Remifentanil preconditioning protects against hypoxia-induced senescence and necroptosis in human cardiac myocytes in vitro

Successful Recovery of Cardiac Function Following 20 min of a No-touch Period in a Donation After Circulatory Death: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) performed in the circulatory determination of death (DCD) donors leads to cardiac arrest, challenging the utilization of the myocardium for transplantation. The rapid initiation of normothermic regional perfusion or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after death helps to optimize organs before implantation. However, additional strategies to mitigate the effects of stress response during WLST, hypoxic/ischemic injury, and reperfusion injury are required to allow myocardium recovery.

METHODS

To this aim, our team routinely used a preconditioning protocol for each DCD donation before and during the WLST and after normothermic regional perfusion/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The protocol includes pharmacological treatments combined to reduce oxidative stress (melatonin, N -acetylcysteine, and ascorbic acid), improve microcirculation (statins), and mitigate organ's ischemic injury (steroids) and organ ischemia/reperfusion injury (remifentanil and sevoflurane when the heart is available for transplantation).

RESULTS

This report presents the first case of recovery of cardiac function, with the only support of normothermic regional reperfusion, following 20 min of a no-touch period and 41 min of functional warm ischemic time in a DCD donor after the preconditioning protocol.

CONCLUSIONS

Our protocol seems to be effective in abolishing the stress response during WLST and, on the other hand, particularly organ protective (and heart protective), giving a chance to donate organs less impaired from ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Dietary selenomethionine reduced oxidative stress by resisting METTL3-mediated m6A methylation level of Nrf2 to ameliorate LPS-induced liver necroptosis in laying hens

Selenomethionine (SeMet) as the main form of daily dietary selenium, occupies essential roles in providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which alleviates inflammatory liver damage. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most prevalent and abundant internal transcriptional modifications that regulate gene expression. To investigate the protective mechanism of SeMet on liver injury and the regulatory effect of m6A methylation modification, we established the model by supplementing dietary SeMet, and LPS as stimulus in laying hens. LMH cells were intervened with SeMet (0.075 µM) and/or LPS (60 µg/mL). Subsequently, histopathology and ultrastructure of liver were observed. Western Blot, qRT-PCR, colorimetry, MeRIP-qPCR, fluorescent probe staining and AO/EB were used to detect total m6A methylation level, m6A methylation level of Nrf2, ROS, inflammatory and necroptosis factors. Studies showed that SeMet suppressed LPS-induced upregulation of total m6A methylation levels and METTL3 expression. Interestingly, SeMet reduced the m6A methylation level of Nrf2, activated antioxidant pathways and alleviated oxidative stress. LMH cells were transfected with 50 µm siMETTL3. SeMet/SiMETTL3 reversed the LPS-induced reduction in Nrf2 mRNA stability, slowed down its degradation rate. Moreover, LPS induced oxidative stress, led to necroptosis and activated NF-κB to promote the expression of inflammatory factors. SeMet/SiMETTL3 alleviated LPS-induced necroptosis and inflammation. Altogether, SeMet enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity by reducing METTL3-mediated m6A methylation levels of Nrf2, ultimately alleviating liver damage. Our findings provided new insights and therapeutic target for the practical application of dietary SeMet in the treatment and prevention of liver inflammation, and supplied a reference for comparative medicine.

Targeting the opioid remifentanil: Protective effects and molecular mechanisms against organ ischemia-reperfusion injury

Opioids are widely used in clinical practice by activating opioid receptors (OPRs), but their clinical application is limited by a series of side effects. Researchers have been making tremendous efforts to promote the development and application of opioids. Fortunately, recent studies have identified the additional effects of opioids in addition to anesthesia and analgesia, particularly in terms of organ protection against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, with unique advantages. I/R injury in vital organs not only leads to cell dysfunction and structural damage but also induces acute and chronic organ failure, even death. Early prevention and appropriate therapeutic targets for I/R injury are crucial for organ protection. Opioids have shown cardioprotective effects for over 20 years, especially remifentanil, a derivative of fentanyl, which is a new ultra-short-acting opioid analgesic widely used in clinical anesthesia induction and maintenance. In this review, we provide current knowledge about the physiological effects related to OPR-mediated organ protection, focusing on the protective effect and mechanism of remifentanil on I/R injury in the heart and other vital organs. Herein, we also explored the potential application of remifentanil in clinical I/R injury. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the use of remifentanil to inhibit or alleviate organ I/R injury during the perioperative period and provide insights for opioid-induced human organ protection and drug development.

