Time Series Transcriptomic Analysis by RNA Sequencing Reveals a Key Role of PI3K in Sepsis-Induced Myocardial Injury in Mice

Utilizing omics technologies in the investigation of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy

Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) is a common and high-mortality complication among critically ill patients. Uncertainties persist regarding the pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of SIC, underscoring the necessity to investigate potential biological mechanisms. With the rise of omics technologies, leveraging their high throughput and big data advantages, a systems biology perspective is employed to study the biological processes of SIC. This approach aids in gaining a better understanding of the disease's onset, progression, and outcomes, ultimately providing improved guidance for clinical practices. This review summarizes the currently applied omics technologies, omics studies related to SIC, and relevant omics databases.

Phytochemicals targeting ferroptosis in cardiovascular diseases: Recent advances and therapeutic perspectives

Ferroptosis is a form of iron-dependent regulatory cell death that is related to the pathogenesis and progression of various cardiovascular diseases, such as arrhythmia, diabetic cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, and heart failure. This makes it a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases. It is interesting that a significant number of cardiovascular disease treatment drugs derived from phytochemicals have been shown to target ferroptosis, thus producing cardioprotective effects. This study offers a concise overview of the initiation and control mechanisms of ferroptosis. It discusses the core regulatory factors of ferroptosis as potential new therapeutic targets for various cardiovascular diseases, elucidating how ferroptosis influences the progression of cardiovascular diseases. In addition, this review systematically summarizes the regulatory effects of phytochemicals on ferroptosis, emphasizing their potential mechanisms and clinical applications in treating cardiovascular diseases. This study provides a reference for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms of phytochemicals in treating cardiovascular diseases. This may accelerate their application in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and is worth further research in this field.

Gallic Acid Attenuates Sepsis-Induced Liver Injury through C/EBPβ-Dependent MAPK Signaling Pathway

SCOPE

Liver injury is a major complication associated with sepsis. Together with others, the study has shown that gallic acid (GA) exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in vivo. However, the role of GA in sepsis-mediated hepatic impairment and the underlying mechanisms remains to be elucidated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

C57BL/6J mice are pretreated with saline or GA and subjected to sham or cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The pathological alterations are assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining as well as immunohistochemical staining. RNA sequencing is employed to analyze hepatic transcriptome modifications. The study finds that GA supplementation significantly ameliorates CLP-induced mortality, liver dysfunction, and inflammation. RNA sequencing reveals that 1324 genes are markedly differentially regulated in livers of saline- or GA-treated sham or CLP mice. Gene ontology analysis demonstrates that the differentially expressed genes regulated by GA are predominantly correlated with the immune system process, oxidation-reduction process, and inflammatory response. Furthermore, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling is localized in the center of the GA-mediated pathway network. Notably, activation of MAPK by C16-PAF significantly blocks GA-mediated protective effects on hepatic injury, inflammation, as well as CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-β (C/EBPβ) dependent extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, this study indicates that GA may offer a promising therapeutic opportunity for sepsis-associated liver injury.

CD5L as a promising biological therapeutic for treating sepsis

Sepsis results from systemic, dysregulated inflammatory responses to infection, culminating in multiple organ failure. Here, we demonstrate the utility of CD5L for treating experimental sepsis caused by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). We show that CD5L's important features include its ability to enhance neutrophil recruitment and activation by increasing circulating levels of CXCL1, and to promote neutrophil phagocytosis. CD5L-deficient mice exhibit impaired neutrophil recruitment and compromised bacterial control, rendering them susceptible to attenuated CLP. CD5L-/- peritoneal cells from mice subjected to medium-grade CLP exhibit a heightened pro-inflammatory transcriptional profile, reflecting a loss of control of the immune response to the infection. Intravenous administration of recombinant CD5L (rCD5L) in immunocompetent C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice significantly ameliorates measures of disease in the setting of high-grade CLP-induced sepsis. Furthermore, rCD5L lowers endotoxin and damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) levels, and protects WT mice from LPS-induced endotoxic shock. These findings warrant the investigation of rCD5L as a possible treatment for sepsis in humans.

PIK3CG Regulates NLRP3/GSDMD-Mediated Pyroptosis in Septic Myocardial Injury

Cardiac insufficiency is a common complication of sepsis with high mortality. Inflammatory programmed cell death (pyroptosis) executed by NLRP3/gasdermin D (GSDMD) is intrinsically correlated with septic myocardial injury. However, it remains unclear whether PIK3CG, a classical target of septic myocardial injury, can affect pyroptosis by regulating NLRP3/GSDMD signaling. In this study, a series of experimental methods were used to observe the effect of PIK3CG on NLRP3/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-injured BALB/c mice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-injured HL-1 cardiomyocytes. Transcriptome analysis of CLP-injured myocardium revealed a regulatory relationship between PIK3CG and NLRP3/GSDMD signaling, which was further verified in clinical myocardium samples from GEO database. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the protein and mRNA levels of PIK3CG, GSDMD, NLRP3, IL-1β, Caspase-1, and IL-18 were significantly increased. Importantly, PIK3CG siRNA was found to improve these changes, while PIK3CG overexpression worsened them. Notably, pyroptosis induced by CLP in the myocardium was reversed by the PIK3CG inhibitor (AS-604850). In conclusion, PIK3CG activates NLRP3 inflammasomes, thus promoting pyroptosis in septic myocardial injury.

