Blood glucose and insulin and correlation of SLC25A13 mutations with biochemical changes in NICCD patients

Mir-509-3p targets SLC25A13 to regulate ferroptosis and protect retinal endothelial cells in diabetic retinopathy

AIMS

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major complication of diabetes that leads to vision impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory role of miR-509-3p in DR, focusing on its interaction with SLC25A13 and its impact on retinal endothelial cell function, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and ferroptosis.

METHODS

HRVECs were cultured in high-glucose (HG) conditions to establish an in vitro DR model. miR-509-3p mimics and inhibitors were transfected into HRVECs to assess their effects on SLC25A13 expression, cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and ferroptosis markers. A luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation were used to confirm the binding of miR-509-3p to SLC25A13 mRNA. For in vivo validation, agomiR-509-3p was injected into the vitreous of DR mice, and retinal thickness, pathological damage, and apoptosis were evaluated. Ferroptosis-related markers (GPX4, TlR4, ASCL4) were analyzed in HRVECs to explore the mechanism of miR-509-3p in regulating ferroptosis.

RESULTS

In vitro, miR-509-3p significantly decreased SLC25A13 expression, resulting in enhanced HRVEC viability, reduced apoptosis, and lower ROS levels under HG conditions. Overexpression of SLC25A13 reversed these protective effects, while miR-509-3p knockdown exacerbated oxidative stress and apoptosis. In vivo, agomiR-509-3p increased retinal thickness, reduced pathological damage, and decreased apoptosis in DR mice. Ferroptosis marker analysis revealed that miR-509-3p upregulated GPX4 expression and downregulated TlR4 and ASCL4, whereas SLC25A13 overexpression reversed these effects, further linking miR-509-3p to the regulation of ferroptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-509-3p exerts a protective effect in DR by targeting SLC25A13, reducing oxidative stress, apoptosis, and ferroptosis in retinal endothelial cells. These findings highlight the potential of miR-509-3p as a therapeutic target for DR management.

Calcium signaling in mitochondrial intermembrane space

The mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) is a highly protected compartment, second only to the matrix. It is a crucial bridge, coordinating mitochondrial activities with cellular processes such as metabolites, protein, lipid, and ion exchange. This regulation influences signaling pathways for metabolic activities and cellular homeostasis. The IMS harbors various proteins critical for initiating apoptotic cascades and regulating reactive oxygen species production by controlling the respiratory chain. Calcium (Ca2+), a key intracellular secondary messenger, enter the mitochondrial matrix via the IMS, regulating mitochondrial bioenergetics, ATP production, modulating cell death pathways. IMS acts as a regulatory site for Ca2+ entry due to the presence of different Ca2+ sensors such as MICUs, solute carriers (SLCs); ion exchangers (LETM1/SCaMCs); S100A1, mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and EFHD1, each with unique Ca2+ binding motifs and spatial localizations. This review primarily emphasizes the role of these IMS-localized Ca2+ sensors concerning their spatial localization, mechanism, and molecular functions. Additionally, we discuss how these sensors contribute to the progression and pathogenesis of various human health conditions and diseases.

Functional efficacy analysis of Angelica gigas Nakai on chicken myoblast cells through cell-based in vitro assay

The value-added products in livestock industry is one of the key issues in order to maximize the revenue and to create a new business model. Numerous studies have suggested application of herbal plants as feed additives to increase health, productivity, and/or high-quality product in livestock. In this study, the first experiment was designed to develop in vitro evaluation system by using primary chicken myoblast (pCM) cells isolated from pectoralis major of 10-day-old male embryos. Subsequently, to evaluate effects of Korean Danggui Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN), we optimized the concentration of AGN root extract for treatment of primary pCM cells. After the treatment of AGN root extract, we compared proliferation and differentiation capacity, and also examined the gene expression. In the second experiment, the next generation sequencing analysis was performed to compare the different patterns of the global gene expression in pCM cells treated with AGN extract. Three up-regulated (pancreas beta cells, fatty acid metabolism and glycolysis) and one down-regulated (adipogenesis) gene sets were characterized suggesting that the AGN extract affected the metabolic pathways for the utilization of fat and glucose in chicken muscle cells. Furthermore, we validated the expression patterns of the up-regulated genes (GCLC, PTPN6, ISL1, SLC25A13, TGFBI, and YWHAH) in the AGN-treated pCM cells by quantitative RT-PCR. These results demonstrated that the treatment of AGN extract decreased proliferation and differentiation of pCM cells, and affected the metabolic pathways of glucose and fatty acids. Moreover, AGN extract derived from byproducts such as stem and leaf also showed the reduced proliferation patterns on AGN-treated pCM cells. Taken together, pCM cell-based in vitro assay system could be primarily and efficiently applied for evaluating the biofunctional efficacy of various feed additive candidates.