The mechanisms of glycolipid metabolism disorder on vascular injury in type 2 diabetes

The regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism through the interaction of dietary polyphenols and polysaccharides via the gut microbiota pathway

The interaction of polyphenols-polysaccharides-gut microbiota to promote health benefits has become a hotspot and direction for precise dietary intervention strategies and foundational research in biomedicine. Both dietary polyphenols and polysaccharides possess biological activities that regulate body health. Single components, due to their inherent structure and physicochemical properties, have a low bioavailability, thus are unable to exert their optimal effects. The compound structure formed by the interaction of polyphenols and polysaccharides can enhance their functional properties, thereby more effectively promoting health benefits and preventing diseases. This review primarily focuses on the roles played by polyphenols and polysaccharides in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, the improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism through the gut microbial pathway by polyphenols and polysaccharides, and the mechanisms by which polyphenols and polysaccharides interact to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. A considerable amount of preliminary research has confirmed the regulatory effects of plant polyphenols and polysaccharides on glucose and lipid metabolism. However, studies on the combined effects and mechanisms of these two components are still very limited. This review aims to provide a reference for subsequent research on their interactions and changes in functional properties.

Tick salivary proteome and lipidome with low glycan content correlate with allergic type reactions in the zebrafish model

Ticks, as hematophagous ectoparasites, can manipulate host immune and metabolic processes, causing tick-borne allergies such as α-Gal syndrome (AGS). Glycolipids with bound galactose-alpha-1-3-galactose (α-Gal) are potential allergenic molecules associated with AGS. Nevertheless, proteins and lipids lacking α-Gal modifications may contribute to tick salivary allergies and be linked to AGS. In this study, we characterized the effect of deglycosylated tick salivary proteins without lipids on treated zebrafish fed with dog food formulated with mammalian (beef, lamb, pork) meat by quantitative proteomics analysis of intestinal samples. The characterization and functional annotations of tick salivary lipids with low representation of glycolipids was conducted using a lipidomics approach. Results showed a significant effect of treatment with saliva and saliva deglycosylated protein fraction on zebrafish abnormal or no feeding (p < 0.005). Treatment with this fraction affected multiple metabolic pathways, defense responses to pathogens and protein metabolism, which correlated with abnormal or no feeding. Lipidomics analysis identified 23 lipid classes with low representation of glycolipids (0.70% of identified lipids). The lipid class with highest representation was phosphatidylcholine (PC; 26.66%) and for glycolipids it corresponded to diacylglycerol (DG; 0.48%). Qualitative analysis of PC antibodies revealed that individuals bitten by ticks were more likely to produce PC-IgG antibodies (p < 0.001). DG levels were significantly higher in tick salivary glands (p < 0.05) compared with tick saliva and salivary fractions. The α-Gal content was higher in tick saliva than in deglycosylated saliva and lipid fractions. These results support a possible role for tick salivary proteins and lipids without α-Gal modifications in AGS.

Glycolipid Metabolic Disorders, Metainflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Cardiovascular Diseases: Unraveling Pathways

Glycolipid metabolic disorders (GLMDs) are various metabolic disorders resulting from dysregulation in glycolipid levels, consequently leading to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, liver dysfunction, neuromuscular complications, and cardiorenal vascular diseases (CRVDs). In patients with GLMDs, excess caloric intake and a lack of physical activity may contribute to oxidative stress (OxS) and systemic inflammation. This study aimed to review the connection between GLMD, OxS, metainflammation, and the onset of CRVD. GLMD is due to various metabolic disorders causing dysfunction in the synthesis, breakdown, and absorption of glucose and lipids in the body, resulting in excessive ectopic accumulation of these molecules. This is mainly due to neuroendocrine dysregulation, insulin resistance, OxS, and metainflammation. In GLMD, many inflammatory markers and defense cells play a vital role in related tissues and organs, such as blood vessels, pancreatic islets, the liver, muscle, the kidneys, and adipocytes, promoting inflammatory lesions that affect various interconnected organs through their signaling pathways. Advanced glycation end products, ATP-binding cassette transporter 1, Glucagon-like peptide-1, Toll-like receptor-4, and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) play a crucial role in GLMD since they are related to glucolipid metabolism. The consequences of this is system organ damage and increased morbidity and mortality.

