Corin is highly expressed in atherosclerosis models

Plasma Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Predicts Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Levels in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Independent of Circulating Adipokine and Cytokine

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) play essential roles in the development and progression of vascular complications associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and both are independently linked to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, the relationship between ANP and ox-LDL in patients with T2DM remains unclear as previous studies have primarily focused on circulating levels in various diseases. This study investigated the relationship between ANP and ox-LDL levels in obese individuals with T2DM. The cohort included 57 patients with T2DM (mean age 61.14 ± 9.99 years; HbA1c 8.66 ± 1.60%; BMI 35.15 ± 6.65 kg/m2). Notably, 95% of the patients had hypertension, 82% had dyslipidemia, 59% had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, 14% had coronary artery disease (CAD), and 5% had a history of stroke. Plasma concentrations of ANP and ox-LDL were measured using ELISA. Adipokines and cytokines levels were measured using the multiplex® MAP Human Adipokine Magnetic Beads Spearman's correlation analysis which revealed a negative correlation between ANP and ox-LDL (r = -0.446, p = 0.001) as well as with the ox-LDL/apoB ratio (r = -0.423, p = 0.001) and ox-LDL/LDLc ratio (r = -0.307, p = 0.038). Multivariable regression analysis indicated that ANP was independently associated with ox-LDL (β = -115.736, p = 0.005). Stepwise linear regression further identified TNFα, leptin, and adiponectin as the strongest predictors influencing the relationship between ANP and ox-LDL levels (β = -64.664, p = 0.0311, and r2 = 0.546 for the model). However, these factors did not significantly mediate this association. This study emphasizes the need for further exploration of the complex interaction between ANP and ox-LDL in larger patient populations. This could provide valuable insights into potential therapeutic approaches for managing vascular complications in obese individuals with T2DM.

Association Between Genetically Determined Serum Corin and the Risk of Stroke in Chinese Adults: A Mendelian Randomization Study

BACKGROUND

Serum corin has been associated with stroke in observational studies, but the underlying causality is uncertain. This study examined the causal association between corin and stroke through Mendelian randomization study.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In the Gusu cohort, serum corin was assayed at baseline, and stroke incidents were prospectively obtained during 10 years of follow-up. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CORIN were genotyped by MassArray for 2310 participants (mean age, 53 years; 39% men). Seventeen SNPs passed the Hardy-Weinberg test and were considered the potential instruments. Only 1 SNP (rs2271037) determined variability of serum corin was significantly associated with stroke even after adjusting for conventional risk factors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36 [95% CI, 1.00-1.85]). The weighted genetic risk score generated from the SNP-corin associations was significantly associated with stroke (HR, 2.01 [95% CI, 1.15-3.51]). Using this genetic risk score as the instrument, 1-sample Mendelian randomization analysis found a significant HR of stroke per-SD higher log2-transformed corin (HR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.07-1.76]). The inverse variance-weighted analysis based on the SNP-corin and SNP-stroke associations found that the HR of stroke pre-SD higher log2-transformed corin was 5.92 (95% CI, 2.23-15.72). The effect estimates stayed consistent regardless of an individual SNP being removed from the instruments. An almost identical effect estimate was also confirmed by multiple other 2-sample Mendelian randomization methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetically determined variations of serum corin concentration were significantly associated with the risk of stroke in Chinese adults. Elevated serum corin may be a risk factor for stroke.

Corin protects against acute kidney injury in mice through anti-inflammatory effects

Corin is a type II transmembrane serine protease mainly expressed in the heart. Recently, corin was detected in the kidney and was reported to be associated with multiple kidney diseases. To date, its effect on acute kidney injury (AKI) has not been clarified. Here, we found that corin was constitutively expressed in renal tubules, especially in proximal and distal tubular epithelial cells. The expression of corin was dramatically reduced in ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI)-induced AKI mouse model and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells injury model, suggesting a potential role of corin in AKI. Corin deficient mice exhibited aggravated renal injury in AKI, as indicated by higher elevation of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), more severe tubular damage, and increased cell death versus wild type mice, demonstrating a protective effect of corin on AKI. In vitro overexpression of corin didn't directly alleviate hypoxia-induced HK-2 cells death, revealing that the protective effect of corin against AKI is not due to direct protection of tubular epithelial cells but may be through indirect protection. Microarray analysis showed enhanced inflammatory chemokines signaling and leukocyte chemotaxis in corin-/- mice after AKI, identifying an important role of corin in halting leukocyte chemotaxis and inflammatory response. Consistently, corin-/- mice after AKI displayed increased tubulointerstitial neutrophils and macrophages infiltration, as well as higher inflammatory mediators in kidneys. Taken together, our study indicates that tubular corin exerts a protective effect against AKI through negative regulation of chemotaxis signaling and inflammation in the kidney.

