Analysis of altered genomic expression profiles in the senescent and diseased myocardium using cDNA microarrays

Transcriptional Regulation of Structural and Functional Adaptations in a Developing Adulthood Myocardium

The development of the heart follows a synergic action of several signaling pathways during gestational, pre- & postnatal stages. The current study aimed to investigate whether the myocardium experiences transcriptional changes during the transition from post-natal to adult hood stages. Herein, we used C57/B16/J mice at 4 (28- days; post-natal/PN) and 20 weeks (adulthood/AH) of ages and employed the next generation RNAseq (NGS) to profile the transcriptome and echocardiography analysis to monitor the structural/functional changes in the heart. NGS-based RNA-seq revealed that 1215 genes were significantly upregulated and 2549 were down regulated in the AH versus PN hearts, indicating a significant transcriptional change during this transition.

A synchronized cardiac transcriptional regulation through cell cycle, growth hormones, redox homeostasis and metabolic pathways was noticed in both PN and AH hearts. Echocardiography reveals significant structural and functional (i.e. systolic/diastolic) changes during the transition of PN to adult stage. Particularly, a progressive decline in ejection fraction and cardiac output was observed in AH hearts. These structural adaptations are in line with critical signaling pathways that drive the maturation of heart during AH. Overall, we have presented a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis along with structural-functional relationship during the myocardial development in adult mice.

Induction of premature senescence in cardiomyocytes by doxorubicin as a novel mechanism of myocardial damage

Cellular senescence is an important phenomenon in decreased cellular function. Recently, it was shown that cellular senescence is induced in proliferating cells within a short period of time by oxidative stresses. This phenomenon is known as premature senescence. However, it is still unknown whether premature senescence can be also induced in cardiomyocytes. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a senescence-like phenotype can be induced in cardiomyocytes by oxidative stress. In cardiomyocytes obtained from aged rats (24 months of age), the staining for senescence-associated beta-galactosidase increased significantly and the protein or RNA levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors increased compared to those of young rats. Decreased cardiac troponin I phosphorylation and telomerase activity were also observed in aged cardiomyocytes. Treatment of cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with a low concentration of doxorubicin (DOX) (10(-7) mol L(-1)) did not induce apoptosis but did induce oxidative stress, which was confirmed by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate staining. In DOX-treated neonatal cardiomyocytes, increased positive staining for senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, cdk-I expression, decreased cardiac troponin I phosphorylation, and decreased telomerase activity were observed, as aged cardiomyocytes. Alterations in mRNA expression typically seen in aged cells were observed in DOX-treated neonatal cardiomyocytes. We also found that promyelocytic leukemia protein and acetylated p53, key proteins involved in stress-induced premature senescence in proliferating cells, were associated with cellular alterations of senescence in DOX-treated cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, cardiomyocytes treated with DOX showed characteristic changes similar to cardiomyocytes of aged rats. promyelocytic leukemia-related p53 acetylation may be an underlying mechanism of senescence-like alterations in cardiomyocytes. These findings indicate a novel mechanism of myocardial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress.

Gene and protein expression in the myometrium in pregnancy and labor

Microarray technologies widen our comprehension of the major structural and metabolic transformations which affect the myometrium from the very beginning of pregnancy until parturition. The results are coherent with the mass of information which was accumulated previously, primarily on the basis of studies of selected critical factors. They highlight the activation of precise signaling pathways, some of which may have been previously under evaluated. The remodelling and maturation processes that the myometrium undergoes in pregnancy appear clearly as phenomena which last during the full course of gestation. Comparatively, the onset of labor is perhaps the phenomenon which remains the least well described by these methods of analysis. Nevertheless, genomic studies constitute a necessary first step of orientation and help establishing new links between the generic signaling pathways that are activated during the normal or pathological gestation. These studies also represent an indicative step that will have to be paralleled, in the future, with the results of the systematic proteomic analysis of the myometrium.

Imminent approaches towards molecular interventions in ageing

Ageing is an innate feature of living organisms. Sensational progress in its molecular understanding in the last decade has culminated into a highly complex picture. Emerging from this complexity are the distinctive roles of some of the tumor suppressor pathways including p53 and pRB in maintenance of senescence phenotype, and telomere maintaining pathways in its escape. We discuss here the current scenario of molecular ageing and the use of modern approaches for its intervention in culture system, at least. Many of the tools we describe here are the newly emergent functional RNA tools that are proved to be fruitful in decoding the human genome. These post-genomic technologies will help us in the discovery of gene targets for interventions aiming to improve the quality at later years of life beyond their mere algebraic extension.

