Human vascular endothelial cells: a model system for studying vascular inflammation in diabetes and atherosclerosis

Donor-Derived Engineered Microvessels for Cardiovascular Risk Stratification of Patients with Kidney Failure

Cardiovascular disease is the cause of death in ≈50% of hemodialysis patients. Accumulation of uremic solutes in systemic circulation is thought to be a key driver of the endothelial dysfunction that underlies elevated cardiovascular events. A challenge in understanding the mechanisms relating chronic kidney disease to cardiovascular disease is the lack of in vitro models that allow screening of the effects of the uremic environment on the endothelium. Here, a method is described for microfabrication of human blood vessels from donor cells and perfused with donor serum. The resulting donor-derived microvessels are used to quantify vascular permeability, a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction, in response to serum spiked with pathophysiological levels of indoxyl sulfate, and in response to serum from patients with chronic kidney disease and from uremic pigs. The uremic environment has pronounced effects on microvascular integrity as demonstrated by irregular cell-cell junctions and increased permeability in comparison to cell culture media and healthy serum. Moreover, the engineered microvessels demonstrate an increase in sensitivity compared to traditional 2D assays. Thus, the devices and the methods presented here have the potential to be utilized to risk stratify and to direct personalized treatments for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells as a Versatile Cellular Model System in Diverse Experimental Paradigms: An Ultrastructural Perspective

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are primary cells isolated from the vein of an umbilical cord, extensively used in cardiovascular studies and medical research. These cells, retaining the characteristics of endothelial cells in vivo, serve as a valuable cellular model system for understanding vascular biology, endothelial dysfunction, pathophysiology of diseases such as atherosclerosis, and responses to different drugs or treatments. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been a cornerstone in revealing the detailed architecture of multiple cellular model systems including HUVECs, allowing researchers to visualize subcellular organelles, membrane structures, and cytoskeletal elements. Among them, the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and nucleus can be meticulously examined to recognize alterations indicative of cellular responses to various stimuli. Importantly, Weibel-Palade bodies are characteristic secretory organelles found in HUVECs, which can be easily distinguished in the TEM. These distinctive structures also dynamically react to different factors through regulated exocytosis, resulting in complete or selective release of their contents. This detailed review summarizes the ultrastructural features of HUVECs and highlights the utility of TEM as a pivotal tool for analyzing HUVECs in diverse research frameworks, contributing valuable insights into the comprehension of HUVEC behavior and enriching our knowledge into the complexity of vascular biology.

Sex in cardiovascular disease: Why this biological variable should be considered in in vitro models

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the world's leading cause of death, exhibits notable epidemiological, clinical, and pathophysiological differences between sexes. Many such differences can be linked back to cardiovascular sexual dimorphism, yet sex-specific in vitro models are still not the norm. A lack of sex reporting and apparent male bias raises the question of whether in vitro CVD models faithfully recapitulate the biology of intended treatment recipients. To ensure equitable treatment for the overlooked female patient population, sex as a biological variable (SABV) inclusion must become commonplace in CVD preclinical research. Here, we discuss the role of sex in CVD and underlying cardiovascular (patho)physiology. We review shortcomings in current SABV practices, describe the relevance of sex, and highlight emerging strategies for SABV inclusion in three major in vitro model types: primary cell, stem cell, and three-dimensional models. Last, we identify key barriers to inclusive design and suggest techniques for overcoming them.

Alleviation of endothelial dysfunction of Pheretima guillemi (Michaelsen)-derived protein DPf3 in ponatinib-induced thrombotic zebrafish and mechanisms explored through ox-LDL-induced HUVECs and TMT-based proteomics

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Thrombus generation is one of the leading causes of death in human, and vascular endothelial dysfunction is a major contributor to thrombosis. Pheretima guillemi (Michaelsen), a traditional medicinal animal known as "Dilong", has been utilized to cure thrombotic disorders for many years. DPf3, a group of functional proteins extracted from P. guillemi, has been characterized and identified to possess antithrombotic bioactivity via in vitro and ex vivo experiments.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study is aimed to investigate the vascular-protection activity and related mechanism of antithrombotic protein DPf3 purified from Pheretima guillelmi systematically.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The antithrombotic activity and vascular endothelium protection effect of DPf3 was explored in vivo using ponatinib-induced vascular endothelial injury zebrafish thrombus model. Then, (hi) ox-LDL-induced HUVECs was applied to investigate the protection mechanism of DPf3 against the injury of vascular endothelium. In addition, TMT-based proteomics analysis was used to study the biomarkers, biological processes and signal pathways involved in the antithrombotic and vascular protective effects of DPf3 holistically.

RESULTS

DPf3 exerted robust in vivo antithrombosis and vascular endothelial protection ability. DPf3 was identified to prevent HUVECs from damage by reducing ROS production, and to reduce monocyte adhesion by decreasing the protein content of adhesion factor VCAM 1. DPf3 was also observed to weaken the migration ability of injured cells and inhibit abnormal angiogenesis. The mechanism of DPf3's antithrombotic and vascular protective activity was mainly related to the regulation of lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, complement and coagulation system, ECM receptor interaction, MAPK signal pathway, etc. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that DPf3 has strong antithrombotic and endothelial protective effects. The endothelial protective ability and related mechanisms of DPf3 provide a scientific reference for the traditional use of earthworms in the treatment of thrombosis.

Role of CaMKII in diabetes induced vascular injury and its interaction with anti-diabetes therapy

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder denoted by chronic hyperglycemia that drives maladaptive structural changes and functional damage to the vasculature. Attenuation of this pathological remodeling of blood vessels remains an unmet target owing to paucity of information on the metabolic signatures of this process. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) is expressed in the vasculature and is implicated in the control of blood vessels homeostasis. Recently, CaMKII has attracted a special attention in view of its chronic upregulated activity in diabetic tissues, yet its role in the diabetic vasculature remains under investigation.This review highlights the physiological and pathological actions of CaMKII in the diabetic vasculature, with focus on the control of the dialogue between endothelial (EC) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Activation of CaMKII enhances EC and VSMC proliferation and migration, and increases the production of extracellular matrix which leads to maladaptive remodeling of vessels. This is manifested by activation of genes/proteins implicated in the control of the cell cycle, cytoskeleton organization, proliferation, migration, and inflammation. Endothelial dysfunction is paralleled by impaired nitric oxide signaling, which is also influenced by CaMKII signaling (activation/oxidation). The efficiency of CaMKII inhibitors is currently being tested in animal models, with a focus on the genetic pathways involved in the regulation of CaMKII expression (microRNAs and single nucleotide polymorphisms). Interestingly, studies highlight an interaction between the anti-diabetic drugs and CaMKII expression/activity which requires further investigation. Together, the studies reviewed herein may guide pharmacological approaches to improve health-related outcomes in patients with diabetes.

Vascular organs-on-chip made with patient-derived endothelial cells: technologies to transform drug discovery and disease modeling

INTRODUCTION

Vascular diseases impart a tremendous burden on healthcare systems in the United States and across the world. Efforts to improve therapeutic interventions are hindered by limitations of current experimental models. The integration of patient-derived cells with organ-on-chip (OoC) technology is a promising avenue for preclinical drug screening that improves upon traditional cell culture and animal models.

AREAS COVERED

The authors review induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOEC) as two sources for patient-derived endothelial cells (EC). They summarize several studies that leverage patient-derived EC and OoC for precision disease modeling of the vasculature, with a focus on applications for drug discovery. They also highlight the utility of patient-derived EC in other translational endeavors, including ex vivo organogenesis and multi-organ-chip integration.

EXPERT OPINION

Precision disease modeling continues to mature in the academic space, but end-use by pharmaceutical companies is currently limited. To fully realize their transformative potential, OoC systems must balance their complexity with their ability to integrate with the highly standardized and high-throughput experimentation required for drug discovery and development.

