Silencing the Adipocytokine NOV: A Novel Approach to Reversing Oxidative Stress-Induced Cardiometabolic Dysfunction

Three-dimensional aortic geometry: clinical correlates, prognostic value and genetic architecture

Aortic structure and function impact cardiovascular health through multiple mechanisms. Aortic structural degeneration increases left ventricular afterload, pulse pressure and promotes target organ damage. Despite the impact of aortic structure on cardiovascular health, aortic 3D-geometry has yet to be comprehensively assessed. Using a convolutional neural network (U-Net) combined with morphological operations, we quantified aortic 3D-geometric phenotypes (AGPs) from 53,612 participants in the UK Biobank and 8,066 participants in the Penn Medicine Biobank. AGPs reflective of structural aortic degeneration, characterized by arch unfolding, descending aortic lengthening and luminal dilation exhibited cross-sectional associations with hypertension and cardiac diseases, and were predictive for new-onset hypertension, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation. We identified 237 novel genetic loci associated with 3D-AGPs. Fibrillin-2 gene polymorphisms were identified as key determinants of aortic arch-3D structure. Mendelian randomization identified putative causal effects of aortic geometry on the risk of chronic kidney disease and stroke.

CCN3/NOV inhibition attenuates oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of mouse neural stem/progenitor cells by blocking the activation of p38 MAPK: An in vitro study

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) hold immense promise in clinical applications, yet the harsh conditions resulting from central nervous system (CNS) injuries, particularly oxidative stress, lead to the demise of both native and transplanted NSPCs. Cellular communication network factor 3 (CCN3) exhibits a protective effect against oxidative stress in various cell types. This study investigates the impact of CCN3 on NSPCs apoptosis induced by oxidative stress. To establish models of primary cultured mouse NSPCs under oxidative stress, we exposed them to 50 μM H2O2 for 4 h. Remarkably, pre-exposing CCN3 exacerbated the H2O2-induced decline in cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. However, employing gene-targeted siRNA to inhibit CCN3 protected NSPCs against H2O2-induced cell death. Conversely, CCN3 replenishment reversed this protective effect, as evidenced by TUNEL staining, the ratio of Cleaved-caspase-3 to Pro-caspase-3, and Bcl-2/Bax. Further investigations revealed that CCN3 pretreatment increased the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK, while silencing CCN3 diminished p38 MAPK activation. Ultimately, the impact of changes in CCN3 protein expression on H2O2-induced apoptosis was nullified using anisomycin (a p38 activator) and SB 203580 (a p38 inhibitor). Our findings suggest that CCN3 inhibition prevents H2O2-induced cell death in cultured mouse NSPCs via the p38 pathway. These discoveries may contribute to the development of strategies aimed at enhancing the survival of both endogenous and transplanted NSPCs following CNS oxidative stress insults.

A Comprehensive Study on the Association between Plasma NOV/CCN3 Levels and Insulin Resistance in Childhood Obesity

INTRODUCTION

Childhood obesity is a global health problem that is associated with various metabolic complications, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance in childhood obesity are not fully understood. Nephroblastoma overexpressed gene (NOV), also known as CCN3, is a member of the CCN family of matricellular proteins that modulate cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, migration, and survival. Previous studies have shown that NOV/CCN3 is involved in glucose metabolism and insulin signaling in various tissues and cell types. However, the role of NOV/CCN3 in childhood obesity and insulin resistance remains unclear.

METHODS

In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between plasma NOV/CCN3 levels and insulin resistance in 58 obese and 43 non-obese children aged 6-12 years. We measured plasma NOV/CCN3 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and assessed insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). We also collected clinical and biochemical data, such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), fasting glucose (FG), fasting insulin (FI), lipid profile, and inflammatory markers.

RESULTS

We found that plasma NOV/CCN3 levels were significantly higher in obese children than in non-obese children (p < 0.001) and positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.42, p < 0.001), WC (r = 0.38, p < 0.001), BP (r = 0.35, p < 0.001), FG (r = 0.31, p < 0.001), FI (r = 0.45, p < 0.001), HOMA-IR (r = 0.48, p < 0.001), triglycerides (r = 0.28, p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.26, p < 0.001), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that plasma NOV/CCN3 levels were independently associated with HOMA-IR after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, WC, BP, FG, FI, lipid profile, and CRP (β = 0.36, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that plasma NOV/CCN3 levels are elevated in childhood obesity and are associated with insulin resistance, indicating that NOV/CCN3 may play a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders in obese children.

