LncRNA-modulated autophagy in plaque cells: a new paradigm of gene regulation in atherosclerosis?

Role of long non-coding RNA TCONS_02443383 in regulating cell adhesion and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling genes in atherosclerosis: A New Zealand white rabbit model study

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on the abdominal aorta tissue of New Zealand rabbits and investigated the potential association of lncRNA TCONS_02443383 with the development of AS through bioinformatics analysis of the sequencing data. The obtained results were further validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

METHOD

We induced an AS model in New Zealand rabbits by causing balloon injury to the abdominal aorta vascular wall and administering a high-fat diet. We then upregulated the expression level of the lncRNA TCONS_02443383 by injecting lentiviral plasmids through the ear vein. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on the abdominal aorta tissues. We conducted Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses.

RESULT

The overexpression of the lncRNA TCONS_02443383 led to an upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways as well as genes related to cell adhesion.

CONCLUSION

The overexpression of the lncRNA TCONS_02443383 can inhibit the occurrence and development of AS by upregulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways and genes related to cell adhesion.

Two sides of the same coin: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atherosclerosis remain high, which is primarily due to widespread adoption of a western diet and sedentary lifestyle. NAFLD, together with advanced forms of this disease such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis, are closely associated with atherosclerotic-cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In this review, we discussed the association between NAFLD and atherosclerosis and expounded on the common molecular biomarkers underpinning the pathogenesis of both NAFLD and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, we have summarized the mode of function and potential clinical utility of existing drugs in the context of these diseases.

Autophagy-related LncRNA PRDM10-DT responds to UVB radiation in keratinocytes

Ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation is a major environmental risk factor that is responsible for the development and progression of many skin disorders. Autophagy is the process of degradation and recycling of damaged cytoplasmic organelles, macromolecular aggregates, and long-lived proteins. Previously, we found that the autophagy inducer apigenin restored UVB-impaired autophagy and the cellular response by downregulating the expression of autophagy-related genes such as ATG5. To explore long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in regulating these autophagy-related genes, in this study, we assessed the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs using a microarray in human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs) treated with or without apigenin after UVB radiation. The expression levels of 80 selected autophagy-related genes and related lncRNAs were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR). The lncRNA PRDM10-DT was proposed to regulate IRGM based on the ceRNA and coexpression pattern and was demonstrated to be involved in autophagy regulation, proliferation and migration of HEKs by qRT‒PCR, Western blotting, colony formation and scratch wound assays, respectively. These findings suggest an autophagy-related lncRNA in response to UVB radiation that promotes the proliferation and migration of HEKs through inducing autophagy by competing microRNAs for IRGM.

A bibliometric analysis of autophagy in atherosclerosis from 2012 to 2021

Background: Regulation of autophagy affects the progression of atherosclerosis. In recent years, research on autophagy in atherosclerosis has been widely concerned. However, there is no bibliometric analysis in this field.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the general situation, hot spots, and trends of the research in this field through bibliometric analysis.

Methods: Articles related to autophagy in atherosclerosis from 2012 to 2021 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used for data analysis and visualization of countries, institutions, authors, keywords, journals, and citations.

Results: A total of 988 articles were obtained in the last 10 years. The number of publications and citations increased rapidly from 2012 to 2021, especially after 2019. The most productive countries, institutions, journals, and authors were the People’s Republic of China, Shandong University, Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, and Wim Martinet, respectively. The primary keywords were “oxidative stress,” “apoptosis,” “activated protein kinase,” and “inflammation.” The burst detection analysis of keywords found that “SIRT1” and “long non-coding RNA” might be regarded as the focus of future research.

Conclusion: This is the first bibliometric analysis of autophagy in atherosclerosis, which reports the hot spots and emerging trends. The interaction between oxidative stress and autophagy, programmed cell death, and activated protein kinases are considered to be the current research priorities. Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic target for the intervention of atherosclerosis by regulating autophagy will become an emerging research direction.

Laminar shear stress inhibits inflammation by activating autophagy in human aortic endothelial cells through HMGB1 nuclear translocation

Prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis (AS) by targeting the inflammatory response in vascular endothelial cells has attracted much attention in recent years. Laminar shear stress (LSS) has well-recognized anti-AS properties, however, the exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that LSS could inhibit the increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) caused by TNF-α in an autophagy-dependent pathway in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte receptor B2 (EPHB2) was a key gene in response to LSS. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation assay indicated that LSS could enhance the EPHB2-mediated nuclear translocation of high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), which interacts with Beclin-1 (BECN1) and finally leads to autophagy. Simultaneously, we identified an LSS-sensitive long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), LOC10798635, and constructed an LSS-related LOC107986345/miR-128-3p/EPHB2 regulatory axis. Further research revealed the anti-inflammatory effect of LSS depends on autophagy activation resulting from the nuclear translocation of HMGB1 via the LOC107986345/miR-128-3p/EPHB2 axis. Our study demonstrates that LSS could regulate the expression of EPHB2 in HAECs, and the LOC107986345/miR-128-3p/EPHB2 axis plays a vital role in AS development.

Role of advanced glycation end products on vascular smooth muscle cells under diabetic atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease and leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. The progression of AS is a multi-step process leading to high morbidity and mortality. Hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), inflammation and insulin resistance which strictly involved in diabetes are closely related to the pathogenesis of AS. A growing number of studies have linked AGEs to AS. As one of the risk factors of cardiac metabolic diseases, dysfunction of VSMCs plays an important role in AS pathogenesis. AGEs are increased in diabetes, participate in the occurrence and progression of AS through multiple molecular mechanisms of vascular cell injury. As the main functional cells of vascular, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play different roles in each stage of atherosclerotic lesions. The interaction between AGEs and receptor for AGEs (RAGE) accelerates AS by affecting the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. In addition, increasing researches have reported that AGEs promote osteogenic transformation and macrophage-like transformation of VSMCs, and affect the progression of AS through other aspects such as autophagy and cell cycle. In this review, we summarize the effect of AGEs on VSMCs in atherosclerotic plaque development and progression. We also discuss the AGEs that link AS and diabetes mellitus, including oxidative stress, inflammation, RAGE ligands, small noncoding RNAs.