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Lei J, Zhao M, Deng F, Xu T, Ji B, Wang X, Zhang M, Sun M, Gao Q. Prenatal dexamethasone exposure impaired vascular reactivity in adult male offspring cerebral arteries. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2023; 181:46-56. [PMID: 37271369 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Middle cerebral artery (MCA) is the largest and most complex of cerebral arteries. The prenatal period is a critical time for development, which largely determines lifelong health. Clinically, glucocorticoids (GCs) administration to accelerate preterm fetal lung maturation has become standard practice. Prenatal GCs administration increases cardiovascular risks in offspring, but little is known regarding the side effects on offspring MCA function. OBJECTIVE We investigated the alterations of MCA reactivity following prenatal GCs administration in postnatal offspring. METHOD AND RESULTS Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received synthetic GCs (dexamethasone, DEX) during the last week of pregnancy, and we examined vascular reactivity, cellular electrophysiology, and gene promoter epigenetic modifications in the male offspring MCA. Our results showed that prenatal DEX exposure increased the sensitivity of offspring MCA to Angiotensin II, which was resulted from the increased Cav1.2 (L-type Ca2+ channels subunit alpha1 C). Mechanistically, prenatal DEX exposure resulted in a transcriptionally active chromatin structure at the Cav1.2 gene promoter by altering histone modifications. This activation led to increased expression of vascular Cav1.2 gene, ultimately resulting in increased MCA contractility in offspring. CONCLUSION The present study is the first to demonstrate that the adverse effects of prenatal GCs administration on cerebrovascular tone persist into adulthood, providing new insights into developmental origins of cerebrovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Lei
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Meng Zhao
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third People's Hospital of Bengbu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Fengying Deng
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Bingyu Ji
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Xietong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Meihua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Miao Sun
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, China; Center for Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Genetic Medicine of Shandong Health Commission, Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
| | - Qinqin Gao
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, China.
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Zhang Y, Shan M, Ding X, Sun H, Qiu F, Shi L. Maternal exercise represses Nox4 via SIRT1 to prevent vascular oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in SHR offspring. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1219194. [PMID: 37501791 PMCID: PMC10368947 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1219194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal exercise during pregnancy has emerged as a potentially promising approach to protect offspring from cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. Although endothelial dysfunction is involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension, limited studies have characterized how maternal exercise influences endothelial function of hypertensive offspring. In this study, pregnant spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar-Kyoto rats were assigned either to a sedentary lifestyle or to swimming training daily, and fetal histone deacetylase-mediated epigenetic modification and offspring vascular function of mesenteric arteries were analyzed. Maternal exercise ameliorated the impairment of acetylcholine-induced vasodilation without affecting sodium nitroprusside-induced vasodilation in mesenteric arteries from the hypertensive offspring. In accordance, maternal exercise reduced NADPH oxidase-4 (Nox4) protein to prevent the loss of nitric oxide generation and increased reactive oxygen species production in mesenteric arteries of hypertensive offspring. We further found that maternal exercise during pregnancy upregulated vascular SIRT1 (sirtuin 1) expression, leading to a low level of H3K9ac (histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation), resulting in the transcriptional downregulation of Nox4 in mesenteric arteries of hypertensive fetuses. These findings show that maternal exercise alleviates oxidative stress and the impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation via SIRT1-regulated deacetylation of Nox4, which might contribute to improved vascular function in hypertensive offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Sports Stress and Adaptation of General Administration of Sport, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Physical Fitness and Exercise, Ministry of Education, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Meiling Shan
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaozhen Ding