CCN3/NOV serum levels in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and its correlation with TNF-α and IL-6

INTRODUCTION

Dysregulation in the secretion of adipokines or adipocytokines plays a significant role in triggering a pro-inflammatory state, leading to endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance, and ultimately elevating the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). Previous studies have shown a link between NOV/CCN3 (an adipokine) and obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation. However, no research has explored the relationship between CCN3 serum levels and CAD. Therefore, we conducted the first investigation to examine the correlation between CCN3 and CAD risk factors in patients.

METHODS

In a case-control study, we measured the serum levels of CCN3, IL-6, adiponectin, and TNF-α in 88 angiography-confirmed CAD patients and 88 control individuals using ELISA kits. Additionally, we used an auto analyzer and commercial kits to measure the biochemical parameters.

RESULTS

In patients with CAD, the serum levels of CCN3, TNF-α, and IL-6 were significantly higher compared to the control group, whereas lower levels of adiponectin were observed in the CAD group (P < 0.0001). A positive correlation was found between CCN3 and IL-6 and TNF-α in the CAD group ([r = 0.38, P < 0.0001], [r = 0.39, P < 0.0001], respectively). A binary logistic regression analysis showed the risk of CAD in the model adjusted (OR [95% CI] = 1.29 [1.19 - 1.41]), (P < 0.0001). We determined a cut-off value of CCN3 (3169.6 pg/mL) to distinguish CAD patients from the control group, with good sensitivity and specificity obtained for this finding (83.8% and 87.5%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence of a positive association between CCN3 serum levels and CAD, as well as inflammation markers such as IL-6 and TNF-α. These findings suggest that CCN3 may serve as a potential biomarker for CAD, and further investigations are necessary to validate this association and explore its potential use in clinical settings.

Recent progress on the role of cellular communication network factors (CCN) 3, 4 and 6 in regulating adiposity, liver fibrosis and pancreatic islets

CCN/WISP (cellular communication network factors, or Wnt-inducted secreted proteins) family of proteins consists of six extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated proteins that regulate development, cell adhesion and proliferation, ECM remodeling, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. In the last two decades, metabolic regulation by these matricellular proteins has been studied extensively, several excellent reviews have covered the roles of CCN1, -2 and - 5. In this brief review, we will focus on those lesser-known members and more recent discoveries, together with other recent articles presenting a more complete picture of the current state of knowledge. We have found that CCN2, -4, and - 5 promote pancreatic islet function, while CCN3 plays a unique and negative role. CCN3 and - 4 are pro-adiposity leading to insulin resistance, but CCN5 and - 6 are anti-adiposity. While CCN2 and - 4 promote tissue fibrosis and inflammation, all other four members are clearly anti-fibrotic. As for cellular signaling, they are known to interact with integrins, other cell membrane proteins and ECM thereby regulate Akt/protein kinase B, myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF), and focal adhesion kinase. Yet, a cohesive mechanism of action to comprehensively explain those major functions is still lacking.

CCN proteins: opportunities for clinical studies-a personal perspective

The diverse members of the CCN family now designated as CCN1(CYR61), CCN2 (CTGF), CCN3(NOV), CCN4(WISP1), CCN5(WISP2), CCN6(WISP3) are a conserved matricellular family of proteins exhibiting a spectrum of functional properties throughout all organs in the body. Interaction with cell membrane receptors such as integrins trigger intracellular signaling pathways. Proteolytically cleaved fragments (constituting the active domains) can be transported to the nucleus and perform transcriptional relevant functional activities. Notably, as also found in other protein families some members act opposite to others creating a system of functionally relevant checks and balances. It has become apparent that these proteins are secreted into the circulation, are quantifiable, and can serve as disease biomarkers. How they might also serve as homeostatic regulators is just becoming appreciated. In this review I have attempted to highlight the most recent evidence under the subcategories of cancer and non-cancer relevant that could lead to potential therapeutic approaches or ideas that can be factored into clinical advances. I have added my own personal perspective on feasibility.