Pharmaceutical Therapies for Necroptosis in Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Cardiovascular disease morbidity/mortality are increasing due to an aging population and the rising prevalence of diabetes and obesity. Therefore, innovative cardioprotective measures are required to reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity/mortality. The role of necroptosis in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI-RI) is beyond doubt, but the molecular mechanisms of necroptosis remain incompletely elucidated. Growing evidence suggests that MI-RI frequently results from the superposition of multiple pathways, with autophagy, ferroptosis, and CypD-mediated mitochondrial damage, and necroptosis all contributing to MI-RI. Receptor-interacting protein kinases (RIPK1 and RIPK3) as well as mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) activation is accompanied by the activation of other signaling pathways, such as Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), NF-κB, and JNK-Bnip3. These pathways participate in the pathological process of MI-RI. Recent studies have shown that inhibitors of necroptosis can reduce myocardial inflammation, infarct size, and restore cardiac function. In this review, we will summarize the molecular mechanisms of necroptosis, the links between necroptosis and other pathways, and current breakthroughs in pharmaceutical therapies for necroptosis.

Unwinding the modalities of necrosome activation and necroptosis machinery in neurological diseases

Necroptosis, a regulated form of cell death, is involved in the genesis and development of various life-threatening diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, cardiac myopathy, and diabetes. Necroptosis initiates with the formation and activation of a necrosome complex, which consists of RIPK1, RIPK2, RIPK3, and MLKL. Emerging studies has demonstrated the regulation of the necroptosis cell death pathway through the implication of numerous post-translational modifications, namely ubiquitination, acetylation, methylation, SUMOylation, hydroxylation, and others. In addition, the negative regulation of the necroptosis pathway has been shown to interfere with brain homeostasis through the regulation of axonal degeneration, mitochondrial dynamics, lysosomal defects, and inflammatory response. Necroptosis is controlled by the activity and expression of signaling molecules, namely VEGF/VEGFR, PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), ERK/MAPK, and Wnt/β-catenin. Herein, we briefly discussed the implication and potential of necrosome activation in the pathogenesis and progression of neurological manifestations, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and others. Further, we present a detailed picture of natural compounds, micro-RNAs, and chemical compounds as therapeutic agents for treating neurological manifestations.

Among Gerontogens, Heavy Metals Are a Class of Their Own: A Review of the Evidence for Cellular Senescence

Advancements in modern medicine have improved the quality of life across the globe and increased the average lifespan of our population by multiple decades. Current estimates predict by 2030, 12% of the global population will reach a geriatric age and live another 3-4 decades. This swelling geriatric population will place critical stress on healthcare infrastructures due to accompanying increases in age-related diseases and comorbidities. While much research focused on long-lived individuals seeks to answer questions regarding how to age healthier, there is a deficit in research investigating what aspects of our lives accelerate or exacerbate aging. In particular, heavy metals are recognized as a significant threat to human health with links to a plethora of age-related diseases, and have widespread human exposures from occupational, medical, or environmental settings. We believe heavy metals ought to be classified as a class of gerontogens (i.e., chemicals that accelerate biological aging in cells and tissues). Gerontogens may be best studied through their effects on the "Hallmarks of Aging", nine physiological hallmarks demonstrated to occur in aged cells, tissues, and bodies. Evidence suggests that cellular senescence-a permanent growth arrest in cells-is one of the most pertinent hallmarks of aging and is a useful indicator of aging in tissues. Here, we discuss the roles of heavy metals in brain aging. We briefly discuss brain aging in general, then expand upon observations for heavy metals contributing to age-related neurodegenerative disorders. We particularly emphasize the roles and observations of cellular senescence in neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we discuss the observations for heavy metals inducing cellular senescence. The glaring lack of knowledge about gerontogens and gerontogenic mechanisms necessitates greater research in the field, especially in the context of the global aging crisis.

The effects of intravenous remifentanil on umbilical artery serum-derived exosomes in parturients undergoing epidural anesthesia: a randomized trail

BACKGROUND

Umbilical artery serum-derived exosomes (UEs) serve as messengers for maternal-fetal information exchange and cellular regulation. Intravenous remifentanil could be considered as an effective adjunct to epidural anesthesia in providing a favorable analgesia effect for cesarean section (C-section), but its effects on UEs are currently unknown.

METHODS

From 01/12/2021 to 30/06/2022, eligible parturients scheduled for repeated C-section at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University were randomized to receive either an intravenous bolus (0.15 μg/kg) followed by a continuous infusion (0.075 μg/kg/min) of remifentanil or normal saline throughout the procedure. The primary outcome was the number of UEs. Secondary outcomes included the size and protein amount of UEs, the vital signs, visceral pain score, sedation score, maternal satisfaction score, Apgar score, the incidence of neonatal asphyxia, umbilical arterial pH, and the presence of complications.