Association between CORIN promoter methylation and stroke: Results from two independent samples of Chinese adults

Objective

As the physical activator of natriuretic peptides, corin has been associated with stroke, but the underlying mechanism is not very clear. Here, we examined whether the CORIN promoter’s methylation, an epigenetic DNA modification, was associated with the risk of stroke in two independent samples.

Methods

A total of 1771 participants including 853 stroke cases and 918 healthy controls were included as a discovery sample and 2,498 community members with 10 years of follow-up were included as a replication sample. DNA methylation of the CORIN promoter was quantified by target bisulfite sequencing in both samples. We first examined the single CpG association, followed by a gene-based analysis of the joint association between multiple CpG methylation and stroke, adjusting for conventional risk factors.

Results

The single CpG association analysis found that hypermethylation at all of the 9 CpG sites assayed was significantly associated with lower odds of prevalent stroke in the discovery sample (all p &lt; 0.05), and three of them located at Chr4:47840038 (HR = 0.74, p = 0.015), Chr4:47839941 (HR = 0.80, p = 0.047), and Chr4:47839933 (HR = 0.82, p = 0.050) were also significantly associated with incident stroke in the replication sample. The gene-based association analysis found that DNA methylation of the 9 CpG sites at the CORIN promoter was jointly associated with stroke in both samples (all p &lt; 0.05).

Conclusion

DNA methylation levels of the CORIN gene promoter were lower in stroke patients and predicted a higher risk of incident stroke in Chinese adults. The underlying causality warranted further investigation.

Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles encapsulate microRNA-34c-5p to ameliorate inflammatory response of coronary artery endothelial cells via PODXL-mediated P38 MAPK signaling pathway

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Low-grade chronic inflammation was reported to serve as a distinctive pathophysiologic feature of coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of death around the world. Herein, the current study aimed to explore whether and how microRNA-34c-5p (miR-34c-5p), a miRNA enriched in extracellular vesicles (EVs) originated from the activated platelet (PLT-EVs), affects the inflammation of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs).

METHODS AND RESULTS

HCAECs were established as an in vitro cell model using oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). miR-34c-5p, an abundant miRNA in PLT-EVs, can be transferred to HCAECs and target PODXL by binding to its 3'UTR. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments of miR-34c-5p and podocalyxin (PODXL) were performed in ox-LDL-induced HCAECs. Subsequently, HCAECs were subjected to co-culture with PLT-EVs, followed by detection of the expression patterns of key pro-inflammatory factors. Either miR-34c-5p mimic or PLT-EVs harboring miR-34c-5p attenuated the ox-LDL-evoked inflammation in HCAECs by suppressing interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). By blocking the P38 MAPK signaling pathway, miR-34c-5p-mediated depletion of PODXL contributed to protection against ox-LDL-induced inflammation. In vitro findings were further validated by findings observed in ApoE knock-out mice. Additionally, miR-34c-5p in PLT-EVs showed an athero-protective role in the murine model.

CONCLUSION

Altogether, our findings highlighted that miR-34c-5p in PLT-EVs could alleviate inflammation response in HCAECs by targeting PODXL and inactivation of the P38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Soluble Corin Predicts the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Background

As a key enzyme of the natriuretic peptides system, corin may participate in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Its level in circulation predicted CVD recurrence in patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure, but no study examined this prediction in general populations.

Objectives

This study sought to examine the prospective association between corin and CVD in a community-based population of Chinese adults.

Methods

The Gusu cohort included 2,498 participants (mean age 53 years, 39% men) who were free of CVD at baseline. Serum corin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits at baseline and CVD events were followed every 2 years for all participants. A competing-risks survival regression model was used to examine the association between serum corin and CVD.

