients that were treated with MMF for 12 months. GSL levels were significantly elevated in the baseline samples (prior to treatment) of non-responders compared to complete responders. While a few other proteins measured in the whole urine were higher in non-responders at baseline, only GSLs demonstrated a significant ability to discriminate treatment response in lupus nephritis patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Troyer
- Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (B.T.); (J.R.); (J.C.O.)
| | - Jessalyn Rodgers
- Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (B.T.); (J.R.); (J.C.O.)
| | - Bethany J. Wolf
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
| | - James C. Oates
- Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (B.T.); (J.R.); (J.C.O.)
- Rheumatology Section, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29403, USA
| | - Richard R. Drake
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
| | - Tamara K. Nowling
- Department of Medicine, Rheumatology Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (B.T.); (J.R.); (J.C.O.)
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Jana S, Aujla P, Hu M, Kilic T, Zhabyeyev P, McCulloch CA, Oudit GY, Kassiri Z. Gelsolin is an important mediator of Angiotensin II-induced activation of cardiac fibroblasts and fibrosis. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21932. [PMID: 34549830 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100038rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Myocardial fibrosis is a characteristic of various cardiomyopathies, and myocardial fibroblasts play a central role in this process. Gelsolin (GSN) is an actin severing and capping protein that regulates actin assembly and may be involved in fibroblast activation. While the role of GSN in mechanical stress-mediated cardiac fibrosis has been explored, its role in myocardial fibrosis in the absence of mechanical stress is not defined. In this study, we investigated the role of GSN in myocardial fibrosis induced by Angiotensin II (Ang II), a profibrotic hormone that is elevated in cardiovascular disease. We utilized mice lacking GSN (Gsn-/- ) and cultured primary adult cardiac fibroblasts (cFB). In vivo, Ang II infusion in mice resulted in significantly less severe myocardial fibrosis in Gsn-/- compared with Gsn+/+ mice, along with diminished activation of the TGFβ1-Smad2/3 pathway, and reduced expression of cardiac extracellular matrix proteins (collagen, fibronectin, periostin). Moreover, Gsn-deficient hearts exhibited suppressed activity of the AMPK pathway and its downstream effectors, mTOR and P70S6Kinase, which could contribute to the suppressed TGFβ1 activity. In vitro, the Ang II-induced activation of cFBs was reduced in Gsn-deficient fibroblasts evident from decreased expression of αSMA and periostin, diminished actin filament turnover; which also exhibited reduced activity of the AMPK-mTOR pathway, and P70S6K phosphorylation. AMPK inhibition compensated for the loss of GSN, restored the levels of G-actin in Gsn-/- cFBs and promoted activation to myofibroblasts by increasing αSMA and periostin levels. This study reveals a novel role for GSN in mediating myocardial fibrosis by regulating the AMPK-mTOR-P70S6K pathway in cFB activation independent from mechanical stress-induced factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayantan Jana
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Preetinder Aujla
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mei Hu
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tolga Kilic
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Pavel Zhabyeyev
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Gavin Y Oudit
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Zamaneh Kassiri
- Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Zhang L, Han C, Ye F, He Y, Jin Y, Wang T, Wu Y, Jiang Y, Zhang F, Jin X. Plasma Gelsolin Induced Glomerular Fibrosis via the TGF-β1/Smads Signal Transduction Pathway in IgA Nephropathy. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020390. [PMID: 28208683 PMCID: PMC5343925 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glomerular fibrosis has been shown to be closely related to the progression and prognosis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). However, mechanism underlying IgAN glomerular fibrosis remains unclear. Recently, our study showed that plasma gelsolin (pGSN) was decreased in the serum of an IgAN mouse model and that pGSN deposition was found in the glomeruli. Another cytokine, TGF-β1, which is closely related to glomerular fibrosis, was also found to be highly expressed in the glomeruli. In the present study, we report that pGSN induces glomerular fibrosis through the TGF-β1/Smads signal transduction pathway. This is supported by the following findings: human mesangial cells (HMCs) show remarkable morphological changes and proliferation in response to co-stimulation with pGSN and polymeric IgA1 (pIgA1) from IgAN patients compared to other controls. Moreover, ELISA assays showed that more TGF-β1 secretion was found in HMCs supernatants in the co-stimulation group. Further experiments showed increased TGF-β1, Smad3, p-Smad2/3, Smad4, and collagen 1 and decreased Smad7 expression in the co-stimulation group. Our present study implied that the synergistic effect of pGSN and pIgA induced glomerular fibrosis via the TGF-β1/Smads signal transduction pathway. This might be a potential mechanism for the glomerular fibrosis observed in IgAN patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Changsong Han
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Yan He
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Yinji Jin
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Tianzhen Wang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Yiqi Wu
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Yang Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Fengmin Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Xiaoming Jin
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
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Chiou TTY, Liao SC, Kao YY, Lee WC, Lee YT, Ng HY, Lee PS, Lee CT. Gelsolin and Progression of Aortic Arch Calcification in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients. Int J Med Sci 2016; 13:92-8. [PMID: 26941566 PMCID: PMC4764774 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.13785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vascular calcification (VC) is a key process associated with cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients. Gelsolin is an actin-binding protein that can modulate inflammation, correlated inversely with hemodialysis (HD) mortality and involved in bone calcification homeostasis. In this report, we aim to characterize progression in aortic arch calcification (AAC) and investigate its association with gelsolin. METHODS 184 HD patients were enrolled and their annual posterior-anterior chest X-ray films (CXR) in 2009 and 2013 were examined. The severity of AAC was classified as grade 0 to 3. Blood levels of gelsolin were measured by ELISA kits. Biographic and biochemical data at baseline were analyzed with status of AAC at baseline and changes after 4 years. RESULTS At baseline, 60% of the patients had detectable AAC on CXR. After 4 years, 77% had AAC. Patients with grade 1 and 2 AAC had increased risk of progression (Odds ratio [OR] 2~3, P=0.001) compared to those with grade 0 at baseline. Compared to those with no AAC, patients with AAC progression had older age, lower gelsolin, higher waist circumference and prevalence of vascular disease. Regression analysis confirmed baseline gelsolin (odds ratio 0.845, 95% confidence interval [0.734-0.974]) and waist circumference as the independent factors associated with AAC progression. Gelsolin is positively correlated with serum albumin and negatively with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that HD patients with grades 1 or 2 baseline AAC are at increased risk of further progression compared to those with grade 0. We also found lower blood levels of gelsolin associated with progressive AAC. Further investigation into the mechanistic roles of gelsolin in vascular calcification may provide new understanding of this key process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Ting-Yu Chiou
- 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Chih Liao
- 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Yin Kao
- 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chin Lee
- 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Ting Lee
- 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Hwee-Yeong Ng
- 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Po-Shun Lee
- 2. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chien-Te Lee
- 1. Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan
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