Matrine Alleviates Sepsis-Induced Myocardial Injury by Inhibiting Ferroptosis and Apoptosis

Matrine is a Sophora alkaloid that exerts antitumor effects on a variety of diseases, but few studies have investigated the role of matrine in sepsis-induced myocardial injury. In the present study, we investigated the effects of matrine on septic myocardial injury and the potential mechanisms. Network pharmacology approaches were used to predict the targets of matrine in the treatment of sepsis-induced myocardial injury. A mouse sepsis-induced myocardial injury model was established to determine the effect of matrine. Mouse cardiac function was evaluated by ultrasonography, and cardiac morphology and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were evaluated by HE and TUNEL staining. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring ROS levels and MDA and SOD activity. Bax, Bcl2, GPX4, ACSL4, PI3K, and AKT protein levels were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. Bioinformatics analysis identified that the potential therapeutic effect of matrine on sepsis-induced myocardial injury is closely related to ferroptosis and apoptosis regulation and showed significant involvement of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In vivo, the matrine group showed improved myocardial function, morphology, and apoptosis ratio and alleviated oxidative stress compared with the LPS group, whereas 25 mg/kg matrine exerted the optimal inhibitory effect. Matrine alleviated LPS-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and apoptosis, resulting in upregulation of Bax/Bcl2 and GPX4 expression and downregulation of ferroptosis marker protein (ACSL4) expression, as shown by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Moreover, matrine increased PI3K/AKT pathway-related molecule expression and thus modulated ferroptosis and apoptosis. Matrine regulates PI3K/AKT pathway activity to inhibit apoptosis and ferroptosis and thereby alleviates sepsis-induced myocardial injury.

Comparative Analysis of Whole Transcriptome Profiles in Septic Cardiomyopathy: Insights from CLP- and LPS-Induced Mouse Models

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, with septic cardiomyopathy being a common and severe complication. Despite its significant clinical impact, the molecular mechanisms underlying sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM) remain incompletely understood. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis of whole transcriptome profiles using RNA sequencing in mouse hearts in two widely used mouse models of septic cardiomyopathy. CLP-induced sepsis was achieved by surgical cecal ligation and puncture, while LPS-induced sepsis was induced using a 5 mg/kg intraperitoneal (IP) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). For consistency, we utilized sham-operated mice as the control for septic models. Our aim was to identify key genes and pathways involved in the development of septic cardiomyopathy and to evaluate the similarities and differences between the two models. Our findings demonstrated that both the CLP and lipopolysaccharide LPS methods could induce septic heart dysfunction within 24 h. We identified common transcriptional regulatory regions in the septic hearts of both models, such as Nfkb1, Sp1, and Jun. Moreover, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in comparison to control were involved in shared pathways, including regulation of inflammatory response, regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolic process, and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. However, each model presented distinctive whole transcriptome expression profiles and potentially diverse pathways contributing to sepsis-induced heart failure. This extensive comparison enhances our understanding of the molecular basis of septic cardiomyopathy, providing invaluable insights. Accordingly, our study also contributes to the pursuit of effective and personalized treatment strategies for SICM, highlighting the importance of considering the specific causative factors.

Whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis reveal mechanisms of Yiqi Huoxue Yangyin (YHY) decoction in ameliorating D-gal-induced cardiac aging

BACKGROUND

Aging is a major factor for cardiovascular disease, and cardiac aging is closely related to the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Clarifying the mechanism of cardiac aging and finding reliable intervention is critical for preventing cardiovascular diseases and achieving healthy longevity. Traditional Chinese medicine Yiqi Huoxue Yangyin (YHY) decoction has unique advantage in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and aging. However, the associated molecular mechanisms remain unknown.

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to verify the efficacy of YHY decoction against cardiac aging in D-gal-induced mouse model, and explore the potential mechanism of YHY decoction treatment through whole-transcriptome sequencing technique, providing novel insights into the molecular basis of YHY decoction in treating cardiac aging.

METHODS

The component of YHY decoction was identified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). D-gal-induced aging mouse model was established for this study. HE and Masson staining were applied to determine pathological changes of heart; telomere length, telomerase activity, AGEs and p53 were used to evaluate the degree of heart aging. Transcriptome sequencing, GO, KEGG, GSEA and ceRNA network were applied to analyze the potential mechanism of YHY decoction treatment of cardiac aging.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that YHY decoction not only improved the pathological structure of aging heart, but also regulated the expression of aging-related markers, telomere length, telomerase activity, AGEs and p53, the myocardial tissue, suggesting that it has a specific effect in delaying cardiac aging. Whole-transcriptome sequencing showed that the total of 433 mRNAs, 284 lncRNAs, 62 miRNAs, and 39 circRNAs were significantly differentially expressed after YHY decoction treatment. According to the analysis results of KEGG and GSEA, the differentially expressed mRNAs were found significantly involved in immune system, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and cell adhesion molecules. The ceRNA network showed that miR-770, miR-324, and miR-365 are localized in center, mainly affecting the immune system, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our results evaluated the ceRNA network of YHY decoction in treating cardiac aging for the first time, which could provide better understanding of the potential mechanism of YHY decoction treatment of cardiac aging.