RESULTS

Nanoparticle tracking analysis indicated similar size of UEs between the two groups, but the number and protein amount of UEs were increased in the remifentanil group  compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In parturients receiving remifentanil, visceral pain scores were decreased, which was accompanied by the increased scores of maternal satisfaction with the anesthetic method (P < 0.05). Other maternal and neonatal outcomes were comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The intravenous administration of remifentanil increased the number of UEs in parturients undergoing repeated C-section under epidural anesthesia, with improved birth experience and minimal neonatal complications.

Autophagy promotes GSDME-mediated pyroptosis via intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways in cobalt chloride-induced hypoxia reoxygenation-acute kidney injury

Cobalt is a transition element that abundantly exists in the environment. Besides direct hypoxia stress, cobalt ions indirectly induce hypoxia-reoxygenation injury (HRI), the main cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), a life-threatening clinical syndrome characterized by the necrosis of the proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) and inflammation. Pyroptosis, a type of inflammatory programmed cell death, might play an essential role in HRI-AKI. However, whether pyroptosis is involved in cobalt chloride (CoCl₂)-induced HRI-AKI remains unknown. Autophagy is a cellular biological process maintaining cell homeostasis that is involved in cell damage in AKI, yet the underlying regulatory mechanism of autophagy on pyroptosis has not been fully understood. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo models of CoCl₂-induced HRI-AKI were established with HK-2 cell line and C57BL/6J mouse. Pyroptosis-related markers were detected with western blotting and immunofluorescence assays, and results showed that gasdermin E (GSDME)-mediated pyroptosis was involved in the cell damage in HRI-AKI. Specific chemical inhibitors of caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9 significantly inhibited GSDME-mediated pyroptosis, verifying that GSDME-mediated pyroptosis was induced via the activation of caspase 3/8/9. The western blotting and immunofluorescence assays were adopted to detect the accumulation of the autophagosomes, and results suggested that HRI increased the autophagic level. The effects of autophagy on apoptosis and pyroptosis were evaluated using lentivirus transfection assays to knock down autophagy-specific genes atg5 and fip200, and results demonstrated that autophagy induced GSDME-mediated pyroptosis via apoptotic pathways in HRI-AKI. Our results revealed the involvement of GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in CoCl₂-induced HRI-AKI and promoted the understanding of the regulatory mechanism of GSDME cleavage. Our study might provide a potential therapeutic target for HRI-AKI, and will be helpful for the risk evaluation of cobalt exposure.

Small molecules as modulators of regulated cell death against ischemia/reperfusion injury

Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury contributes to disability and mortality worldwide. Due to the complicated mechanisms and lack of proper therapeutic targets, few interventions are available that specifically target the pathogenesis of IR injury. Regulated cell death (RCD) of endothelial and parenchymal cells is recognized as the promising intervening target. Recent advances in IR injury suggest that small molecules exhibit beneficial effects on various RCD against IR injury, including apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and parthanatos. Here, we describe the mechanisms behind these novel promising therapeutic targets and explain the machinery powering the small molecules. These small molecules exert protection by targeting endothelial or parenchymal cells to alleviate IR injury. Therapies of the ideal combination of small molecules targeting multiple cell types have shown potent synergetic therapeutic effects, laying the foundation for novel strategies to attenuate IR injury.

Impact of timing of morphine treatment on infarct size in experimental animal model of acute myocardial ischemia and reperfusion

Morphine is generally used in clinical treatment for the patients who have not been effectively alleviated for chest pain after the treatment with nitrites or who contraindicate nitrite drugs. However, it was reported that the treatment with morphine in acute myocardial infarction or acute coronary artery syndromes induced increase in myocardial injury even increase of the mortality of the patients. After comparing the reported laboratory studies showing the cardioprotective effects and the clinical observations presenting the harmful consequences, we query whether the timing of the morphine treatment makes the difference in the prognosis of the ischemic/infarct myocardium. We found that intravenous injections of morphine (0.3 mg/kg) at 15 min before the acute myocardial ischemia, at 5 min and 20 min or 60 min after ligation of the coronary artery in separate groups of rats scheduled for acute myocardial ischemia, for 30 min or 90 min followed by reperfusion for 120 min, induced different results, reduction in the size of infarction, no effect and increases of the infarct sizes, respectively. The opioid μ- and kappa-receptors mediated the detrimental effect of morphine on the myocardial injury. The findings of this study suggest that administration of morphine may cause different consequences when used at different time in the pathology of acute myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. The underlying mechanisms in the pathology of acute myocardial ischemia warrant further study.