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Hualing Sun
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Qiu
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Shi
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Sports Stress and Adaptation of General Administration of Sport, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Physical Fitness and Exercise, Ministry of Education, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
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Shan M, Li S, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Zhou Y, Shi L. Maternal exercise upregulates the DNA methylation of Agtr1a to enhance vascular function in offspring of hypertensive rats. Hypertens Res 2023; 46:654-666. [PMID: 36539461 DOI: 10.1038/s41440-022-01124-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The angiotensin II signaling system regulates vascular dysfunction and is involved in the programming of hypertension. Maternal exercise has been linked to both short-term and long-term benefits for the mother and fetus. However, the impacts of maternal exercise on the intravascular renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in hypertensive offspring remain unexamined. This study examined whether maternal exercise has an epigenetic effect in repressing angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) expression, which leads to favorable alterations in the mesenteric artery (MA) function of spontaneously hypertensive offspring. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) pregnant rats were randomly divided into an exercise group and a control group. Blood pressure, vascular tone, AT1R protein and mRNA expression, and AT1R gene (Agtr1a) promoter methylation status were examined in the MAs of 3-month-old male offspring. Maternal exercise significantly reduced the resting blood pressure and cardiovascular reactivity of offspring from SHRs. Furthermore, Ang II-AT1R activity in regulating vascular tone and AT1R expression was decreased in the MAs of the SHR offspring from the exercise groups. Importantly, exercise during gestation suppressed AT1R expression via hypermethylation of the Agtr1a promoter region and upregulated DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) expression in MAs of SHR offspring. These results suggest that maternal exercise upregulates DNMT expression, resulting in hypermethylation and repression of the Agtr1a gene, which may prevent MA dysfunction in the offspring of SHRs. A mechanistic model on the epigenetics of exercise during pregnancy. Maternal exercise during pregnancy triggers hypermethylation and transcriptional suppression of the Agtr1a gene via increased DNMT1 and DNMT3B expression in MAs of SHR offspring. Downregulation of AT1R expression reduces the contribution of Ang II to vascular tone, ultimately improving vascular structure and function. VSMC vascular smooth muscle cell; Ang II angiotensin II; AT1aR angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) alpha subtypes; Agtr1a AT1R alpha isoform gene; MAs mesenteric arteries; BP blood pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Shan
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China.,Key Laboratory of Physical Fitness and Exercise, Ministry of Education, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Lijun Shi
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China. .,Key Laboratory of Physical Fitness and Exercise, Ministry of Education, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Zhao M, Xu T, Lei J, Ji B, Gao Q. Unveiling the Role of DNA Methylation in Vascular CACNA1C Tissue–Specific Expression. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:872977. [PMID: 35711357 PMCID: PMC9197502 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.872977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (CACNA1C) plays a critical role in many vascular physiological and pathological processes. Determining its tissue-specific expression pattern and clarifying the underlying molecular mechanisms are necessary and meaningful. Methods We selected several representative vessels from normal male Sprague-Dawley rats. Vessel tissue or primary vascular smooth muscle cells were isolated for vascular function, electrophysiology, gene expression and promoter methylation studies. Results We found CACNA1C had tissue-specific expressions in vessels. The specific manifestations were as follows: CACNA1C expression was highest in thoracic aorta, second lowest in middle cerebral and pulmonary artery, and lowest in mesenteric artery. Excitingly, an opposing trend was observed between CACNA1C expression and its promoter methylation. Conclusions This study was the first report to indicate that DNA methylation could be involved in regulating CACNA1C tissue-specific expressions and vasoconstriction function in vascular system. This study not only provided more information for further understanding the physiological characteristics of vascular CACNA1C expressions, also strengthened the idea that DNA methylation plays important roles in regulating vascular smooth muscle cells function and the consequent occurrence of vascular diseases.