Results

During 10 years of follow-up, 210 participants developed CVD including 88 stroke events. A higher serum corin (after log-transformation) at baseline was significantly associated with an increased risk of CVD (HR: 1.88; P = 0.019) and stroke (HR: 3.19; P = 0.014). Analysis using categorical serum corin (in quartiles) showed that participants in the highest quartile had a 62% and 179% increased risk for CVD (HR: 1.62; P = 0.024) and stroke (HR: 2.79; P = 0.004), respectively, compared with those in the lowest quartile. We did not find a significant association between serum corin and coronary heart disease.

Conclusions

A higher serum corin at baseline predicted a higher risk of CVD events and stroke, but not coronary heart disease, in Chinese adults, independent of conventional risk factors. Serum corin may be a predictor for stroke but the underlying mechanism needs further investigation.

Serum PCSK6 and corin levels are not associated with cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing coronary angiography

Introduction

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-6 (PCSK6) is a secretory protein that activates corin in the heart. Higher circulating levels of corin are associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction. This study aimed to determine the role of serum PCSK6 and corin levels in predicting cardiovascular outcomes in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Materials and methods

In total, 565 patients who had undergone coronary angiography were enrolled. Serum PCSK6 and corin levels were determined before the administration of contrast media. In this study, coronary revascularization, acute myocardial infarction, acute stroke, and death were defined as cardiovascular outcomes. All patients were followed up for at least one year after coronary angiography or until the occurrence of death.

Results

During a median follow-up of 691 days, 67 patients (15.7%) developed composite cardiovascular outcomes after coronary angiography, including 51 incidents of coronary revascularization, 7 instances of acute myocardial infarction, 2 acute strokes, and 15 deaths. After adjustment for demographic characteristics and all significant variables in the univariate analysis, serum levels of neither PCSK6 nor corin were associated with increased risk for cardiovascular outcomes. This correlation remained insignificant in patients with underlying hypertension, diabetes mellitus, CAD, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, in patients without CKD, higher serum PCSK6 levels were associated with increased risk for cardiovascular outcomes (hazard ratio 1.380; 95% confidence interval 1.023–1.862).

Conclusions

We found no association between cardiovascular outcomes and pre-procedural serum levels of PCSK6 or corin in patients undergoing coronary angiography. However, an increased risk was seen in non-CKD patients with higher PCSK6 levels. Further studies are needed to verify these results.

Platelet-Derived Exosomal MicroRNA-25-3p Inhibits Coronary Vascular Endothelial Cell Inflammation Through Adam10 via the NF-κB Signaling Pathway in ApoE-/- Mice

Introduction: Coronary artery disease originates from the blockage of the inner walls of the coronary arteries due to a plaque buildup. Accumulating studies have highlighted the role of microRNAs (miRs) delivered by exosomes in the progression of coronary artery disease. Thus, the current study was to elucidate the role and mechanism by which miR-25-3p influences oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced coronary vascular endothelial cell (CVEC) inflammation. Methods: Primarily isolated CVECs were treated with ox-LDL to induce inflammation. Atherosclerosis models were induced in ApoE-/- mice and the peripheral blood platelet exosomes (PLT-Exo) were extracted and induced by thrombin, followed by co-culture with CVECs. The relationship between miR-25-3p and A disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (Adam10) as well as the involvement of the NF-κB signaling pathway was evaluated. In order to evaluate the effect of PLT-Exo containing miR-25-3p on ox-LDL-induced CVEC inflammation, lipid accumulation and fibrosis, miR-25-3p mimic/inhibitor (in vitro), miR-25-3p agomir (in vivo), and si-Adam10 were delivered. Results: MiR-25-3p was expressed poorly in ox-LDL-induced CVECs and vascular tissues but exhibited high levels of expression in thrombin-induced PLT-Exo of atherosclerosis models of ApoE-/- mice. CVECs endocytosed PLT-Exo upregulated the miR-25-3p expression. Adam10 was identified as a target gene of miR-25-3p. The thrombin-induced activated PLT-Exo carrying miR-25-3p reduced Adam10 expression to inhibit ox-LDL-induced CVEC inflammation and lipid deposition through downregulating levels of α-smooth muscle actin, Collagen I a1, Collagen III a1, triglycerides, total cholesterol, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Furthermore, the NF-κB signaling pathway participated in the inhibitory effect of PLT-Exo carrying miR-25-3p. Conclusion: Collectively, PLT-Exo overexpressing miR-25-3p attenuates ox-LDL-induced CVEC inflammation in ApoE-/- mouse models of atherosclerosis.