Molecular Processes Involved in the Shared Pathways between Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes

Cardioprotective effects of liposomal resveratrol in diabetic rats: unveiling antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits

As a consequence of chronic hyperglycemia, diabetes complications and tissue damage are exacerbated. There is evidence that natural phytochemicals, including resveratrol, a bioactive polyphenol, may be able to reduce oxidative stress and improve insulin sensitivity. However, resveratrol's limited bioavailability hampers its therapeutic effectiveness. By using liposomes, resveratrol may be better delivered into the body and be more bioavailable. The objective of this study was to assess the cardioprotective potential of liposome-encapsulated resveratrol (LR) in a streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic rat model. Adult male Wistar rats were categorized into five groups: control, diabetic, resveratrol-treated (40 mg/kg), liposomal resveratrol (LR)-treated (20 mg/kg) and liposomal resveratrol (LR)-treated (40 mg/kg) for a five-week study period. We compared the effects of LR to those of resveratrol (40 mg/kg) on various parameters, including serum levels of cardiac markers, tissue levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nuclear transcription factor, oxidative stress markers, and apoptotic markers. LR treatment in STZ-diabetic rats resulted in notable physiological improvements, including blood glucose regulation, inflammation reduction, oxidative stress mitigation, and apoptosis inhibition. LR effectively lowered oxidative stress and enhanced cardiovascular function. It also demonstrated a remarkable ability to suppress NF-kB-mediated inflammation by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. Additionally, LR restored the antioxidant enzymes, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, thereby effectively counteracting oxidative stress. Notably, LR modulated apoptotic regulators, including caspase, Bcl2, and Bax, suggesting a role in regulating programmed cell death. These biochemical alterations were consistent with improved structural integrity of cardiac tissue as revealed by histological examination. In comparison, resveratrol exhibited lower efficacy at an equivalent dosage. Liposomal resveratrol shows promise in alleviating hyperglycemia-induced cardiac damage in diabetes. Further research is warranted to explore its potential as a therapeutic agent for diabetic cardiovascular complications and possible cardioprotective effects.

Does the Composition of Gut Microbiota Affect Chronic Kidney Disease? Molecular Mechanisms Contributed to Decreasing Glomerular Filtration Rate

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a very prevalent and insidious disease, particularly with initially poorly manifested symptoms that progressively culminate in the manifestation of an advanced stage of the condition. The gradual impairment of kidney function, particularly decreased filtration capacity, results in the retention of uremic toxins and affects numerous molecular mechanisms within the body. The dysbiotic intestinal microbiome plays a crucial role in the accumulation of protein-bound uremic toxins such as p-cresol (pC), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and p-cresyl sulfate (p-CS) through the ongoing fermentation process. The described phenomenon leads to an elevated level of oxidative stress and inflammation, subsequently resulting in tissue damage and complications, particularly an increase in cardiovascular risk, representing the predominant cause of mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, exploring methods to reduce uremic toxins is currently a pivotal therapeutic strategy aimed at reducing the risk of organ damage in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review aims to summarize recent discoveries on modifying the composition of the intestinal microbiota through the introduction of special probiotic and synbiotic supplements for CKD therapy. The potential to connect the gut microbiota with CKD opens the possibility for further extensive research in this area, which could lead to the incorporation of synbiotics and probiotics into the fundamental treatment and prevention of CKD.

The role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) in the management of the hypertensive patient with metabolic syndrome: a position paper from the Korean society of hypertension

Obesity is the one of the most important components of metabolic syndrome. Because obesity related hypertension accounts for two thirds of essential hypertension, managing obesity and metabolic syndrome is a crucial task in the management of hypertension. However, the current non-pharmacological therapies have limitations for achieving or maintaining ideal body weight. Recently, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) have demonstrated excellent weight control effects, accompanied by corresponding reductions in blood pressure. GLP1-RAs have shown cardiovascular and renal protective effects in cardiovascular outcome trials both in primary and secondary prevention. In this document, the Korean Society of Hypertension intends to remark the current clinical results of GLP1-RAs and recommend the government and health-policy makers to define obesity as a disease and to establish forward-looking policies for GLP1-RA treatment for obesity treatment, including active reimbursement policies.

Computational strategies for cross-species knowledge transfer and translational biomedicine

Research organisms provide invaluable insights into human biology and diseases, serving as essential tools for functional experiments, disease modeling, and drug testing. However, evolutionary divergence between humans and research organisms hinders effective knowledge transfer across species. Here, we review state-of-the-art methods for computationally transferring knowledge across species, primarily focusing on methods that utilize transcriptome data and/or molecular networks. We introduce the term "agnology" to describe the functional equivalence of molecular components regardless of evolutionary origin, as this concept is becoming pervasive in integrative data-driven models where the role of evolutionary origin can become unclear. Our review addresses four key areas of information and knowledge transfer across species: (1) transferring disease and gene annotation knowledge, (2) identifying agnologous molecular components, (3) inferring equivalent perturbed genes or gene sets, and (4) identifying agnologous cell types. We conclude with an outlook on future directions and several key challenges that remain in cross-species knowledge transfer.

Association of Monocyte-to-HDL Cholesterol Ratio with Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Aims

To explore the relationship between monocyte-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (MHR) and endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods

243 patients diagnosed with T2DM were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into two groups by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) quintile as nonendothelial dysfunction (FMD ≥ 6.4%) and endothelial dysfunction (FMD < 6.4%). The relationship between MHR and FMD was analyzed using Spearman's correlation, partial correlation, and multiple logistic regression analysis. ROC curve was fitted to evaluate the ability of MHR to predict endothelial dysfunction.

Results

Endothelial dysfunction was present in 193 (79%) patients. Patients with endothelial dysfunction had higher MHR (p < 0.05) than those without endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, MHR had a significantly positive correlation with endothelial dysfunction (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), and the positive association persisted even after controlling for confounding factors (r = 0.14, p < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that MHR was an independent contributor for endothelial dysfunction (OR: 1.35 (1.08, 1.70), p < 0.05) and the risk of endothelial dysfunction increases by 61% with each standard deviation increase in MHR (OR: 1.61 (1.12, 2.30), p < 0.05) (model 1). After adjusting for sex, age, BMI, disease course, hypertension, smoking, and drinking (model 2) as well as HbA1c, HOMA-IR, C-reactive protein, and TG (model 3), similar results were obtained. In ROC analysis, the area of under the ROC curve (AUC) for MHR was 0.60 (95% CI 0.52-0.69, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

MHR was independently associated with endothelial dysfunction in T2DM patients. It could be a new biomarker for vascular endothelial function assessment.