Effects of circulating endothelial microvesicles isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide production

Circulating endothelial cell-derived microvesicles (EMVs) have been shown to be elevated with obesity and associated with endothelial dysfunction; however, their direct effect on endothelial cells is unknown. The experimental aim of this study was to determine the effect of EMVs isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide (NO) production. EMVs (CD144+ microvesicles) were identified, enumerated, and isolated from plasma by flow cytometry from 24 sedentary adults: 12 normal-weight adults [8 M/4 F; age: 55 ± 6 yr; body mass index (BMI): 24.3 ± 0.7 kg/m2; EMV: 144 ± 53 EMVs/µL] and 12 adults with obesity (6 M/6 F; 59 ± 7 yr; BMI: 31.0 ± 1.1 kg/m2; EMV: 245 ± 89 EMVs/µL). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and treated with EMVs from either normal-weight adults or adults with obesity. EMVs from obese adults induced significantly higher release of interleukin (IL)-6 (108.2 ± 7.7 vs. 90.9 ± 10.0 pg/mL) and IL-8 (75.4 ± 9.8 vs. 59.5 ± 11.5 pg/mL) from endothelial cells vs. EMVs from normal-weight adults, concordant with greater intracellular expression of phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (Ser536; active NF-κB) [145.0 ± 34.1 vs. 114.5 ± 30.4 arbitrary units (AU)]. Expression of phosphorylated p38-MAPK (15.4 ± 5.7 vs. 9.2 ± 2.5 AU) and active caspase-3 (168.2 ± 65.5 vs. 107.8 ± 40.5 AU), markers of cell apoptosis, was higher in cells treated with obesity-related EMVs. Phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (Ser1177) expression (23.5 ± 7.2 vs. 34.7 ± 9.7 AU) and NO production (6.9 ± 1.4 vs. 8.7 ± 0.7 µmol/L) were significantly lower in the cells treated with EMVs from obese adults. These data indicate that circulating EMVs from adults with obesity promote a proinflammatory, proapoptotic, and NO-compromised endothelial phenotype. Circulating EMVs are a potential mediator of obesity-related endothelial dysfunction.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the present study, we determined the effect of circulating endothelial cell-derived microvesicles (EMVs) isolated from adults with obesity on endothelial cell inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide (NO) production in vitro. Circulating EMVs harvested from adults with obesity promoted a proinflammatory, proapoptotic, and NO-compromised endothelial phenotype. Elevated circulating EMVs in adults with obesity, independent of other cardiometabolic risk factors, are a potential novel systemic mediator of obesity-related endothelial dysfunction and vascular risk.

Isolation and Culture of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs)

This protocol describes a simple and an economical method for isolation of endothelial cells from human umbilical vein. Umbilical cord is easily available postpartum following informed consent, and the method for its collection is noninvasive with few ethical concerns. Thus, umbilical vein is an ideal source for isolation of endothelial cells of human origin. Endothelial cells are isolated from umbilical vein by collagenase digestion. This is followed by their culture on extracellular matrix (ECM) protein coated tissue culture flasks in presence of endothelial cell growth medium. In the last few decades, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) have come to be regarded as a standard model system by vascular biologists to understand general principles of endothelial cell biology and dysfunction. Here, we describe isolation, culture, as well as validation of HUVECs.

Salivary Gland Bioengineering

Salivary gland dysfunction affects millions globally, and tissue engineering may provide a promising therapeutic avenue. This review delves into the current state of salivary gland tissue engineering research, starting with a study of normal salivary gland development and function. It discusses the impact of fibrosis and cellular senescence on salivary gland pathologies. A diverse range of cells suitable for tissue engineering including cell lines, primary salivary gland cells, and stem cells are examined. Moreover, the paper explores various supportive biomaterials and scaffold fabrication methodologies that enhance salivary gland cell survival, differentiation, and engraftment. Innovative engineering strategies for the improvement of vascularization, innervation, and engraftment of engineered salivary gland tissue, including bioprinting, microfluidic hydrogels, mesh electronics, and nanoparticles, are also evaluated. This review underscores the promising potential of this research field for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction and suggests directions for future exploration.

Different stimuli induce endothelial dysfunction and promote atherosclerosis through the Piezo1/YAP signaling axis

Vascular endothelial dysfunction is the initial step in atherosclerosis (AS). AS tends to occur at vascular bifurcations and curves, and endothelial cells(ECs) are highly susceptible to injury due to mechanical forces induced by disturbed flow (DF) with inconsistent blood flow directions. However, the pathogenesis of endothelial cell dysfunction in AS remains unclear and needs further study. Here, we found that Piezo1 expression was significantly increased in DF- and oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL)-treated HUVECs in vitro and a model of atherosclerotic plaque growth in ApoE-/- mice fed a Western diet. Furthermore, Piezo1 upregulated autophagy levels in the HUVECs model, which was reversed by Piezo1 knockdown with a lentivirus-mediated shRNA system. Mechanistically, the level of Yes-associated protein (YAP), a transcriptional coactivator in the Hippo pathway, was significantly elevated in the DF- and ox-LDL-induced HUVECs model, and this effect was further inhibited by Piezo1 knockdown. Moreover, the Piezo1 agonist Yoda1 inhibited the protein level of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II(LC3-II) and increased the protein level of sequestosome1(p62/SQSTM1) in a dose-dependent manner, while significantly promoting the protein expression and nuclear translocation of YAP. The YAP inhibitor CA3 weakened Yoda1-mediated inhibition of autophagy. Our results suggest that Piezo1 may regulate endothelial autophagy by promoting YAP activation and nuclear translocation, thereby contributing to vascular endothelial dysfunction.

m 6A methylation in cellular senescence of age-associated diseases

Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible cellular growth arrest that occurs in response to various stresses. In addition to exiting the cell cycle, senescent cells undergo many phenotypic alterations, including metabolic reprogramming, chromatin rearrangement, and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) development. Furthermore, senescent cells can affect most physiological and pathological processes, such as physiological development; tissue homeostasis; tumour regression; and age-associated disease progression, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and hypertension. Although corresponding anti-senescence therapies are actively being explored for the treatment of age-associated diseases, the specific regulatory mechanisms of senescence remain unclear. N 6-methyladenosine (m 6A), a chemical modification commonly distributed in eukaryotic RNA, plays an important role in biological processes such as translation, shearing, and RNA transcription. Numerous studies have shown that m 6A plays an important regulatory role in cellular senescence and aging-related disease. In this review, we systematically summarize the role of m 6A modifications in cellular senescence with regard to oxidative stress, DNA damage, telomere alterations, and SASP development. Additionally, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease regulation via m 6A-mediated cellular senescence is discussed. We further discuss the challenges and prospects of m 6A in cellular senescence and age-associated diseases with the aim of providing rational strategies for the treatment of these age-associated diseases.

Epigenetically altered macrophages promote development of diabetes-associated atherosclerosis

Background

Atherosclerosis (AS) risk is elevated in diabetic patients, but the underlying mechanism such as involvement of epigenetic control of foam macrophages remains unclear. We have previously shown the importance of immune regulation on endothelial cells to AS development in diabetes. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that diabetes may promote AS through modification of the epigenetic status of macrophages.

Methods

We employed the Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) method to evaluate the expression levels of key epigenetic regulators in both endothelial cells and macrophages at the AS lesions of patients. We then assessed the correlation between the significantly altered epigenetic regulator and serum levels of low-density Lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TRIG) and high-density Lipoprotein (HDL) in patients. In vitro, the effects of high glucose on glucose utilization, lactate production, succinate levels, oxygen consumption and polarization in either undifferentiated or differentiated bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were analyzed. The effects of depleting this significantly altered epigenetic regulator in macrophages on AS development were assessed in AS-prone diabetic mice.

