Loss of Gucy1a3 causes poor post-stroke recovery by reducing angiogenesis via the HIF-1α/VEGFA signaling pathway in mice

OBJECTIVES

Ischemic stroke is a common and debilitating disease that can cause permanent neurological damage. Gucy1a3, which encodes the α1 subunit of soluble guanylyl cyclase, has been reported to be associated with functional recovery after ischemic stroke. However, the mechanism is still not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Gucy1a3 on (i) post-stroke recovery; (ii) vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) expression; and (iii) angiogenesis after ischemic stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Wild-type and Gucy1a3 knockout C57BL/6J male mice were respectively used to establish the models of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). Neurological deficit scores were evaluated at 24 h and 96 h after pMCAO. Cerebral infarct volume was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. For determining microvessel density, immunohistochemical analysis was performed with CD31. The expression of VEGFA and HIF-1α was detected by western blotting.

RESULTS

Our results suggest that loss of Gucy1a3 increased the infarct volume and aggravated neurological deficits after pMCAO. In addition, the Gucy1a3 knockout brains exhibited significantly lower microvessel densities and VEGFA and HIF-1α expression levels than the wild-type brains at 96 h post-pMCAO.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates that GUCY1A3 might be involved in angiogenesis after ischemic stroke. Further investigation of GUCY1A3 will provide a new therapeutic target for stroke.

RNF213 and GUCY1A3 in Moyamoya Disease: Key Regulators of Metabolism, Inflammation, and Vascular Stability

Moyamoya disease is an idiopathic chronically progressive cerebrovascular disease, which causes both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Genetic studies identified RNF213/Mysterin and GUCY1A3 as disease-causing genes. They were also known to be associated with non-moyamoya intracranial large artery disease, coronary artery disease and pulmonary artery hypertension. This review focused on these two molecules and their strong linker, calcineurin/NFAT signaling and caveolin to understand the pathophysiology of moyamoya disease and related vascular diseases. They are important regulators of lipid metabolism especially lipotoxicity, NF-κB mediated inflammation, and nitric oxide-mediated vascular protection. Although intimal thickening with fibrosis and damaged vascular smooth muscle cells are the distinguishing features of moyamoya disease, origin of the fibrous tissue and the mechanism of smooth muscle cell damages remains not fully elucidated. Endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells have long been a focus of interest, but other vascular components such as immune cells and extracellular matrix also need to be investigated in future studies. Molecular research on moyamoya disease would give us a clue to understand the mechanism preserving vascular stability.

Risk and Protective Factors of Lifetime Cocaine-Associated Chest Pain

Introduction: Cocaine users often present with repetitive events of cocaine-associated chest pain (CACP), clinically resembling acute coronary syndromes. The aim of the study is to describe the specific risk factors for CACP. Method: Cocaine users (n = 316) were recruited for a multicenter cross-sectional study. Lifetime CACP history, sociodemographic factors, and lifetime use of cocaine and other substances were assessed. Thirty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NOS3, ROCK2, EDN1, GUCY1A3, and ALDH2 genes, suggested by the literature on coronary spasms, were selected. The associations with CACP history were tested using the chi-square test, Student's t-test and logistic regression. Results: Among the 316 subjects [78.5% men, mean age 37.5 years, (standard-deviation ±8.7)], 190 (60.1%) were daily cocaine users and 103 (32.6%) reported a lifetime CACP history. Among those with a lifetime CACP history, the median was 10 events per individual. In multivariate analysis, lifetime CACP history was associated with daily cocaine use [odds-ratio (OR) 3.24; 95% confidence intervals (1.29-9.33)], rapid route of cocaine use [OR 2.33 (1.20-4.64) vs. intranasal use], and lifetime amphetamine use [daily amphetamine use: OR 2.80 (1.25-6.32) and non-daily amphetamine use: OR 2.14 (1.15-4.04) vs. never used]. Patients with lifetime opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) reported significantly less lifetime CACP history [OR 0.35 (0.16-0.76)]. None of the selected SNPs was associated with CACP history after multiple testing corrections. Conclusions: Clinical variables describing the intensity of stimulant use were positively associated with lifetime CACP history, while OMT was negatively associated with it. Specific harm reduction strategies can target these risk factors.