Endogenous opiates and behavior: 2020

This paper is the forty-third consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2020 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).

Extracellular vesicles from hypoxia-preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells alleviates myocardial injury by targeting thioredoxin-interacting protein-mediated hypoxia-inducible factor-1α pathway

BACKGROUND

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from hypoxia-preconditioned (HP) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have better cardioprotective effects against myocardial infarction (MI) in the early stage than EVs isolated from normoxic (NC)-MSCs. However, the cardioprotective mechanisms of HP-EVs are not fully understood.

AIM

To explore the cardioprotective mechanism of EVs derived from HP MSCs.

METHODS

We evaluated the cardioprotective effects of HP-EVs or NC-EVs from mouse adipose-derived MSCs (ADSCs) following hypoxia in vitro or MI in vivo, in order to improve the survival of cardiomyocytes (CMs) and restore cardiac function. The degree of CM apoptosis in each group was assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling and Annexin V/PI assays. MicroRNA (miRNA) sequencing was used to investigate the functional RNA diversity between HP-EVs and NC-EVs from mouse ADSCs. The molecular mechanism of EVs in mediating thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) was verified by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Co-immunoprecipitation, western blotting, and immunofluorescence were performed to determine if TXNIP is involved in hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) ubiquitination and degradation via the chromosomal region maintenance-1 (CRM-1)-dependent nuclear transport pathway.

RESULTS

HP-EVs derived from MSCs reduced both infarct size (necrosis area) and apoptotic degree to a greater extent than NC-EVs from CMs subjected to hypoxia in vitro and mice with MI in vivo. Sequencing of EV-associated miRNAs showed the upregulation of 10 miRNAs predicted to bind TXNIP, an oxidative stress-associated protein. We showed miRNA224-5p, the most upregulated miRNA in HP-EVs, directly combined the 3’ untranslated region of TXNIP and demonstrated its critical protective role against hypoxia-mediated CM injury. Our results demonstrated that MI triggered TXNIP-mediated HIF-1α ubiquitination and degradation in the CRM-1-mediated nuclear transport pathway in CMs, which led to aggravated injury and hypoxia tolerance in CMs in the early stage of MI.

CONCLUSION

The anti-apoptotic effects of HP-EVs in alleviating MI and the hypoxic conditions of CMs until reperfusion therapy may partly result from EV miR-224-5p targeting TXNIP.

Remifentanil Promotes PDIA3 Expression by Activating p38MAPK to Inhibit Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Oxidative and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Background: Remifentanil protects against intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, its exact mechanism remains to be elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of remifentanil in intestinal I/R injury in mice.

Methods: We evaluated the intestine-protective effect of remifentanil in adult male mice with 45 min superior mesenteric artery occlusion followed by 4 h reperfusion by determining the following: intestinal Chiu’s scores, diamine oxidase, and intestinal fatty acid binding protein in serum; the apoptotic index, lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the intestinal mucosa; and the intestinal mRNA and protein expressions of Bip, CHOP, caspase-12, and cleaved caspase-3, reflecting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Furthermore, conditional knockout mice, in which the protein disulfide isomerase A3 (PDIA3) gene was deleted from the intestinal epithelium, and SB203580 (a selective p38MAPK inhibitor) were used to determine the role of PDIA3 and p38MAPK in I/R progression and intestinal protection by remifentanil.

Results: Our data showed that intestinal I/R induced obvious oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress–related cell apoptosis, as evidenced by an increase in the intestinal mucosal malondialdehyde, a decrease in the intestinal mucosal SOD, and an increase in the apoptotic index and the mRNA and protein expression of Bip, CHOP, caspase-12, and cleaved caspase-3. Remifentanil significantly improved these changes. Moreover, the deletion of intestinal epithelium PDIA3 blocked the protective effects of remifentanil. SB203580 also abolished the intestinal protection of remifentanil and downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of PDIA3.

Conclusion: Remifentanil appears to act via p38MAPK to protect the small intestine from intestinal I/R injury by its PDIA3-mediated antioxidant and anti-ER stress properties.