Results

Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) was identified as the most significantly altered epigenetic regulator in macrophages from the AS lesions in human diabetic patients. The levels of HDAC3 positively correlated with high serum LDL and TRIG, as well as low serum HDL. High glucose significantly increased glucose utilization, lactate production, succinate levels and oxygen consumption in cultured macrophages, and induced proinflammatory M1-like polarization. Macrophage depletion of HDAC3 significantly attenuated AS severity in AS-prone diabetic mice.

Conclusion

Epigenetically altered macrophages promote development of diabetes-associated AS, which could be prevented through HDAC3 depletion.

Investigating the effect of the heavy metals cadmium, chromium and lead, alone and in combination on an endothelial cell line

Heavy metals are natural elements characterized by their relatively large atomic mass as well as high density. It can be introduced into the ecosystem by the mining of heavy metals from deep within the earth's crust, thereby exposing the metals into air and water systems. Cigarette smoke is another source of heavy metal exposure and has been shown to have carcinogenic, toxic and genotoxic properties. Cadmium, lead, and chromium are the most abundant metals found in cigarette smoke. In response to tobacco smoke exposure, endothelial cells release inflammatory and pro-atherogenic cytokines that are linked to endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is directly related to the production of reactive oxygen species, leading to endothelial cell loss through necrosis and/or apoptosis. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of cadmium, lead, and chromium, alone and as part of metal mixtures, on endothelial cells. The EA.hy926 endothelial cell line was exposed to different concentrations of each of these metals and their combinations and analyzed using flow cytometric analyses with Annexin V. A clear trend was seen with the Pb + Cr as well as the triple combination group with the significant increase of early apoptotic cells. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study possible ultrastructural effects. Morphological changes observed with scanning electron microscopy included cell membrane damage and membrane blebbing at certain metal concentrations. In conclusion, the exposure of endothelial cells to cadmium, lead, and chromium, caused a disruption in cellular processes and morphology, possibly diminishing the protective ability of endothelial cells.

Histone methyltransferase Smyd2 drives vascular aging by its enhancer-dependent activity

BACKGROUND

Vascular aging is one of the important factors contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. However, the systematic epigenetic regulatory mechanisms during vascular aging are still unclear. Histone methyltransferase SET and MYND domain-containing protein 2 (Smyd2) is associated with multiple diseases including cancer and inflammatory diseases, but whether it is involved in endothelial cell senescence and aging-related cardiovascular diseases has not been directly proved. Thus, we aim to address the effects of Smyd2 on regulating angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced vascular endothelial cells (VECs) senescence and its epigenetic mechanism.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The regulatory role of Smyd2 in Ang II-induced VECs senescence was confirmed by performing loss and gain function assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis was used to systematically screen the potential enhancer during VECs senescence. Here, we found that Smyd2 was significantly upregulated in Ang II-triggered VECs, and deficiency of Smyd2 attenuated senescence-associated phenotypes both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, Ang II-induced upregulation of Smyd2 could increase the mono-methylation level of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4me1), resulting in a hyper-methylated chromatin state, then further activating enhancers adjacent to key aging-related genes, such as Cdkn1a and Cdkn2a, finally driving the development of vascular aging.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our study uncovered that Smyd2 drives a hyper-methylated chromatin state via H3K4me1 and actives the enhancer elements adjacent to key senescence genes such as Cdkn1a and Cdkn2a, and further induces the senescence-related phenotypes. Targeting Smyd2 possibly unveiled a novel therapeutic candidate for vascular aging-related diseases.

New insights in ferroptosis: Potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of ischemic stroke

Stroke is a common disease in clinical practice, which seriously endangers people's physical and mental health. The neurovascular unit (NVU) plays a key role in the occurrence and development of ischemic stroke. Different from other classical types of cell death such as apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis, ferroptosis is an iron-dependent lipid peroxidation-driven new form of cell death. Interestingly, the function of NVU and stroke development can be regulated by activating or inhibiting ferroptosis. This review systematically describes the NVU in ischemic stroke, provides a comprehensive overview of the regulatory mechanisms and key regulators of ferroptosis, and uncovers the role of ferroptosis in the NVU and the progression of ischemic stroke. We further discuss the latest progress in the intervention of ferroptosis as a therapeutic target for ischemic stroke and summarize the research progress and regulatory mechanism of ferroptosis inhibitors on stroke. In conclusion, ferroptosis, as a new form of cell death, plays a key role in ischemic stroke and is expected to become a new therapeutic target for this disease.

Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiling Reveals PHACTR1 as a Novel Molecular Target of Resveratrol in Endothelial Homeostasis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease in which endothelial cells play an important role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Endotheliitis caused by endothelial dysfunction (ED) is the key cause for the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as other vascular system diseases. Resveratrol (RES), a multi-functional polyphenol present in edible plants and fruits, prevents cardiovascular disease by regulating a variety of athero-relevant signaling pathways. By transcriptome profiling of RES-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in-depth bioinformatic analysis, we observed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in KEGG pathways of fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, suggesting that the RES may serve as a good template for a shear stress mimetic drug that hold promise in combating atherosclerosis. A heat map and multiple datasets superimposed screening revealed that RES significantly down-regulated phosphatase and actin modulator 1 (PHACTR1), a pivotal coronary artery disease risk gene associated with endothelial inflammation and polyvascular diseases. We further demonstrate that RES down-regulated the gene and protein expression of PHACTR1 and inhibited TNF-α-induced adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to activated endothelial cells via suppressing the expression of PHACTR1. Taken together, our study reveals that PHACTR1 represents a new molecular target for RES to maintain endothelial cell homeostasis and prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Sweet Potato Is Not Simply an Abundant Food Crop: A Comprehensive Review of Its Phytochemical Constituents, Biological Activities, and the Effects of Processing

Nowadays, sweet potato (Ipomoea batata L.; Lam.) is considered a very interesting nutritive food because it is rich in complex carbohydrates, but as a tubercle, contains high amounts of health-promoting secondary metabolites. The aim of this review is to summarize the most recently published information on this root vegetable, focusing on its bioactive phytochemical constituents, potential effects on health, and the impact of processing technologies. Sweet potato is considered an excellent source of dietary carotenoids, and polysaccharides, whose health benefits include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity, cardiovascular protection, anticancer properties and improvement in neurological and memory capacity, metabolic disorders, and intestinal barrier function. Moreover, the purple sweet potato, due to its high anthocyanin content, represents a unique food option for consumers, as well as a potential source of functional ingredients for healthy food products. In this context, the effects of commercial processing and domestic cooking techniques on sweet potato bioactive compounds require further study to understand how to minimize their loss.

