Association of carbamylated high-density lipoprotein with coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus: carbamylated high-density lipoprotein of patients promotes monocyte adhesion

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence showed that carbamylated lipoprotein accelerated atherosclerosis. However, whether such modification of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles alters in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and facilitates vascular complications remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the alteration of the carbamylation in HDL among T2DM patients and clarify its potential role in atherogenesis.

METHODS

A total of 148 consecutive T2DM patients undergoning angiography and 40 age- and gender-matched control subjects were included. HDL was isolated from plasma samples, and the concentration of HDL carbamyl-lysine (HDL-CBL) was measured. Furthermore, the HDL from subjects and in-vitro carbamylated HDL (C-HDL) was incubated with endothelial cells and monocyte to endothelial cell adhesion. Adhesion molecule expression and signaling pathway were detected.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the HDL-CBL level was remarkably increased in T2DM patients (6.13 ± 1.94 vs 12.00 ± 4.06 (ng/mg), P < 0.001). Of note, HDL-CBL demonstrated a more significant increase in T2DM patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (n = 102) than those without CAD (n = 46) (12.75 ± 3.82 vs. 10.35 ± 4.11(ng/mg), P = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that higher HDL-CBL level was independently associated with a higher prevalence of CAD in diabetic patients after adjusting for established cofounders (adjusted odds ratio 1.174, 95% confidence Interval 1.045-1.319, p = 0.017). HDL from diabetic patients with CAD enhanced greater monocyte adhesion than that from the non-CAD or the control group (P < 0.001). Such pro-atherogenic capacity of diabetic HDL positively correlated with HDL-CBL level. Furthermore, in-vitro incubation of carbamylated HDL (C-HDL) with endothelial promoted monocyte to endothelial cell adhesion, induced upregulation of cell adhesion molecules expression, and activated NF-κB/p65 signaling in endothelial cells. Inhibiting carbamylation of HDL or NF-κB activation attenuated the monocyte to endothelial cell adhesion and cell surface adhesion molecules expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified elevated carbamylation modification of HDL from T2DM patients, especially in those with concomitant CAD. We also evidenced that C-HDL enhanced monocyte to endothelial cell adhesion, indicating a potential pro-atherogenic role of C-HDL in atherosclerosis among T2DM patients. Trial registration https://register.clinicaltrials.gov , NCT04390711 Registered on 14 May 2020; Retrospectively registered.

Oxidized HDL, as a Novel Biomarker for Calcific Aortic Valve Disease, Promotes the Calcification of Aortic Valve Interstitial Cells

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is characterized by progressive mineralization of the aortic valve. Lipid infiltration and oxidative stress are the driving forces for the initiation and development of this disease. However, it remains unknown whether oxidized high-density lipoprotein (ox-HDL) plays a role in the mineralization of aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs). Serum ox-HDL levels were determined in 168 severe CAVD patients and 168 age- and gender-matched non-CAVD controls. Results showed that ox-HDL concentrations were significantly increased in CAVD compared with the control group (131.52 ± 30.96 ng/mL vs. 112.58 ± 32.20 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and were correlated with CAVD severity. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that ox-HDL levels were independently associated with CAVD after adjusting for the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) (odds ratio 1.019, 95% CI 1.012-1.027, P < 0.001) or atherosclerotic risk factors (odds ratio 1.027, 95% CI 1.017-1.037, P < 0.001). Chronic ox-HDL stimulation of AVICs increased alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and calcium deposits in AVICs in vitro. Mechanistic studies further showed that ox-HDL upregulated several osteogenic factors, including BMP-2, Runx2, and Msx2 expressions in AVICs. This is the first study to demonstrate a relationship between increased ox-HDL concentration and CAVD incidence.

Energy enhancement of the target surface electron by using a 200 TW sub-picosecond laser

One order of magnitude energy enhancement of the target surface electron beams with central energy at 11.5 MeV is achieved by using a 200 TW, 500 fs laser at an incident angle of 72° with a prepulse intensity ratio of 5×10^-6. The experimental results demonstrate the scalability of the acceleration process to high electron energy with a longer (sub-picosecond) laser pulse duration and a higher laser energy (120 J). The total charge of the beam is 400±20  pC(E>2.7  MeV). Such a high orientation and mono-energetic electron jet would be a good method to solve the problem of the large beam divergence in fast ignition schemes and to increase the laser energy deposition on the target core.

