The involvement of protein TNFSF18 in promoting p-STAT1 phosphorylation to induce coronary microcirculation disturbance in atherosclerotic mouse model

Functional analysis and transcriptome profile of meninges and skin fibroblasts from human-aged donors

The central nervous system (CNS) is surrounded by three membranes called meninges. Specialised fibroblasts, originating from the mesoderm and neural crest, primarily populate the meninges and serve as a binding agent. Our goal was to compare fibroblasts from meninges and skin obtained from the same human-aged donors, exploring their molecular and cellular characteristics related to CNS functions. We isolated meningeal fibroblasts (MFs) from brain donors and skin fibroblasts (SFs) from the same subjects. A functional analysis was performed measuring cell appearance, metabolic activity, and cellular orientation. We examined fibronectin, serpin H1, β-III-tubulin, and nestin through qPCR and immunofluorescence. A whole transcriptome analysis was also performed to characterise the gene expression of MFs and SFs. MFs appeared more rapidly in the post-tissue processing, while SFs showed an elevated cellular metabolism and a well-defined cellular orientation. The four markers were mostly similar between the MFs and SFs, except for nestin, more expressed in MFs. Transcriptome analysis reveals significant differences, particularly in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) metabolism and response to forskolin, both of which are upregulated in MFs. This study highlights MFs' unique characteristics, including the timing of appearance, metabolic activity, and gene expression patterns, particularly in cAMP metabolism and response to forskolin. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of non-neuronal cells' involvement in CNS activities and potentially open avenues for therapeutic exploration.

HIV Infection Drives Foam Cell Formation via NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

Persistent immune activation is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with HIV (PWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The NLRP3 inflammasome may contribute to elevated CVD risk in PWH. This study utilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 25 PWH and 25 HIV-negative controls, as well as HIV in vitro infections. Transcriptional changes were analyzed using RNAseq and pathway analysis. Our results showed that in vitro HIV infection of macrophages and PBMCs from PWH had increased foam cell formation and expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome components and downstream cytokines (caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18), which was reduced with inhibition of NLRP3 activity using MCC950. Transcriptomic analysis revealed an increased expression of multiple genes involved in lipid metabolism, cholesterol storage, coronary microcirculation disorders, ischemic events, and monocyte/macrophage differentiation and function with HIV infection and oxLDL treatment. HIV infection and NLRP3 activation increased foam cell formation and expression of proinflammatory cytokines, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying HIV-associated atherogenesis. This study suggests that HIV itself may contribute to increased CVD risk in PWH. Understanding the involvement of the inflammasome pathway in HIV atherosclerosis can help identify potential therapeutic targets to mitigate cardiovascular risks in PWH.

Exome Sequencing Identifies Genetic Variants Associated with Extreme Manifestations of the Cardiovascular Phenotype in Marfan Syndrome

Marfan Syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant condition caused by variants in the fibrillin-1 (FBN1) gene. Cardinal features of MFS include ectopia lentis (EL), musculoskeletal features and aortic root aneurysm and dissection. Although dissection of the ascending aorta is the main cause of mortality in MFS, the clinical course differs considerably in age of onset and severity, even among individuals who share the same causative variant, suggesting the existence of additional genetic variants that modify the severity of the cardiovascular phenotype in MFS. We recruited MFS patients and classified them into severe (n = 8) or mild aortic phenotype (n = 14) according to age of presentation of the first aorta-related incident. We used Exome Sequencing to identify the genetic variants associated with the severity of aortic manifestations and we performed linkage analysis where suitable. We found five genes associated with severe aortic phenotype and three genes that could be protective for this phenotype in MFS. These genes regulate components of the extracellular matrix, TGFβ pathway and other signaling pathways that are involved in the maintenance of the ECM or angiogenesis. Further studies will be required to understand the functional effect of these variants and explore novel, personalized risk management and, potentially, therapies for these patients.