Genetic aspects of melatonin biology

For decades, the important physiological roles of the pineal hormone have inspired scientific investigations. Research efforts have generated a broad amount of information relevant to various genetic aspects of melatonin biology. Nevertheless, our understanding of the effect of genetic factors upon melatonin biosynthesis and the mechanisms of gene expression regulation by melatonin in target tissues is far from complete. The present review makes an effort to summarize and systematize the existing information on the subject, sequentially discussing (i) the effect of genetic factors upon melatonin biosynthesis, (ii) melatonin receptor expression profiles, and (iii) the effect of melatonin upon expression of genes in target tissues.

Emerging Technologies: Trendy RNA Tools for Aging Research

Aging is an inevitable biological phenomenon. Attempts to understand its mechanisms and, consequently, to therapeutically decelerate or even reverse the process are limited by its daunting complexity. Rapid and robust functional genomic tools suited to a wide array of experimental model systems are needed to dissect the interplay of individual genes during aging. In this article, we review principles that transcend the view of RNA, from a molecule merely mediating the flow of genetic information, into a unique molecular tool. In the form of catalytic molecular scissors (ribozymes), antibody-like antagonists (aptamers) and gene silencers (interfering RNAs, RNAi) can be effectively used to dissect biofunctions conserved throughout the evolution. In this review, application of recent RNA tools in aging research is discussed.

Aging-related changes in myocardial purine metabolism and ischemic tolerance

Impaired tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion in older hearts may stem in part from alterations in purine catabolism, impacting on maintenance of energy state and protective signaling via extracellular adenosine. We characterized effects of aging on normoxic and post-ischemic purine metabolism in hearts from young (2-4 month), middle-aged (12 month), old (18 month), and senescent (24-28 month) C57/Bl6 mice. Normoxic function was similar in all age groups while normoxic purine efflux increased gradually with age. This was the result of enhanced efflux of hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid, with extracellular accumulation of adenosine and inosine remaining unchanged. While total purine washout during 60 min reperfusion following 20 min global ischemia was unaltered by aging (1057+/-109 nmoles/g in young vs. 1221+/-127 nmoles/g in senescent hearts), selective changes in purine catabolism were evident. Accumulation of adenosine and inosine were reduced by 50 and 80%, respectively, matched by 400 and 300% elevations in hypoxanthine and xanthine accumulation, respectively. Uric acid remained unchanged. Thus, while adenosine and inosine represented 15+/-2 and 47+/-3% of total purine efflux in young hearts, these values decreased to only 6+/-1 and 9+/-2% in senescent hearts. Efflux of IMP also increased 500% with aging whereas 5'-AMP was unaltered. These changes were associated with a substantial fall in ischemic tolerance, with left ventricular developed pressure recovering to 46+/-3% in young hearts vs. only 24+/-6, 16+/-4, and 19+/-4% in middle-age, old and senescent hearts, respectively. Our data collectively support a pronounced shift in purine catabolism, with reduced accumulation of salvageable and cardioprotective adenosine, and enhanced accumulation of poorly salvaged (and potentially injurious) hypoxanthine and xanthine. Mechanisms underlying this shift have yet to be determined. However, this may play a role in the marked decline in myocardial tolerance to ischemia with aging and senescence.

Sex- and age-dependent human transcriptome variability: implications for chronic heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is the end result of progressive and diverse biological adaptations within the diseased myocardium. We used cDNA microarrays and quantitative PCR to examine the transcriptomes of 38 left ventricles from failing and nonfailing human myocardium. After identification of a pool of putative HF-responsive candidate genes by microarrays on seven nonfailing and eight failing hearts, we used quantitative PCR and a general linear statistical model in a larger sample set (n = 34) to validate and examine the role of contributing biological variables (age and sex). We find that most HF-candidate genes (transcription factors, Cebpb, Npat; signaling molecules, Map2k3, Map4k5; extracellular matrix proteins, Lum, Cola1; and metabolic enzymes, Mars) demonstrated significant changes in gene expression; however, the majority of differences among samples depended on variables such as sex and age, and not on HF alone. Some HF-responsive gene products also demonstrated highly significant changes in expression as a function of age and/or sex, but independent of HF (Ngp1, Cd163, and Npat). These results emphasize the need to account for biological variables (HF, sex and age interactions) to elucidate genomic correlates that trigger molecular pathways responsible for the progression of HF syndromes.