sGC Activity and Regulation of Blood Flow in a Zebrafish Model System

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) protein is a heterodimer formed by two subunits encoded by GUCY1A1 and GUCY1B1 genes. The chromosomal locus 4q32.1 harbors both of these genes, which has been previously significantly associated with coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and high blood pressure. Blood pressure is influenced by both the environment and genetics and is complemented by several biological pathways. The underlying mechanisms associated with this locus and its genes still need to be investigated. In the current study, we aimed to establish the zebrafish as a model organism to investigate the mechanisms surrounding sGC activity and blood pressure. A zebrafish mutant gucy1a1 line was generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 system by inducing a 4-bp deletion frameshift mutation. This mutation resulted in a reduction of gucy1a1 expression in both heterozygote and homozygote zebrafish. Blood flow parameters (blood flow, arterial pulse, linear velocity, and vessel diameter) investigated in the gucy1a1 mutants showed a significant increase in blood flow and linear velocity, which was augmented in the homozygotes. No significant differences were observed for the blood flow parameters measured from larvae with individual morpholino downregulation of gucy1a1 and gucy1b1, but an increase in blood flow and linear velocity was observed after co-morpholino downregulation of both genes. In addition, the pharmacological sGC stimulator BAY41-2272 rescued the impaired cGMP production in the zebrafish gucy1a1^± mutant larvae. Downregulation of cct7 gene did not show any significant difference on the blood flow parameters in both wild-type and gucy1a1^± background larvae. In summary, we successfully established a zebrafish platform for investigating sGC-associated pathways and underlying mechanisms in depth. This model system will have further applications, including for potential drug screening experiments.

Genetic variation at the coronary artery disease risk locus GUCY1A3 modifies cardiovascular disease prevention effects of aspirin

AIMS

Efficacy of aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) may be influenced by a common allele in guanylate cyclase GUCY1A3, which has been shown to modify platelet function and increase CVD risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We investigated whether homozygotes of the GUCY1A3 rs7692387 risk (G) allele benefited from aspirin in two long-term, randomized placebo-controlled trials of aspirin in primary CVD prevention: the Women's Genome Health Study (WGHS, N = 23 294) and a myocardial infarction (MI, N = 550) and stroke (N = 382) case-control set from the Physician's Health Study (PHS, N = 22 071). Bleeding risk was evaluated in the WGHS. In the placebo group of the WGHS, the GUCY1A3 risk (G) allele was confirmed to increase CVD risk [hazard ratio 1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.78; P = 0.01]. Random-effects meta-analysis of the WGHS and PHS revealed that aspirin reduced CVD events among risk allele homozygotes [G/G: odds ratio (OR) 0.79; 95% CI 0.65-0.97; P = 0.03] but increased CVD events among non-risk allele carriers (e.g. G/A: OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.03-1.87; P = 0.03) thus implying an interaction between genotype stratum and aspirin intake (Pinteraction = 0.01). Bleeding associated with aspirin increased in all genotype groups, with higher risks in heterozygotes.

CONCLUSION

In two randomized placebo-controlled trials in the setting of primary prevention, aspirin reduced the incidence of CVD events in individuals homozygous for the GUCY1A3 risk (G) allele, whereas heterozygote individuals had more events when taking aspirin.

Associations between GUCY1A3 genetic polymorphisms and large artery atherosclerotic stroke risk in Chinese Han population: a case-control study

Background

Previous genome-wide association studies have found two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs7692387 and rs1842896 located on or near the GUCY1A3 gene were associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). GUCY1A3 was considered to be involved in the process of atherosclerosis, but there was little information about the association between genotypic polymorphisms of the GUCY1A3 and large artery atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke. This study aimed to investigate the associations between the GUCY1A3 rs7692387, rs1842896 polymorphisms and LAA stroke susceptibility.