MAGI1 inhibits interferon signaling to promote influenza A infection

We have shown that membrane-associated guanylate kinase with inverted domain structure-1 (MAGI1), a scaffold protein with six PSD95/DiscLarge/ZO-1 (PDZ) domains, is involved in the regulation of endothelial cell (EC) activation and atherogenesis in mice. In addition to causing acute respiratory disease, influenza A virus (IAV) infection plays an important role in atherogenesis and triggers acute coronary syndromes and fatal myocardial infarction. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the function and regulation of MAGI1 in IAV-induced EC activation. Whereas, EC infection by IAV increases MAGI1 expression, MAGI1 depletion suppresses IAV infection, suggesting that the induction of MAGI1 may promote IAV infection. Treatment of ECs with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) increases MAGI1 expression and IAV infection, suggesting that MAGI1 is part of the mechanistic link between serum lipid levels and patient prognosis following IAV infection. Our microarray studies suggest that MAGI1-depleted ECs increase protein expression and signaling networks involve in interferon (IFN) production. Specifically, infection of MAGI1-null ECs with IAV upregulates expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), interferon b1 (IFNb1), myxovirus resistance protein 1 (MX1) and 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 2 (OAS2), and activate STAT5. By contrast, MAGI1 overexpression inhibits Ifnb1 mRNA and MX1 expression, again supporting the pro-viral response mediated by MAGI1. MAGI1 depletion induces the expression of MX1 and virus suppression. The data suggests that IAV suppression by MAGI1 depletion may, in part, be due to MX1 induction. Lastly, interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) translocates to the nucleus in the absence of IRF3 phosphorylation, and IRF3 SUMOylation is abolished in MAGI1-depleted ECs. The data suggests that MAGI1 inhibits IRF3 activation by maintaining IRF3 SUMOylation. In summary, IAV infection occurs in ECs in a MAGI1 expression-dependent manner by inhibiting anti-viral responses including STATs and IRF3 activation and subsequent MX1 induction, and MAGI1 plays a role in EC activation, and in upregulating a pro-viral response. Therefore, the inhibition of MAGI1 is a potential therapeutic target for IAV-induced cardiovascular disease.

Cell Adhesion Strength Indicates the Antithrombogenicity of Poly(2-Methoxyethyl Acrylate) (PMEA): Potential Candidate for Artificial Small-Diameter Blood Vessel

Poly (2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) is a US FDA-approved biocompatible polymer, although there is insufficient work on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and platelet interaction analysis on PMEA-analogous polymers. In this study, we extensively investigated HUVEC–polymer and platelet–polymer interaction behavior by measuring the adhesion strength using single-cell force spectroscopy. Furthermore, the hydration layer of the polymer interface was observed using frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy. We found that endothelial cells can attach and spread on the PMEA surface with strong adhesion strength compared to other analogous polymers. We found that the hydration layers on the PMEA-analogous polymers were closely related to their weak platelet adhesion behavior. Based on our results, it can be concluded that PMEA is a promising candidate for the construction of artificial small-diameter blood vessels owing to the presence of IW and a hydration layer on the interface.

Transcriptomics of angiotensin II-induced long noncoding and coding RNAs in endothelial cells

OBJECTIVE

Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases such as systemic hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy and atherosclerosis. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play an essential role in the pathobiology of cardiovascular diseases; however, the effect of Ang II on lncRNAs and coding RNAs expression in endothelial cells has not been evaluated. Accordingly, we sought to evaluate the expression profiles of lncRNAs and coding RNAs in endothelial cells following treatment with Ang II.

METHODS

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured and treated with Ang II (10-6 mol/l) for 24 h. The cells were then profiled for the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs using the Arraystar Human lncRNA Expression Microarray V3.0.

RESULTS

In HUVECs following Ang II treatment, from a total of 30 584 lncRNA targets screened, 25 targets were significantly upregulated, while 69 were downregulated. In the same HUVECs samples, from 26 106 mRNA targets screened, 28 targets were significantly upregulated and 67 were downregulated. Of the differentially expressed lncRNAs, RP11-354P11.2 and RP11-360F5.1 were the most upregulated (11-fold) and downregulated (three-fold) lncRNAs, respectively. Assigning the differentially regulated genes into functional groups using bioinformatics reveals numerous genes involved in the nucleotide excision repair and ECM-receptor interaction.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to profile the Ang II-induced differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in human endothelial cells. Our results reveal novel targets and substantially extend the list of potential candidate genes involved in Ang II-induced endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases.

PTP1B inhibition ameliorates inflammatory injury and dysfunction in ox‑LDL‑induced HUVECs by activating the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway via negative regulation of KLF2

Atherosclerosis is a key pathogenic factor of cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-treated vascular endothelial cells remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to explore the possible physiological roles and mechanism of PTP1B in atherosclerosis using HUVECs as an in vitro model. PTP1B expression was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell viability was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and lactate dehydrogenase activity assays. Levels of inflammatory factors, including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, and oxidative stress factors, including malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, were assessed using ELISA and commercially available kits, respectively. Furthermore, TUNEL assay and western blotting were performed to assess the extent of apoptosis-related factors, including Bcl-2, Bax, Cleaved caspase-3 and Caspase-3. Tube formation assay was used to assess tubule formation ability and western blotting was to analyze VEGFA protein level. Binding sites for the transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) on the PTP1B promoter were predicted using the JASPAR database and verified using luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation. The protein levels of phosphorylated 5'AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), AMPK and SIRT1 were measured using western blotting. The results demonstrated that the PTP1B mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly upregulated in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced HUVECs. In addition, ox-LDL-induced HUVECs transfected with short hairpin RNA against PTP1B exhibited a significant increase in cell viability, reduced inflammatory factor levels, apoptosis and oxidative stress, as well as increased tubule formation ability. KLF2 was found to negatively regulate the transcriptional activity of PTP1B. KLF2 knockdown reversed the protective effects of PTP1B knockdown on ox-LDL-induced HUVECs. KLF2 knockdown also abolished PTP1B knockdown-triggered AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway activation in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs. To conclude, the results of the present study suggested that PTP1B knockdown can prevent ox-LDL-induced inflammatory injury and dysfunction in HUVECs, which is regulated at least in part by the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway through KLF2.

5,2′-Dibromo-2,4′,5′-trihydroxydiphenylmethanone Inhibits LPS-Induced Vascular Inflammation by Targeting the Cav1 Protein

Vascular inflammation is directly responsible for atherosclerosis. 5,2′-Dibromo-2,4′,5′-trihydroxydiphenylmethanone (TDD), a synthetic bromophenol derivative, exhibits anti-atherosclerosis and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the underlying pathways are not yet clear. In this study, we first examined the effects of TDD on toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) activity, the signaling receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and found that TDD does not inhibit LPS-induced TLR4 expression in EA.hy926 cells and the vascular wall in vivo. Next, we investigated the global protein alterations and the mechanisms underlying the action of TDD in LPS-treated EA.hy926 cells using an isobaric tag for the relative and absolute quantification technique. Western blot analysis revealed that TDD inhibited NF-κB activation by regulating the phosphorylation and subsequent degradation IκBα. Among the differentially expressed proteins, TDD concentration-dependently inhibited Caveolin 1(Cav1) expression. The interaction between Cav1 and TDD was determined by using biolayer interference assay, UV-vis absorption spectra, fluorescence spectrum, and molecular docking. We found that TDD can directly bind to Cav1 through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. In conclusion, our results showed that TDD inhibited LPS-induced vascular inflammation and the NF-κB signaling pathway by specifically targeting the Cav1 protein. TDD may be a novel anti-inflammatory compound, especially for the treatment of atherosclerosis.

Association of white mater lesions with orthostatic hypotension

OBJECTIVE

To reveal the cerebral hypoperperfusion characteristics of White matter lesions (WMLs), we monitored the blood pressure (BP) fluctuation in patients with orthostatic hypotension (OH) and WMLs.

METHODS

A total of 2265 syncope patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Clinical outcomes of brain MRI or CT, tilt test and continuous electrocardiogram monitoring were reviewed. All patients were divided into two groups according to WMLs status, and the WMLs group was further classified into three subgroups according to Fazekas grade (1-3). BP fluctuation in these subgroups was compared. The risk factors of WMLs and OH were determined by a multivariate logistic regression test.