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Krassovskaia PM, Chaves AB, Houmard JA, Broskey NT. Exercise during Pregnancy: Developmental Programming Effects and Future Directions in Humans. Int J Sports Med 2021; 43:107-118. [PMID: 34344043 DOI: 10.1055/a-1524-2278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies show that low birth weight is associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease in adulthood, indicating that chronic diseases could be influenced by hormonal or metabolic insults encountered in utero. This concept, now known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis, postulates that the intrauterine environment may alter the structure and function of the organs of the fetus as well as the expression of genes that impart an increased vulnerability to chronic diseases later in life. Lifestyle interventions initiated during the prenatal period are crucial as there is the potential to attenuate progression towards chronic diseases. However, how lifestyle interventions such as physical activity directly affect human offspring metabolism and the potential mechanisms involved in regulating metabolic balance at the cellular level are not known. The purpose of this review is to highlight the effects of exercise during pregnancy on offspring metabolic health and emphasize gaps in the current human literature and suggestions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina M Krassovskaia
- Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States.,East Carolina Diabetes & Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States
| | - Alec B Chaves
- Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States.,East Carolina Diabetes & Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States
| | - Joseph A Houmard
- Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States.,East Carolina Diabetes & Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States
| | - Nicholas T Broskey
- Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States.,East Carolina Diabetes & Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, United States
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Influence of Swimming Program on the Blood Pressure of Pregnant Hypertensive Rats and Their Fetuses. REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2021; 28:3440-3447. [PMID: 33987823 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-021-00617-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The hypertension incidence and its complication on pregnant women are growing and can lead to adverse consequences on their fetuses. However, it is known that regular exercise practice can be healthful to hypertensive pregnant women but harmful to fetal growth. So, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise beginning before pregnancy or during pregnancy on the maternal blood pressure and reproductive outcome and on the fetal development of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Pregnant SHR were randomly distributed into three experimental groups: (1) SHR-Control, non-exercised; (2) SHR-Ex0, rats submitted to physical exercise (swimming program) from day zero to 20 of pregnancy; (3) and SHR-ExPr, rats submitted to swimming program before and during pregnancy. At end of pregnancy (day 21), the rats were anesthetized, and reproductive parameters and fetal development were assessed. Blood pressure was reduced at the end of pregnancy in all the groups. Regardless of swimming exposure time, there was reduced maternal weight gain. The exercise decreased fetal weight at term pregnancy, with a higher percentage of small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses and lower number ossification sites, indicating intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In conclusion, our findings provide insight to support that swimming exercise in pregnant SHR impairs fetal development, causing IUGR and visceral malformations. Therefore, the indication of physical exercise must be defined very carefully, as it can compromise fetal development.
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Ghanemi A, Melouane A, Yoshioka M, St-Amand J. Exercise and High-Fat Diet in Obesity: Functional Genomics Perspectives of Two Energy Homeostasis Pillars. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11080875. [PMID: 32752100 PMCID: PMC7463441 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The heavy impact of obesity on both the population general health and the economy makes clarifying the underlying mechanisms, identifying pharmacological targets, and developing efficient therapies for obesity of high importance. The main struggle facing obesity research is that the underlying mechanistic pathways are yet to be fully revealed. This limits both our understanding of pathogenesis and therapeutic progress toward treating the obesity epidemic. The current anti-obesity approaches are mainly a controlled diet and exercise which could have limitations. For instance, the “classical” anti-obesity approach of exercise might not be practical for patients suffering from disabilities that prevent them from routine exercise. Therefore, therapeutic alternatives are urgently required. Within this context, pharmacological agents could be relatively efficient in association to an adequate diet that remains the most efficient approach in such situation. Herein, we put a spotlight on potential therapeutic targets for obesity identified following differential genes expression-based studies aiming to find genes that are differentially expressed under diverse conditions depending on physical activity and diet (mainly high-fat), two key factors influencing obesity development and prognosis. Such functional genomics approaches contribute to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that both control obesity development and switch the genetic, biochemical, and metabolic pathways toward a specific energy balance phenotype. It is important to clarify that by “gene-related pathways”, we refer to genes, the corresponding proteins and their potential receptors, the enzymes and molecules within both the cells in the intercellular space, that are related to the activation, the regulation, or the inactivation of the gene or its corresponding protein or pathways. We believe that this emerging area of functional genomics-related exploration will not only lead to novel mechanisms but also new applications and implications along with a new generation of treatments for obesity and the related metabolic disorders especially with the modern advances in pharmacological drug targeting and functional genomics techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelaziz Ghanemi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.G.); (A.M.)
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
| | - Aicha Melouane
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.G.); (A.M.)
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
| | - Mayumi Yoshioka
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
| | - Jonny St-Amand
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.G.); (A.M.)
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-418-654-2296; Fax: +1-418-654-2761
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