Remifentanil attenuates sepsis-induced intestinal injury by inducing autophagy

Remifentanil (RFT), extensively used for general anesthesia, is a synthetic ultra-short-acting opioid used as an anti-inflammatory oxidant to alleviate a plethora of diseases. This study was designed to determine whether RFT would provide protective effects on sepsis-induced intestinal injury.The determination of cell viability and inflammation of LPS-treated IEC-6 cells influenced by RFT was conducted by Cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), RT-qPCR, and western blot, while the detection of LDH, diamine oxidase (DAO), and intestinal-type fatty acid binding proteins (I-FABP) was conducted for determining the intestinal cytotoxicity in these cells. The apoptosis of these cells was detected by TUNEL, with autophagy-related protein expression measured by western blot to confirm whether autophagy was activated. Finally, the aforementioned assays were conducted again after 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), an autophagy inhibitor, was used on these cells to investigate whether RFT exerted its effects on LPS-treated IEC-6 cells via modulation of autophagy.RFT alleviates LPS-induced IEC-6 cell inflammation, cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and autophagy-related proteins were expressed at higher levels when RFT was used on these cells. Nevertheless, further treatment of 3-MA weakened the restorative impacts of RFT on the inflammation, cytotoxicity and apoptosis of these cells.To conclude, this paper is the first to present evidence that RFT attenuates sepsis-induced intestinal injury by inducing autophagy, which will provide instructions for the future investigations into the use of RFT in treatment of intestinal injury.

Remifentanil pretreatment ameliorates H/R-induced cardiac microvascular endothelial cell dysfunction by regulating the PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α signaling pathway

Restoration of blood supply through medical or surgical intervention is a commonly adopted method for acute myocardial ischemia, but is also a trigger for cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury. Studies have shown that remifentanil (REM) displays cardioprotective effects. In this study, the effects of REM on HCMEC viability were examined before and after the induction of H/R using Cell Counting Kit-8 assays. Wound healing and Matrigel angiogenesis assays were performed to assess HCMEC migration and angiogenesis, respectively. Commercial kits and western blotting were used to determine the endothelial barrier function of H/R-stimulated HCMECs with or without REM treatment. The expression of PI3K/Akt/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway-related proteins was detected by western blotting. After pre-treatment with PI3K/Akt, the effects of REM on H/R-induced HCMEC injury were examined. We found that pre-treatment with REM displayed no impact on HCMEC viability under normal conditions but noticeably improved cell viability following H/R. The migratory abilities and tube-like structure formations of H/R-stimulated HCMECs were both enhanced by REM in a concentration-dependent manner. REM also decreased the permeability of H/R-stimulated HCMECs and upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins. Furthermore REM increased the expression of PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α signaling-related proteins in HCMECs. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt rescued REM-enhanced HCMEC function under H/R condition. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that REM pretreatment ameliorated H/R-induced HCMEC dysfunction by regulating the PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α signaling pathway.

Enhanced oxidative stress mediates pathological autophagy and necroptosis in cardiac myocytes in pressure overload induced heart failure in rats

In cardiac myocytes in vitro, hydrogen peroxide induces autophagic cell death and necroptosis. Oxidative stress, myocyte autophagy and necroptosis coexist in heart failure (HF). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that excessive oxidative stress mediates pathological autophagy and necroptosis in myocytes in pressure overload-induced HF. HF was produced by chronic pressure overload induced by abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) in rats. Rats with AAC or sham operation were randomised to orally receive an antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or placebo for 4 weeks. Echocardiography was performed for the assessments of left ventricular (LV) structure and function. AAC rats exhibited decreased LV fractional shortening (FS) at 4 weeks after surgery. NAC treatment attenuated decreased LV FS in AAC rats. In AAC rats, myocardial level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine assessed by immunohistochemical staining, indicative of oxidative stress, was increased, LC3 II protein, a marker of autophagy, Beclin1 protein and Atg4b, Atg5, Atg7 and Atg12 mRNA expression were markedly increased, RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL expression, indicative of necroptosis, was increased, and all of the alterations in AAC rats were prevented by the NAC treatment. NAC treatment also attenuated myocyte cross-sectional area and myocardial fibrosis in AAC rats. In conclusion, NAC treatment prevented the increases in oxidative stress, myocyte autophagy and necroptosis and the decrease in LV systolic function in pressure overload-induced HF. These findings suggest that enhanced oxidative stress mediates pathological autophagy and necroptosis in myocytes, leading to LV systolic dysfunction, and antioxidants may be of value to prevent HF through the inhibition of excessive autophagy and necroptosis.

Hypoxia in Cell Reprogramming and the Epigenetic Regulations

Cellular reprogramming is a fundamental topic in the research of stem cells and molecular biology. It is widely investigated and its understanding is crucial for learning about different aspects of development such as cell proliferation, determination of cell fate and stem cell renewal. Other factors involved during development include hypoxia and epigenetics, which play major roles in the development of tissues and organs. This review will discuss the involvement of hypoxia and epigenetics in the regulation of cellular reprogramming and how interplay between each factor can contribute to different cellular functions as well as tissue regeneration.