RESULTS

A total of 2265 syncope patients were enrolled, among which 56% patients were male. The average age of patients with WMLs was (61±12) years old. ΔTIME (Odds ratio [OR]: 1.014, 95% confidence interval [CI]: (1.005, 1.023), P=0.0015) and ΔSBP1 (OR: 0.990, 95% CI: (0.980, 1.000), P=0.0579) were demonstrated to be the risk factors of WMLs. The number of cases of repeated drops in blood pressure was twice as high as the cases with only drop in BP . The median and mean ΔSBP and ΔTIME of patients with WMLs were higher than those without WMLs. The incidence of diabetes, hypertension, age and Parkinson Plus Syndromes in patients with WMLs significantly decreased in comparison to those without WMLs (OR-diabetes: 2.558, OR-hypertension: 1.713, OR-age: 0.924 and OR-Parkinson Plus Syndromes: 0.476, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

WMLs occurs in patients with hypoperfusion of recurrent OH. Vascular WMLs is associated with diabetes, hypertension, and age is at higher risk than WMLs associated with Parkinson Plus Syndromes.

Effect of Ginsenoside Rh1 on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Oxidative Stress in Vascular Endothelial Cells by Regulation of the Nuclear Erythroid 2-related Factor-2/Heme Oxygenase-1 Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the role of ginsenoside Rh1 in regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-treated human vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and the underlying mechanisms. VECs were treated with ox-LDL to generate an in vitro atherosclerosis model. The effect of ginsenoside Rh1 on cell viability and proliferation was examined by MTT and colony formation assays, respectively, and cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay. The levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase activity were detected using biological assays. Finally, the effect of ginsenoside Rh1 on the levels of BAX and BCL-2 and the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor-2/heme oxygenase (HO)-1 signaling pathway was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays. Treatment with ginsenoside Rh1 significantly increased the proliferation and decreased the apoptosis of ox-LDL-treated VECs in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, ginsenoside Rh1 also relieved oxidative stress in ox-LDL-treated VECs by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Thus, ginsenoside Rh1 affects the proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in ox-LDL-treated VECs by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Nanobiotechnology approaches for cardiovascular diseases: site-specific targeting of drugs and nanoparticles for atherothrombosis

Atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis, the major contributors to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), represent the leading cause of death worldwide. Current pharmacological therapies have been associated with side effects or are insufficient at halting atherosclerotic progression effectively. Pioneering work harnessing the passive diffusion or endocytosis properties of nanoparticles and advanced biotechnologies in creating recombinant proteins for site-specific delivery have been utilized to overcome these limitations. Since CVDs are complex diseases, the most challenging aspect of developing site-specific therapies is the identification of an individual and unique antigenic epitope that is only expressed in lesions or diseased areas. This review focuses on the pathological mechanism of atherothrombosis and discusses the unique targets that are important during disease progression. We review recent advances in site-specific therapy using novel targeted drug-delivery and nanoparticle-carrier systems. Furthermore, we explore the limitations and future perspectives of site-specific therapy for CVDs.

Elevated Expression of lncRNA MEG3 Induces Endothelial Dysfunction on HUVECs of IVF Born Offspring via Epigenetic Regulation

Cardiovascular dysfunction in children born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been of great concern, the potential molecular mechanisms for such long-term outcomes are still unknown. Here, we found that systolic blood pressure was a little higher in IVF born offspring at 2 years old compared to those born after being naturally conceived. Besides, the expression level of maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) was higher in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) from IVF offspring than that in spontaneously born offspring. Pearson correlation test showed that MEG3 relative expression is significantly related to the children's blood pressure (Coefficient = 0.429, P = 0.0262). Furthermore, we found decreased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) along with elevated expression of endothelial-1(ET1) in HUVECs from IVF offspring, accompanied by lower secretion of nitrite, VEGF, and higher secretion of ET1 in the umbilical cord serum of IVF offspring. Correlation analysis showed MEG3 expression highly correlated with ET1 and Nitrate concentration. With pyrosequencing technology, we found that elevated expression of MEG3 was the result of hypomethylation of the MEG3 promoter. Therefore, our results provide a potential mechanism addressing the high-risk of hypertension in IVF offspring via MEG3 epigenetic regulation.

Diabetes and COVID-19; A Bidirectional Interplay

There seems to be a bidirectional interplay between Diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On the one hand, people with diabetes are at higher risk of fatal or critical care unit-treated COVID-19 as well as COVID-19 related health complications compared to individuals without diabetes. On the other hand, clinical data so far suggest that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may result in metabolic dysregulation and in impaired glucose homeostasis. In addition, emerging data on new onset DM in previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 patients, reinforce the hypothesis of a direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 on glucose metabolism. Attempting to find the culprit, we currently know that the pancreas and the endothelium have been found to express Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, the main binding site of the virus. To move from bench to bedside, understanding the effects of COVID-19 on metabolism and glucose homeostasis is crucial to prevent and manage complications related to COVID-19 and support recovering patients. In this article we review the potential underlying pathophysiological mechanisms between COVID-19 and glucose dysregulation as well as the effects of antidiabetic treatment in patients with diabetes and COVID-19.

The angiogenic properties of human amniotic membrane stem cells are enhanced in gestational diabetes and associate with fetal adiposity

Background

An environment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can modify the phenotype of stem cell populations differentially according to their placental localization, which can be useful to study the consequences for the fetus. We sought to explore the effect of intrauterine GDM exposure on the angiogenic properties of human amniotic membrane stem cells (hAMSCs).

Methods

We comprehensively characterized the angiogenic phenotype of hAMSCs isolated from 14 patients with GDM and 14 controls with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Maternal and fetal parameters were also recorded. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and palmitic acid were used to in vitro mimic a GDM-like pathology. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of protein function was used to investigate the molecular pathways underlying the angiogenic properties of hAMSCs isolated from women with GDM.

Results

Capillary tube formation assays revealed that GDM-hAMSCs produced a significantly higher number of nodes (P = 0.004), junctions (P = 0.002) and meshes (P < 0.001) than equivalent NGT-hAMSCs, concomitant with an increase in the gene/protein expression of FGFR2, TGFBR1, SERPINE1 and VEGFA. These latter changes were recapitulated in NGT-hAMSCs exposed to GDM-like conditions. Inhibition of the protein product of SERPINE1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, PAI-1) suppressed the angiogenic properties of GDM-hAMSCs. Correlation analyses revealed that cord blood insulin levels in offspring strongly correlated with the number of nodes (r = 0.860; P = 0.001), junctions (r = 0.853; P = 0.002) and meshes (r = 0.816; P = 0.004) in tube formation assays. Finally, FGFR2 levels correlated positively with placental weight (r = 0.586; P = 0.028) and neonatal adiposity (r = 0.496; P = 0.014).

Conclusions

GDM exposure contributes to the angiogenic abilities of hAMSCs, which are further related to increased cord blood insulin and fetal adiposity. PAI-1 emerges as a potential key player of GDM-induced angiogenesis.

Conjugated Metabolites of Hydroxytyrosol and Tyrosol Contribute to the Maintenance of Nitric Oxide Balance in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells at Physiologically Relevant Concentrations

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule involved in many pathophysiological processes. NO mediates vasodilation and blood flow in the arteries, and its action contributes to maintaining vascular homeostasis by inhibiting vascular smooth muscle contraction and growth, platelet aggregation, and leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium. Dietary antioxidants and their metabolites have been found to be directly and/or indirectly involved in the modulation of the intracellular signals that lead to the production of NO. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of conjugated metabolites of hydroxytyrosol (HT) and tyrosol (TYR) to the release of NO at the vascular level, and the related mechanism of action, in comparison to their parental forms. Experiments were performed in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) to evaluate the superoxide production, the release of NO and production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), the activation of serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (Akt1), and the activation state of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). It was observed that the tested phenolic compounds enhanced NO and cGMP concentration, inhibiting its depletion caused by superoxide overproduction. Moreover, some of them enhanced the activation of Akt (TYR, HT metabolites) and eNOS (HT, HVA, TYR-S, HT-3S). Overall, the obtained data showed that these compounds promote NO production and availability, suggesting that HT and TYR conjugated metabolites may contribute to the effects of parental extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) phenolics in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Fetoplacental vasculature as a model to study human cardiovascular endocrine disruption

Increasing evidence has associated the exposure of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with the cardiovascular (CV) system. This exposure is particularly problematic in a sensitive window of development, pregnancy. Pregnancy exposome can affect the overall health of the pregnancy by dramatic changes in vascular physiology and endocrine activity, increasing maternal susceptibility. Moreover, fetoplacental vascular function is generally altered, increasing the risk of developing pregnancy complications (including cardiovascular diseases, CVD) and predisposing the foetus to adverse health risks later in life. Thus, our review summarizes the existing literature on exposures to EDCs during pregnancy and adverse maternal health outcomes, focusing on the human placenta, vein, and umbilical artery associated with pregnancy complications. The purpose of this review is to highlight the role of fetoplacental vasculature as a model for the study of human cardiovascular endocrine disruption. Therefore, we emphasize that the placenta, together with the umbilical arteries and veins, allows a better characterization of the pregnant woman's exposome. Consequently, it contributes to the protection of the mother and foetus against CV disorders in life.