Methods

A total of 298 LAA stroke patients and 300 control subjects from a southern Chinese Han population were included. SNaPshot technique was used for genotype analysis. Associations between genotypes and LAA stroke susceptibility were analyzed with logistic regression model.

Results

Our study found that under the recessive model (TT vs. GT + GG), the GUCY1A3 rs1842896 polymorphism was significantly correlated with LAA stroke (OR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.07–2.04, P = 0.018). After adjustment for its effects on age, gender, cigarette smoking, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HbA1c, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and CAD, the rs1842896 TT genotype retained association with increased susceptibility to LAA stroke (recessive model: adjusted OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.22–3.17, P = 0.006). However, association between rs7692387 polymorphism with LAA stroke was not observed.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that the GUCY1A3 rs1842896 polymorphism is an LAA stroke risk factor in Southern Han Chinese.

Meta-Analysis of Tourette Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Provides Support for a Shared Genetic Basis

Gilles de la Tourette Sydrome (TS) is a childhood onset neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized phenotypically by the presence of multiple motor and vocal tics. It is often accompanied by multiple psychiatric comorbidities, with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among the most common. The extensive co-occurrence of the two disorders suggests a shared genetic background. A major step toward the elucidation of the genetic architecture of TS was undertaken by the first TS Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) reporting 552 SNPs that were moderately associated with TS (p < 1E-3). Similarly, initial ADHD GWAS attempts and meta-analysis were not able to produce genome-wide significant findings, but have provided insight to the genetic basis of the disorder. Here, we examine the common genetic background of the two neuropsychiatric phenotypes, by meta-analyzing the 552 top hits in the TS GWAS with the results of ADHD first GWASs. We identify 19 significant SNPs, with the top four implicated genes being TBC1D7, GUCY1A3, RAP1GDS1, and CHST11. TBCD17 harbors the top scoring SNP, rs1866863 (p:3.23E-07), located in a regulatory region downstream of the gene, and the third best-scoring SNP, rs2458304 (p:2.54E-06), located within an intron of the gene. Both variants were in linkage disequilibrium with eQTL rs499818, indicating a role in the expression levels of the gene. TBC1D7 is the third subunit of the TSC1/TSC2 complex, an inhibitor of the mTOR signaling pathway, with a central role in cell growth and autophagy. The top genes implicated by our study indicate a complex and intricate interplay between them, warranting further investigation into a possibly shared etiological mechanism for TS and ADHD.

Disrupted nitric oxide signaling due to GUCY1A3 mutations increases risk for moyamoya disease, achalasia and hypertension

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive vasculopathy characterized by occlusion of the terminal portion of the internal carotid arteries and its branches, and the formation of compensatory moyamoya collateral vessels. Homozygous mutations in GUCY1A3 have been reported as a cause of MMD and achalasia. Probands (n = 96) from unrelated families underwent sequencing of GUCY1A3. Functional studies were performed to confirm the pathogenicity of identified GUCY1A3 variants. Two affected individuals from the unrelated families were found to have compound heterozygous mutations in GUCY1A3. MM041 was diagnosed with achalasia at 4 years of age, hypertension and MMD at 18 years of age. MM149 was diagnosed with MMD and hypertension at the age of 20 months. Both individuals carry one allele that is predicted to lead to haploinsufficiency and a second allele that is predicted to produce a mutated protein. Biochemical studies of one of these alleles, GUCY1A3 Cys517Tyr, showed that the mutant protein (a subunit of soluble guanylate cyclase) has a significantly blunted signaling response with exposure to nitric oxide (NO). GUCY1A3 missense and haploinsufficiency mutations disrupt NO signaling leading to MMD and hypertension, with or without achalasia.