Puerarin mitigated LPS-ATP or HG-primed endothelial cells damage and diabetes-associated cardiovascular disease via ROS-NLRP3 signalling

The occurrence and development of diabetic vascular diseases are closely linked to inflammation-induced endothelial dysfunction. Puerarin (Pue), the primary component of Pueraria lobata, possesses potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, its vasoprotective role remains elusive. Therefore, we investigated whether Pue can effectively protect against vascular damage induced by diabetes. In the study, Pue ameliorated lipopolysaccharide-adenosine triphosphate (LPS-ATP) or HG-primed cytotoxicity and apoptosis, while inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in HUVECs, as evidenced by significantly decreased ROS level, NOX4, Caspase-1 activity and expression of NLRP3, GSDMD, cleaved caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18. Meanwhile, ROS inducer CoCI2 efficiently weakened the effects of Pue against LPS-ATP-primed pyroptosis. In addition, NLRP3 knockdown notably enhanced Pue's ability to suppress pyroptosis in LPS-ATP-primed HUVECs, whereas overexpression of NLRP3 reversed the inhibitory effects of Pue. Furthermore, Pue inhibited the expression of ROS and NLRP3 inflammasome-associated proteins on the aorta in type 2 diabetes mellitus rats. Our findings indicated that Pue might ameliorate LPS-ATP or HG-primed damage in HUVECs by inactivating the ROS-NLRP3 signalling pathway.

Unveiling the pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches for diabetic nephropathy: insights from panvascular diseases

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) represents a significant microvascular complication in diabetes, entailing intricate molecular pathways and mechanisms associated with cardiorenal vascular diseases. Prolonged hyperglycemia induces renal endothelial dysfunction and damage via metabolic abnormalities, inflammation, and oxidative stress, thereby compromising hemodynamics. Concurrently, fibrotic and sclerotic alterations exacerbate glomerular and tubular injuries. At a macro level, reciprocal communication between the renal microvasculature and systemic circulation establishes a pernicious cycle propelling disease progression. The current management approach emphasizes rigorous control of glycemic levels and blood pressure, with renin-angiotensin system blockade conferring renoprotection. Novel antidiabetic agents exhibit renoprotective effects, potentially mediated through endothelial modulation. Nonetheless, emerging therapies present novel avenues for enhancing patient outcomes and alleviating the disease burden. A precision-based approach, coupled with a comprehensive strategy addressing global vascular risk, will be pivotal in mitigating the cardiorenal burden associated with diabetes.

Relationship between Biochemical Pathways and Non-Coding RNAs Involved in the Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a progressive blinding disease, which affects the vision and quality of life of patients, and it severely impacts the society. This complication, caused by abnormal glucose metabolism, leads to structural, functional, molecular, and biochemical abnormalities in the retina. Oxidative stress and inflammation also play pivotal roles in the pathogenic process of DR, leading to mitochondrial damage and a decrease in mitochondrial function. DR causes retinal degeneration in glial and neural cells, while the disappearance of pericytes in retinal blood vessels leads to alterations in vascular regulation and stability. Clinical changes include dilatation and blood flow changes in response to the decrease in retinal perfusion in retinal blood vessels, leading to vascular leakage, neovascularization, and neurodegeneration. The loss of vascular cells in the retina results in capillary occlusion and ischemia. Thus, DR is a highly complex disease with various biological factors, which contribute to its pathogenesis. The interplay between biochemical pathways and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) is essential for understanding the development and progression of DR. Abnormal expression of ncRNAs has been confirmed to promote the development of DR, suggesting that ncRNAs such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs have potential as diagnostic biomarkers and theranostic targets in DR. This review provides an overview of the interactions between abnormal biochemical pathways and dysregulated expression of ncRNAs under the influence of hyperglycemic environment in DR.

Branched-chain amino acid catabolic defect in vascular smooth muscle cells drives thoracic aortic dissection via mTOR hyperactivation

Metabolic reprogramming of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic dissection (TAD). Previous researches have mainly focused on dysregulation of fatty acid or glucose metabolism, while the impact of amino acids catabolic disorder in VSMCs during the development of TAD remains elusive. Here, we identified branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolic defect as a metabolic hallmark of TAD. The bioinformatics analysis and data from human aorta revealed impaired BCAA catabolism in TAD individuals. This was accompanied by upregulated branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) expression and BCKD E1 subunit alpha (BCKDHA) phosphorylation, enhanced vascular inflammation, and hyperactivation of mTOR signaling. Further in vivo experiments demonstrated that inhibition of BCKDK with BT2 (a BCKDK allosteric inhibitor) treatment dephosphorylated BCKDHA and re-activated BCAA catabolism, attenuated VSMCs phenotypic switching, alleviated aortic remodeling, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage and vascular inflammation. Additionally, the beneficial actions of BT2 were validated in a TNF-α challenged murine VSMC cell line. Meanwhile, rapamycin conferred similar beneficial effects against VSMC phenotypic switching, cellular ROS damage as well as inflammatory response. However, co-treatment with MHY1485 (a classic mTOR activator) reversed the beneficial effects of BT2 by reactivating mTOR signaling. Taken together, the in vivo and in vitro evidence showed that impairment of BCAA catabolism resulted in aortic accumulation of BCAA and further caused VSMC phenotypic switching, mitochondrial ROS damage and inflammatory response via mTOR hyperactivation. BCKDK and mTOR signaling may serve as the potential drug targets for the prevention and treatment of TAD.