Semaphorin 7A knockdown improves injury and prevents endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs by regulating β1 integrin expression

Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of cardiovascular disease and is accompanied by high mortality rates and a poor prognosis. Semaphorin 7A (Sema7A) and its receptor β1 integrin have been reported to participate in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the role of Sema7A and β1 integrin in endothelial cell injury and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in atherosclerosis remains undetermined, to the best of our knowledge. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Sema7A and β1 integrin in HUVECs were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analyses, respectively. HUVECs were induced with 50 µg/ml oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to establish an atherosclerosis cell model. Cell viability was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and the production of IL-1β, IL-6 and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 was determined using ELISA. The expression levels of cell adhesion factors, intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 were analyzed using RT-qPCR and western blot analyses. Cell apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry and western blotting. The levels of EMT-related markers were evaluated using RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The results of the present study revealed that the expression levels of Sema7A and β1 integrin were significantly upregulated in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. Treatment with ox-LDL significantly decreased cell viability, and increased the levels of inflammatory and adhesion factors, the cell apoptotic rate and the expression levels of EMT-related proteins. Knockdown of Sema7A reversed the ox-LDL-induced inflammatory responses and EMT, while the overexpression of β1 integrin reversed the Sema7A-mediated inhibitory effects on ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicated that Sema7A and β1 integrin may play significant roles in atherosclerosis by mediating endothelial cell injury and EMT progression.

Translating the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) knowledge into real-world nutrition strategies

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are glycated proteins or lipids derived from complex metabolic pathways involved in the pathophysiology of various diseases, especially diabetes and diabetes-related complications. These compounds are omnipresent in human life, with both endogenous and exogenous sources. Despite the well-elucidated disease mechanisms, little is known about the AGEs/nutrition nexus in the circles of clinical practice recommendations. This review seeks to translate the accumulated knowledge about the biochemistry and pathophysiology of AGEs into a nutritional intervention based on real-world prescriptions.

Beta vulgaris rubra L. (Beetroot) Peel Methanol Extract Reduces Oxidative Stress and Stimulates Cell Proliferation via Increasing VEGF Expression in H2O2 Induced Oxidative Stressed Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

The antioxidant capacity of polyphenols and flavonoids present in dietary agents aids in arresting the development of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protecting endothelial smooth muscle cells from oxidative stress/induced necrosis. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris var. rubra L.; BVr) is a commonly consumed vegetable representing a rich source of antioxidants. Beetroot peel’s bioactive compounds and their role in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are still under-researched. In the present study, beetroot peel methanol extract (BPME) was prepared, and its effect on the bio-efficacy, nuclear integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential and vascular cell growth, and immunoregulation-related gene expression levels in HUVECs with induced oxidative stress were analysed. Gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) results confirmed that BPME contains 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (32.6%), methyl pyruvate (15.13%), furfural (9.98%), and 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-Pyran-4-one (12.4%). BPME extract effectively enhanced cell proliferation and was confirmed by MTT assay; the nuclear integrity was confirmed by propidium iodide (PI) staining assay; the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ_m) was confirmed by JC-1 staining assay. Annexin V assay confirmed that BPME-treated HUVECs showed 99% viable cells, but only 39.8% viability was shown in HUVECs treated with H₂O₂ alone. In addition, BPME treatment of HUVECs for 48 h reduced mRNA expression of lipid peroxide (LPO) and increased NOS-3, Nrf-2, GSK-3β, GPX, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and vascular cell growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression levels. We found that BPME treatment decreased proinflammatory (nuclear factor-κβ (F-κβ), tissue necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), interleukin-1β (IL-1β)) and vascular inflammation (intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), EDN₁, IL-1β)-related mRNA expressions. In conclusion, beetroot peel treatment effectively increased vascular smooth cell growth factors and microtubule development, whereas it decreased vascular inflammatory regulators. BPME may be beneficial for vascular smooth cell regeneration, tissue repair and anti-ageing potential.

Irisin in atherosclerosis

Irisin, a novel exercise-induced myokine, has been shown to play important roles in increasing white adipose tissue browning, regulating energy metabolism and improving insulin resistance. Growing evidence suggests a direct role for irisin in preventing atherosclerosis (AS) by inhibiting oxidative stress, improving dyslipidemia, facilitating anti-inflammation, reducing cellular damage and recovering endothelial function. In addition, some studies have noted that serum irisin levels play an essential role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk prediction, highlighting that irisin has the potential to be a useful predictive marker and therapeutic target of AS, especially in monitoring therapeutic efficacy. This review summarizes the understanding of irisin-mediated regulation in essential biological pathways and functions in atherosclerosis and prompts further exploitation of the biological properties of irisin in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Geniposide Combined With Notoginsenoside R1 Attenuates Inflammation and Apoptosis in Atherosclerosis via the AMPK/mTOR/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

Inflammation and apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells play a key role in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis (AS), and the AMPK/mTOR/Nrf2 signaling pathway plays an important role in alleviating the symptoms of AS. Geniposide combined with notoginsenoside R1 (GN combination) is a patented supplement for the prevention and treatment of AS. It has been proven to improve blood lipid levels and inhibit the formation of AS plaques; however, it is still unclear whether GN combination can inhibit inflammation and apoptosis in AS by regulating the AMPK/mTOR/Nrf2 signaling pathway and its downstream signals. Our results confirmed that the GN combination could improve blood lipid levels and plaque formation in ApoE^−/− mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD), inhibit the secretion of serum inflammatory factors and oxidative stress factors. It also decreased the expression of pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-related protein and Bax/Bcl2/caspase-3 pathway-related proteins. At the same time, the GN combination could also inhibit the H₂O₂-induced inflammatory response and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which is mainly related to the activation of the AMPK/mTOR pathway by GN combination, which in turn induces the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signal. In addition, the above phenomenon could be significantly reversed by dorsomorphin. Therefore, our experiments proved for the first time that the GN combination can effectively inhibit AS inflammation and apoptosis by activating the AMPK/mTOR/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome and Bax/Bcl2/caspase-3 pathway.