[Significance of serum calprotectin in assessing inflammatory bowel disease activity]

Objective: To investigate the application value of serum calprotectin in assessing the activity of IBD Methods: Eighty-five Crohn's disease(CD) and eighty-five Ulcerative colitis(UC) patients at Suzhou Municipal Hospital(North Branch) from August 2015 to January 2017 were enrolled in this study, and eighty-five healthy subjects were selected as controls. Serum level of calprotectin was determined by ELISA. Correlation of serum calprotectin with clinical features of IBD was analyzed. The diagnostic efficacy for CD and UC were assessed by ROC curve. Results: The level of serum calprotectin was significantly higher in IBD patients than in healthy subjects. Positive correlations were found between serum calprotectin level and CRP, ESR, fecal calprotectin level of IBD(ρ＝0.341, P<0.001；ρ＝0.438, P<0.001；ρ＝0.542, P<0.001，respectively). Besides, positive correlations were found between serum calprotectin level with disease activity index(CDAI or Mayo score) of IBD(ρ＝0.309, P＝0.004；ρ＝0.227, P＝0.036，respectively)．Nevertheless, no correlation was found between serum calprotectin level with location of IBD and disease subtypes(P>0.05)．The area under curve(AUC) of serum calprotectin for diagnosis of CD and UC were 0.946 and 0.906, respectively. Conclusions: Serum level of calprotectin is associated with the activity of IBD. As a result，serum level of calprotectin may has the potential to be served as a clinical index of IBD activity.

Serum amyloid A enrichment impairs the anti-inflammatory ability of HDL from diabetic nephropathy patients

AIMS

Impaired anti-inflammatory ability of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has been demonstrated in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, whether HDL from patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) suffers additional damage remains unknown. This study compared the anti-inflammatory capacities of HDL from healthy controls, T2DM patients with normal renal function, and T2DM patients with DN.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HDL was isolated from healthy controls (n=33) and T2DM patients with normal renal function (n=21), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n=27), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (n=27). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy volunteers were pretreated with HDL (100μg/mL) for 1h, then incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (50ng/mL) for 24h. The anti-inflammatory ability of HDL was measured as the secretion of TNF-α in LPS-activated monocytes.

RESULTS

The anti-inflammatory ability of HDL was gradually impaired as kidney function declined. Serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration in HDL^DN significantly increased and was positively correlated with the impaired anti-inflammatory ability of HDL (Pearson r=0.315, P=0.006). Furthermore, HDL supplemented with SAA significantly increased TNF-α release from PBMCs compared with that from control HDL.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings identified an impaired anti-inflammatory capacity of HDL from DN patients, which might be attributable to SAA enrichment.

Cyanate-Impaired Angiogenesis: Association With Poor Coronary Collateral Growth in Patients With Stable Angina and Chronic Total Occlusion

Background

Cyanate has recently gained attention for its role in the pathogenesis of vascular injury. Nonetheless, the effect of cyanate on angiogenesis remains unclear.

Methods and Results

In this study, we demonstrated that oral administration of cyanate impaired blood perfusion recovery in a mouse hind‐limb ischemia model. A reduction in blood perfusion recovery at day 21 was observed in the ischemic tissue of cyanate‐treated mice. Likewise, there were fewer capillaries in the ischemic hind‐limb tissue of cyanate‐exposed mice. Our in vitro study showed that cyanate, together with its carbamylated products, inhibited the migration, proliferation, and tube‐formation abilities of endothelial cells. Further research revealed that cyanate regulated angiogenesis partly by interrupting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2/phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt pathway. The serum concentrations of homocitrulline, a marker of cyanate exposure, were determined in 117 patients with stable angina and chronic total occlusion. Consistent with the antiangiogenic role of cyanate, homocitrulline levels were increased in patients with poor coronary collateralization (n=58) compared with those with high collateralization (n=59; 21.09±13.08 versus 15.54±9.02 ng/mL, P=0.009). In addition, elevated homocitrulline concentration was a strong predictor of poor coronary collateral growth.

Conclusions

Impaired angiogenesis induced by cyanate might contribute to poor coronary collateral growth.

[Rheumatoid arthritis involving tibialis posterior tendon: study on the early diagnostic value of power Doppler ultrasonography and comparison with surgery]

Objective: To explore the value of power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) in the early diagnosis of tibialis posterior tendon injury induced by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method: From January 2014 to December 2015, a total of 48 cases (60 feet) of RA tendinopathy group were selected as the research subjects from Guanghua Hospital; 12 cases(20 feet) of non-RA tendinopathy group and 10 cases (20 feet) of healthy volunteers were selected as control group.The blood flow signals of pannus were observed by PDUS to determine whether the tendon was injured or the degree of the injury. The following indexes were compared and analyzed by Chi-square testing: (1)positive rate of blood flow signal; (2)grade of blood flow signal; (3)spatial distribution of blood flow signal: diffusibility or local. Results: Of 70 cases(100 feet) in the study, the positive blood flow signals were only in the RA(88.3%) and non-RA group(40.0%) .Grade Ⅲ in RA was 20.0%, while this was not observed in non-RA . Grade Ⅱ in RA and non-RA was 36.7% and 10.0% , respectively. There were significant differences in the positive rate and grades between RA and non-RA group (P<0.01). The spatial distribution of blood flow signal in RA was significantly different from that in non-RA. In RA, they can be detected in the whole tendon.However, they were mainly distributed around the scaphoid in non-RA. In this study, three patients with grade Ⅲwere treated with surgery. The intraoperative findings were consistent with the preoperative ultrasound results. Conclusions: PDUS can be used to detect the neovascular formation of tendon synovitis. It can detect the early tendon injury before the appearance of foot deformity induced by RA, which can guide clinical early intervention treatment and prevent the occurrence of deformity and other serious consequences.