Light-induced circadian rhythm disorder leads to microvascular dysfunction via up-regulating NETs

Circadian rhythm is a physical, mental, and behavioral pattern over the course of 24-hour cycle, and its disturbance is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Microvascular dysfunction serves as an important cause of cardiovascular disease, but the relationship between rhythm disturbances and microcirculation remains elusive. Herein, we constructed the mice model of circadian rhythm disturbance and investigated the alterations of microvascular conditions. It was revealed that coronary microcirculatory function and cardiac diastolic function were significantly reduced, along with endothelium-dependent diastolic function of microvessels remarkably impaired in the rhythm-disordered group of mice compared to the control group. Notably, rhythm disturbance led to a significant upregulation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) levels in mice, which cause endothelial dysfunction by inhibiting microvascular endothelial cell activity and migration capacity as well as inducing apoptosis. Additionally, intraperitoneal injection of Cl-amidine suppressed the production of NETs, which further improved coronary microcirculatory function and endothelium-dependent diastolic function. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that circadian rhythm disorders could induce the development of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) through the up-regulation of NETs, providing a potential therapeutic direction for the treatment of CMD.

ATG5 gene expression analysis supports the involvement of autophagy in microangiopathic complications of type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) hyperglycaemia alters basal autophagy. Since autophagy is an essential cellular process, our aim was to investigate the ATG5 (autophagy-related 5) gene expression level and genetic variants in a cohort of diabetic patients, characterized for the presence of microangiopathic complications.

METHODS AND RESULTS

the expression levels of ATG5 were evaluated in PBMCs from 48 T2D patients with an extensive evaluation for microangiopathic complications. Our analyses revealed a significant lower expression of ATG5 in T2D patients with retinopathy compared to those without retinopathy. We also highlighted a significant lower expression of ATG5 in T2D patients with early-cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy compared to those without it, after correction for sex, age, body mass index and levels of hemoglobin A1c.

CONCLUSION

our results highlight that dysregulation in the autophagy process could be involved in the development of severe microangiopathic complications.

Proposing new early detection indicators for pancreatic cancer: Combining machine learning and neural networks for serum miRNA-based diagnostic model

Background

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a lethal malignancy that ranks seventh in terms of global cancer-related mortality. Despite advancements in treatment, the five-year survival rate remains low, emphasizing the urgent need for reliable early detection methods. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a group of non-coding RNAs involved in critical gene regulatory mechanisms, have garnered significant attention as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer (PC). Their suitability stems from their accessibility and stability in blood, making them particularly appealing for clinical applications.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed serum miRNA expression profiles from three independent PC datasets obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. To identify serum miRNAs associated with PC incidence, we employed three machine learning algorithms: Support Vector Machine-Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE), Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and Random Forest. We developed an artificial neural network model to assess the accuracy of the identified PC-related serum miRNAs (PCRSMs) and create a nomogram. These findings were further validated through qPCR experiments. Additionally, patient samples with PC were classified using the consensus clustering method.

Results

Our analysis revealed three PCRSMs, namely hsa-miR-4648, hsa-miR-125b-1-3p, and hsa-miR-3201, using the three machine learning algorithms. The artificial neural network model demonstrated high accuracy in distinguishing between normal and pancreatic cancer samples, with verification and training groups exhibiting AUC values of 0.935 and 0.926, respectively. We also utilized the consensus clustering method to classify PC samples into two optimal subtypes. Furthermore, our investigation into the expression of PCRSMs unveiled a significant negative correlation between the expression of hsa-miR-125b-1-3p and age.

Conclusion

Our study introduces a novel artificial neural network model for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, carrying significant clinical implications. Furthermore, our findings provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer and offer potential avenues for drug screening, personalized treatment, and immunotherapy against this lethal disease.

Ceramide in cerebrovascular diseases

Ceramide, a bioactive sphingolipid, serves as an important second messenger in cell signal transduction. Under stressful conditions, it can be generated from de novo synthesis, sphingomyelin hydrolysis, and/or the salvage pathway. The brain is rich in lipids, and abnormal lipid levels are associated with a variety of brain disorders. Cerebrovascular diseases, which are mainly caused by abnormal cerebral blood flow and secondary neurological injury, are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. There is a growing body of evidence for a close connection between elevated ceramide levels and cerebrovascular diseases, especially stroke and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). The increased ceramide has broad effects on different types of brain cells, including endothelial cells, microglia, and neurons. Therefore, strategies that reduce ceramide synthesis, such as modifying sphingomyelinase activity or the rate-limiting enzyme of the de novo synthesis pathway, serine palmitoyltransferase, may represent novel and promising therapeutic approaches to prevent or treat cerebrovascular injury-related diseases.