Resveratrol ameliorated endothelial injury of thoracic aorta in diabetic mice and Gly-LDL-induced HUVECs through inhibiting TLR4/HIF-1α

To explore the effects of resveratrol on the levels of inflammatory cytokines and Toll-like receptor-4/ hypoxia-inducible transcription factors-1α (TLR4/HIF-1α) signalling pathway in diabetes mellitus. C57BL/6 mice received intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin for constructing diabetic mice models. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with 50 µg/mL Gly-LDL for inducing injury models. 10, 100 and 1000 mmol/L resveratrol were obtained and added into each group. Haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining was used for histological evaluation. CCK8 assay was performed for determination of cell viability, and Transwell assay was implemented for detecting cell migration ability. Cell apoptosis was analysed using flow cytometry. The content of inflammatory factors including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by ELISA. GST pull-down assay was employed for determining interactions between TLR4 and HIF-1α. The protein expression of TLR4 and HIF-1α was detected using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, while relative mRNA expression was measured by RT-qRCR. Resveratrol could reduce bodyweight and ameliorate endothelial injury of thoracic aorta in diabetic mice. Both in vivo and in vitro results revealed that the level of IL-6, TNF-α, VCAM-1 and VEGF was significantly down-regulated after being treated with resveratrol. Resveratrol inhibited the increase of MDA and ROS and increased the level of SOD in diabetic mice. Western blotting, IHC and RT-qPCR results showed that the levels of TLR4 and HIF-1α were significantly down-regulated in resveratrol group. Overexpression of TLR4 or HIF-1α could reverse the effect of resveratrol. GST pull-down elucidated that there might be a close interaction between TLR4 and HIF-1α. Resveratrol ameliorated endothelial injury of thoracic aorta in diabetic mice and Gly-LDL-induced HUVECs through inhibiting TLR4/HIF-1α signalling pathway.

Specific arterio-venous transcriptomic and ncRNA-RNA interactions in human umbilical endothelial cells: A meta-analysis

Whether arterial-venous differences of primary endothelial cells commonly used for vascular research are preserved in vitro remains under debate. To address this issue, a meta-analysis of Affymetrix transcriptomic data sets from human umbilical artery (HUAECs) and vein (HUVEC) endothelial cells was performed. The meta-analysis showed 2,742 transcripts differentially expressed (false discovery rate <0.05), of which 78% were downregulated in HUVECs. Comparisons with RNA-seq data sets showed high levels of agreement and correlation (p < 0.0001), identifying 84 arterial-venous identity markers. Functional analysis revealed enrichment of key vascular processes in HUAECs/HUVECs, including nitric oxide- (NO) and hypoxia-related genes, as well as differences in miRNA- and ncRNA-mRNA interaction profiles. A proof of concept of these findings in primary cells exposed to hypoxia in vitro and in vivo confirmed the arterial-venous differences in NO-related genes and miRNAs. Altogether, these data defined a cross-platform arterial-venous transcript profile for cultured HUAEC-HUVEC and support a preserved identity involving key vascular pathways post-transcriptionally regulated in vitro.

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Transcriptional differences among HUAEC and HUVEC are preserved in culture

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These differences occur even after correcting for experimental conditions

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The heterogenous regulation affects NO- and hypoxia-related genes

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Cell-specific ncRNA/mRNA interactions are found

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Oxidative Stress as a Major Pathophysiological Mechanism Linked to Adverse Clinical Outcomes

Recent reports have demonstrated the association between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and increased morbidity and mortality rates during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection, setting a priority of these patients for vaccination. Impaired innate and adaptive immunity observed in T1DM seem to play a major role. Severe, life-threatening COVID-19 disease is characterized by the excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, known as a "cytokine storm". Patients with T1DM present elevated levels of cytokines including interleukin-1a (IL), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), suggesting the pre-existence of chronic inflammation, which, in turn, has been considered the major risk factor of adverse COVID-19 outcomes in many cohorts. Even more importantly, oxidative stress is a key player in COVID-19 pathogenesis and determines disease severity. It is well-known that extreme glucose excursions, the prominent feature of T1DM, are a potent mediator of oxidative stress through several pathways including the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and the increased production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Additionally, chronic endothelial dysfunction and the hypercoagulant state observed in T1DM, in combination with the direct damage of endothelial cells by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may result in endothelial and microcirculation impairment, which contribute to the pathogenesis of acute respiratory syndrome and multi-organ failure. The binding of SARS-CoV-2 to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors in pancreatic b-cells permits the direct destruction of b-cells, which contributes to the development of new-onset diabetes and the induction of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients with T1DM. Large clinical studies are required to clarify the exact pathways through which T1DM results in worse COVID-19 outcomes.

Diverse functional responses to high glucose by primary and permanent hybrid endothelial cells in vitro

Various types of human endothelial cells, including human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the established hybrid EAhy926 cells, are used in experimental research. Here, we compared the biological properties of HUVECs and EAhy926 cells under normal (5 mM) and high glucose (30 mM; HG) conditions. The results showed that HG induced cellular senescence and a stronger DNA damage response in HUVECs than in EAhy926 cells. The magnitude of oxidative stress elicited in HUVECs by HG was also greater than that elicited in their established counterparts. Both endothelial cell types promoted the progression of breast (MCF7), ovarian (OVCAR-3), and lung (A549) cancer cells; however, the effects elicited by HG-treated HUVECs on adhesion (MCF7, OVCAR-3), proliferation (OVCAR-3), and migration (OVCAR-3) were more pronounced. Finally, HG stimulated the production of a higher number of proangiogenic agents in HUVECs than in EAhy926 cells. Collectively, our study shows that the functional properties of primary and established endothelial cells exposed to HG differ substantially, which seems to result from the higher sensitivity of the former to this stressor. The interchangeability of both types of endothelial cells in biomedical research should be considered with great care to avoid losing some biological effects due to the choice of cells with higher stress tolerance.

Naringenin promotes cell autophagy to improve high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice

Naringenin (NAR) is a major flavanone in citrus fruits that has multiple pharmacological attributes such as anticancer and antiatherogenic. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of NAR in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced atherosclerosis (AS) in apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-/-) mice. A HFD-induced AS ApoE-/- mouse model was established. The mice were treated with HFD, different doses of NAR and simvastatin (Simv). After drug treatment, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were determined. The expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was detected using qRT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The plaque area of the aorta of AS mice was determined using oil red O staining. Western blot analysis was applied to measure the levels of autophagy-related proteins [protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B), beclin 1, and p62]. The TC, TG, LDL-C, TNF-α, ALT, and MDA levels were significantly increased while the HDL-C, SOD, and GSH-Px levels were decreased in the HFD-induced AS ApoE-/- mice. NAR treatment reversed the expression of the above indicators in mice. After they were treated with different doses of NAR, the LC3B and beclin 1 levels were improved while the p62 protein level was decreased. This study suggested that NAR could promote cell autophagy to improve HFD-induced AS in ApoE-/- mice.

[Fuxinfang improves hypoxia-induced injury of human aortic endothelial cells by regulating c-Fos-NR4A1-p38 pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the molecular mechanism of Fuxinfang for improving injury of human aortic endothelial progenitor cells (HAECs).

OBJECTIVE

Serum samples were collected from male SD rats treated with Fuxinfang (n=8) or saline (n= 5). HAECs cultured in normoxia or hypoxic condition (2% O₂) were treated with serum from normal rats or with diluted serum (1% and 10%) from rats treated with Fuxinfang. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between Fuxinfang-treated and control cells were detected using high-throughput sequencing to screen the target DEGs that participated in arterial endothelial cell injury and underwent changes in response to both hypoxia and Fuxinfang treatment. AmiGo and String databases were used to infer the interactions among the target genes, and the expressions of the genes were analyzed in HAECs with different treatments using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting.

OBJECTIVE

HAECs cultured in hypoxia did not show obvious changes in cell morphology or expressions of hypoxia-related factors in response to treatment with 1% or 10% serum from Fuxinfang-treated rats. The results of high-throughput sequencing showed a total of 7134 DEGs (4205 up-regulated and 2929 down-regulated genes) in HAECs in hypoxia model group and 762 DEGs (305 upregulated and 457 down-regulated genes) in Fuxinfang-treated HAECs. Analysis of AmiGo and String databases and the constructed protein-protein interaction network identified c-Fos, NR4A1, and p38MAPK as the target genes. The results of ELISA and Western blotting showed that the expressions of c-Fos, NR4A1, p38MAPK and pp38MAPK increased significantly in cells with hypoxic exposure (P < 0.05); treatment with the serum containing Fuxinfang significantly reduced the expression levels of c-Fos, NR4A1 and p-p38MAPK in hypoxic HAECs in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05).

