Galectin-3 Mediates Thrombin-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration

Development of heparinized and hepatocyte growth factor-coated acellular scaffolds using porcine carotid arteries

Tissue-engineered blood vessel substitutes have been developed due to the lack of suitable small-diameter vascular grafts. Xenogeneic extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds have the potential to provide an ideal source for off-the-shelf vascular grafts. In this study, porcine carotid arteries were used to develop ECM scaffolds by decellularization and coating with heparin and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). After decellularization, cellular and nucleic materials were successfully removed with preservation of the main compositions (collagen, elastin, and basement membrane) of the native ECM. The ultimate tensile strength, suture strength, and burst pressure were significantly increased after cross-linking. Pore size distribution analysis revealed a porous structure within ECM scaffolds with a high distribution of pores larger than 10 μm. Heparinized scaffolds exhibited sustained release of heparin in vitro and showed potent anticoagulant activity by prolonging activated partial thromboplastin time. The scaffolds showed an enhanced HGF binding capacity as well as a constant release of HGF as a result of heparin modification. When implanted subcutaneously in rats, the modified scaffolds revealed good biocompatibility with enzyme degradation resistance, mitigated immune response, and anti-calcification. In conclusion, heparinized and HGF-coated acellular porcine carotid arteries may be a promising biological scaffold for tissue-engineered vascular grafts.

The interrelation of galectins and autophagy

Autophagy is a vital physiological process that maintains intracellular homeostasis by removing damaged organelles and senescent or misfolded molecules. However, excessive autophagy results in cell death and apoptosis, which will lead to a variety of diseases. Galectins are a type of animal lectin that binds to β-galactosides and can bind to the cell surface or extracellular matrix glycans, affecting a variety of immune processes in vivo and being linked to the development of many diseases. In many cases, galectins and autophagy both play important regulatory roles in the cellular life course, yet our understanding of the relationship between them is still incomplete. Galectins and autophagy may share common etiological cofactors for some diseases. Hence, we summarize the relationship between galectins and autophagy, aiming to draw attention to the existence of multiple associations between galectins and autophagy in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, which provide new ideas for etiological diagnosis, drug development, and therapeutic targets for related diseases.

Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switch Induced by Traditional Cigarette Smoke Condensate: A Holistic Overview

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a risk factor for inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis. CS condensate (CSC) contains lipophilic components that may represent a systemic cardiac risk factor. To better understand CSC effects, we incubated mouse and human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with CSC. We evaluated specific markers for contractile [i.e., actin, aortic smooth muscle (ACTA2), calponin-1 (CNN1), the Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), and myocardin (MYOCD) genes] and inflammatory [i.e., IL-1β, and IL-6, IL-8, and galectin-3 (LGALS-3) genes] phenotypes. CSC increased the expression of inflammatory markers and reduced the contractile ones in both cell types, with KLF4 modulating the SMC phenotypic switch. Next, we performed a mass spectrometry-based differential proteomic approach on human SMCs and could show 11 proteins were significantly affected by exposition to CSC (FC ≥ 2.7, p ≤ 0.05). These proteins are active in signaling pathways related to expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and IFN, inflammasome assembly and activation, cytoskeleton regulation and SMC contraction, mitochondrial integrity and cellular response to oxidative stress, proteostasis control via ubiquitination, and cell proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Through specific bioinformatics resources, we showed their tight functional correlation in a close interaction niche mainly orchestrated by the interferon-induced double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (alternative name: protein kinase RNA-activated; PKR) (EIF2AK2/PKR). Finally, by combining gene expression and protein abundance data we obtained a hybrid network showing reciprocal integration of the CSC-deregulated factors and indicating KLF4 and PKR as the most relevant factors.

Telotristat Etiprate alleviates rheumatoid arthritis by targeting LGALS3 and affecting MAPK signaling

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most widespread chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases characterized by continuous erosion of bone and cartilage by synovial hyperplasia. Telotristat Etiprate is an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin. Telotristat Etiprate can be used in the treatment of carcinoid syndrome. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of Telotristat Etiprate on RA and its mechanism. We investigated Telotristat Etiprate in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model mice and in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs). Results showed that Telotristat Etiprate had anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo, can inhibit the invasion and migration of cells, inhibit the formation of pannus, and induce cell apoptosis. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and mass spectrometry analysis showed that Galectins-3 (LGALS3) could be a newly identified target of Telotristat Etiprate, affecting the phosphorylation of the MAPK signaling pathway through UBE2L6, thereby improving RA.