[Autophagy regulates the function of vascular smooth muscle cells in the formation and rupture of intracranial aneurysms]

Exploring the roles and therapeutic implications of melatonin-mediated KLF6 in the development of intracranial aneurysm

BACKGROUND

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a cerebrovascular disease with a high mortality rate due to ruptured subarachnoid hemorrhage. While Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) dysregulation has been implicated in cancer and cardiovascular diseases, its role in IA remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The GSE122897 and GSE15629 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Immune cell infiltration and hypoxia analysis were performed to explore the effects of KLF6 on IA. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was used to identify hub genes related to KLF6 expression for subsequent analyses. Hypoxia-related genes were identified. Drug prediction was performed for IA. Samples from healthy individuals and patients with IA were collected to detect the expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1), vascular hematoma factor (vWF), and KLF6. A model of H2O2-induced human brain vascular smooth muscle cells (HBVSMC) injury was constructed to explore the effects of KLF6 and melatonin to treat IA.

RESULTS

T cells CD4 memory resting and monocytes were significantly different in the KLF6 high and low expression groups. Four hypoxia-related gene sets were significantly enriched in the KLF6 high-expression group. Six hypoxia-related hub genes were obtained, which were significantly associated with KLF6. Drug prediction showed that melatonin may be a potential drug for IA. The levels of ET-1, vWF, and KLF6 were significantly upregulated in patients with IA. KLF6 exacerbates H2O2-induced injury in HBVSMC, ameliorated by melatonin.

CONCLUSION

KLF6 may be a potential target for IA treatment, with melatonin-mediated KLF6 effects playing a crucial role in the development of IA.

ADORA3: A Key Player in the Pathogenesis of Intracranial Aneurysms and a Potential Diagnostic Biomarker

BACKGROUND

The effects of genes on the development of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) remain to be elucidated, and reliable blood biomarkers for diagnosing IAs are yet to be established. This study aimed to identify genes associated with IAs pathogenesis and explore their diagnostic value by analyzing IAs datasets, conducting vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) experiments, and performing blood detection.

METHODS

IAs datasets were collected and the differentially expressed genes were analyzed. The selected genes were validated in external datasets. Autophagy was induced in VSMC and the effect of selected genes was determined. The diagnostic value of selected gene on the IAs were explored using area under curve (AUC) analysis using IAs plasma samples.

RESULTS

Analysis of 61 samples (32 controls and 29 IAs tissues) revealed a significant increase in expression of ADORA3 compared with normal tissues using empirical Bayes methods of "limma" package; this was further validated by two external datasets. Additionally, induction of autophagy in VSMC lead to upregulation of ADORA3. Conversely, silencing ADORA3 suppressed VSMC proliferation and autophagy. Furthermore, analysis of an IAs blood sample dataset and clinical plasma samples demonstrated increased ADORA3 expression in patients with IA compared with normal subjects. The diagnostic value of blood ADORA3 expression in IAs was moderate when analyzing clinical samples (AUC: 0.756). Combining ADORA3 with IL2RB or CCR7 further enhanced the diagnostic ability for IAs, with the AUC value over 0.83.

CONCLUSIONS

High expression of ADORA3 is associated with IAs pathogenesis, likely through its promotion of VSMC autophagy. Furthermore, blood ADORA3 levels have the potential to serve as an auxiliary diagnostic biomarker for IAs.