OBJECTIVE

The serum from Fuxinfang-treated rats can concentration-dependently inhibit the expressions of the DEGs occurring in hypoxia. Fuxinfang improves hypoxic injuries of HAECs possibly by down-regulating the expression of c-Fos to inhibit NR4A1 expression and suppressing hypoxia-induced p38 phosphorylation.

Longitudinal shear stress response in human endothelial cells to atheroprone and atheroprotective conditions

The two main blood flow patterns, namely, pulsatile shear (PS) prevalent in straight segments of arteries and oscillatory shear (OS) observed at branch points, are associated with atheroprotective (healthy) and atheroprone (unhealthy) vascular phenotypes, respectively. The effects of blood flow-induced shear stress on endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular health have generally been studied using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). While there are a few studies comparing the differential roles of PS and OS across different types of ECs at a single time point, there is a paucity of studies comparing the temporal responses between different EC types. In the current study, we measured OS and PS transcriptomic responses in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) over 24 h and compared these temporal responses of HAECs with our previous findings on HUVECs. The measurements were made at 1, 4, and 24 h in order to capture the responses at early, mid, and late time points after shearing. The results indicate that the responses of HAECs and HUVECs are qualitatively similar for endothelial function-relevant genes and several important pathways with a few exceptions, thus demonstrating that HUVECs can be used as a model to investigate the effects of shear on arterial ECs, with consideration of the differences. Our findings show that HAECs exhibit an earlier response or faster kinetics as compared to HUVECs. The comparative analysis of HAECs and HUVECs presented here offers insights into the mechanisms of common and disparate shear stress responses across these two major endothelial cell types.

Human Umbilical Cord: Information Mine in Sex-Specific Medicine

Biological differences between sexes should be considered in all stages of research, as sexual dimorphism starts in utero leading to sex-specific fetal programming. In numerous biomedical fields, there is still a lack of stratification by sex despite primary cultured cells retaining memory of the sex and of the donor. The sex of donors in biological research must be known because variations in cells and cellular components can be used as endpoints, biomarkers and/or targets of pharmacological studies. This selective review focuses on the current findings regarding sex differences observed in the umbilical cord, a widely used source of research samples, both in the blood and in the circulating cells, as well as in the different cellular models obtainable from it. Moreover, an overview on sex differences in fetal programming is reported. As it emerges that the sex variable is still often forgotten in experimental models, we suggest that it should be mandatory to adopt sex-oriented research, because only awareness of these issues can lead to innovative research.

OxLDL/β2GPI/anti‑β2GPI Ab complex induces inflammatory activation via the TLR4/NF‑κB pathway in HUVECs

Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome have been identified to have higher incidence rates of atherosclerosis (AS) due to the elevated levels of anti-β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) antibody (Ab). Our previous studies revealed that the anti-β2GPI Ab formed a stable oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)/β2GPI/anti-β2GPI Ab complex, which accelerated AS development by promoting the accumulation of lipids in macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cell. However, the effects of the complex on endothelial cells, which drive the initiation and development of AS, remain unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the proinflammatory roles of the oxLDL/β2GPI/anti-β2GPI Ab complex in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in an attempt to determine the underlying mechanism. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, enzymy-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were performed to detect the expressions of inflammation related factors and adhesion molecules. Monocyte-binding assay was used to investigate the effects of oxLDL/β2GPI/anti-β2GPI Ab complex on monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. The results demonstrated that the oxLDL/β2GPI/anti-β2GPI Ab complex upregulated the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 and the levels of NF-κB phosphorylation in HUVECs, and subsequently enhanced the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, as well as those of adhesion molecules, such as intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular adhesion molecule 1. In addition, the complex facilitated the recruitment of monocytes by promoting the secretion of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 in HUVECs. Notably, the described effects of the oxLDL/β2GPI/anti-β2GPI Ab complex in HUVECs were abolished by either TLR4 or NF-κB blockade. In conclusion, these findings suggested that the oxLDL/β2GPI/anti-β2GPI Ab complex may induce a hyper-inflammatory state in endothelial cells by promoting the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and monocyte recruitment, which was discovered to be largely dependent on the TLR4/NK-κB signaling pathway.

Overview of the Assessment of Endothelial Function in Humans

The endothelium is recognized to play an important role in various physiological functions including vascular tone, permeability, anticoagulation, and angiogenesis. Endothelial dysfunction is increasingly recognized to contribute to pathophysiology of many disease states, and depending on the disease stimuli, mechanisms underlying the endothelial dysfunction may be markedly different. As such, numerous techniques to measure different aspects of endothelial dysfunction have been developed and refined as available technology improves. Current available reviews on quantifying endothelial dysfunction generally concentrate on a single aspect of endothelial function, although diseases may affect more than one aspect of endothelial function. Here, we aim to provide an overview on the techniques available for the assessment of the different aspects of endothelial function in humans, human tissues or cells, namely vascular tone modulation, permeability, anticoagulation and fibrinolysis, and the use of endothelial biomarkers as predictors of outcomes.

Engineered tissues and strategies to overcome challenges in drug development

Current preclinical studies in drug development utilize high-throughput in vitro screens to identify drug leads, followed by both in vitro and in vivo models to predict lead candidates' pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. The goal of these studies is to reduce the number of lead drug candidates down to the most likely to succeed in later human clinical trials. However, only 1 in 10 drug candidates that emerge from preclinical studies will succeed and become an approved therapeutic. Lack of efficacy or undetected toxicity represents roughly 75% of the causes for these failures, despite these parameters being the primary exclusion criteria in preclinical studies. Recently, advances in both biology and engineering have created new tools for constructing new preclinical models. These models can complement those used in current preclinical studies by helping to create more realistic representations of human tissues in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we describe current preclinical models to identify their value and limitations and then discuss select areas of research where improvements in preclinical models are particularly needed to advance drug development. Following this, we discuss design considerations for constructing preclinical models and then highlight recent advances in these efforts. Taken together, we aim to review the advances as of 2020 surrounding the prospect of biological and engineering tools for adding enhanced biological relevance to preclinical studies to aid in the challenges of failed drug candidates and the burden this poses on the drug development enterprise and thus healthcare.

NLRP3 activation in endothelia promotes development of diabetes-associated atherosclerosis

Inflammatory damage to endothelial cells plays a pivotal role in the diabetes-provoked atherosclerosis (AS). PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) induces formation of inflammasome activates caspase-1, which subsequently cleaves the precursor form of IL-1β (pro-IL-1β) into the processed, secreted form IL-1β to promote the immune responses in AS. However, it is not known whether NLRP3 activation specifically in endothelial cells causes AS. Here, in an in vitro model for AS, we showed that NLRP3-depleted human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) became resistant to apoptotic cell death, maintained proliferative potential and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production upon treatment with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Next, the role of NLRP3 in endothelial cells in the development of diabetes-associated AS was assessed in endothelial cell-specific NLRP3 mutant, ApoE (-/-) mice (APOEKO/Tie2p-Cre/NLRP3^MKO), compared to control ApoE (-/-) mice (APOEKO), supplied with either high-fat diet (HFD), or normal diet (ND). We found that endothelia-specific NLRP3-depletion significantly attenuated AS severity in mice treated with HFD, likely through reduced apoptotic death of endothelial cells and production of ROS. Together, our data suggest that NLRP3 activation in endothelial cells promotes development of diabetes-associated AS.