Altered expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme and apoptosis-related gene transcripts in human hepatocytes treated with trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a common organic solvent that has been widely used in industrial applications. Hundred cases of allergic reactions occurred after the workers were occupationally exposed to TCE in China in the past decade, but the underlying effector mechanisms of TCE remain unclear. The purpose of the present study is to examine the alteration of hepatic metabolic enzyme gene and apoptosis-related gene messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in L02 human hepatocytes (L02 cells) after treatment with TCE. L02 cells were cultured either with various doses of TCE (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mmol/L) for 24 h or with a single dose of TCE (1.0 mmol/L) for different time intervals, whereas samples treated with dimethyl sulfoxide served as control. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to detect the mRNA expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes ( CYP1A2, CYP3A4 and CYP2E1) and apoptosis-related genes ( BAX and BAD). It was found that the transcript levels of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes and apoptosis genes including BAX and BAD were significantly increased after TCE treatment at various doses for 24 h when compared with controls. Additionally, when the cells were treated with a single dose of TCE (1.0 mmol/L) for different periods of time (3, 6, 12 and 24 h), the mRNA expression of these genes also increased significantly compared with control ( p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The conclusion of the study is that TCE could induce alteration of mRNA expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes and apoptosis genes, which might be implicated in the effector mechanisms of TCE cytotoxicity in vivo.

Application of a transmission crystal x-ray spectrometer to moderate-intensity laser driven sources

In the pursuit of novel, laser-produced x-ray sources for medical imaging applications, appropriate instrumental diagnostics need to be developed concurrently. A type of transmission crystal spectroscopy has previously been demonstrated as a survey tool for sources produced by high-power and high-energy lasers. The present work demonstrates the extension of this method into the study of medium-intensity laser driven hard x-ray sources with a design that preserves resolving power while maintaining high sensitivity. Specifically, spectroscopic measurements of characteristic Kα and Kβ emissions were studied from Mo targets irradiated by a 100 fs, 200 mJ, Ti: sapphire laser with intensity of 10(17) W/cm(2) to 10(18) W∕cm(2) per shot. Using a transmission curved crystal spectrometer and off-Rowland circle imaging, resolving powers (E/ΔE) of around 300 for Mo Kα(2) at 17.37 keV were obtained with an end-to-end spectrometer efficiency of (1.13 ± 0.10) × 10(-5). This sensitivity is sufficient for registering x-ray lines with high signal to background from targets following irradiation by a single laser pulse, demonstrating the utility of this method in the study of the development of medium-intensity laser driven x-ray sources.

Spectrally peaked electron beams produced via surface guiding and acceleration in femtosecond laser-solid interactions

Highly collimated MeV electron beam guiding has been observed along the target surface following the interaction of bulk target irradiation by femtosecond laser pulses at relativistic intensities. The beam quality is shown to depend critically on the laser contrast: With a ns prepulse, the generated electron beam is well concentrated and intense, while a high laser contrast produces divergent electron beams. In the case of large preplasma scale lengths, tunable guiding and acceleration of the target surface electrons is achieved by changing the laser incident angle. By expanding the preplasma scale length to several hundred micrometers, we obtained MeV spectrum-peaked electron beams with a 100 pC per laser pulse and divergence angles of only 3°. This technique suggests a stable method of injection of elections into a variety of accelerator designs.

Intense high-contrast femtosecond K-shell x-ray source from laser-driven Ar clusters

Bright Ar quasimonochromatic K-shell x ray with very little background has been generated using an Ar clustering gas jet target irradiated with a 30 fs ultrahigh-contrast laser, with a measured flux of 2.2×10(11)   photons/J into 4π. This intense x-ray source critically depends on the laser contrast and intensity. The optimization of source output with interaction length is addressed. Simulations point to a nonlinear resonant mechanism of electron heating during the early stage of laser interaction, resulting in enhanced x-ray emission. The x-ray pulse duration is expected to be only 10 fs, opening the possibility for single-shot ultrafast keV x-ray imaging applications.