p53-mediated miR-18 repression activates HSF2 for IGF-IIR-dependent myocyte hypertrophy in hypertension-induced heart failure

Macrophage polarization-mediated PKM2/mTORC1/YME1L signaling pathway activation in fibrosis associated with Cardiorenal syndrome

BACKGROUND

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a complex condition characterized by the interplay between cardiac and renal dysfunction, often culminating in renal fibrosis. The role of macrophage polarization and its downstream effects in CRS-induced renal fibrosis remains an area of active investigation.

METHODS

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and immune infiltration analyses were employed to identify key immune cells and genes involved in renal fibrosis in CRS. Meta-analysis and pseudo-time analysis were conducted to validate the functional relevance of these genes. Functional studies utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and lentiviral vectors assessed macrophage polarization and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In vivo, a CRS mouse model was established, and fibrosis progression was tracked using histological and imaging methods.

RESULTS

The PKM2/mTORC1/YME1L signaling axis was identified as a critical pathway driving renal fibrosis, mediated by HIF-1α-induced M1 macrophage polarization. Inhibition of HIF-1α significantly alleviated renal fibrosis by restricting M1 polarization and suppressing the PKM2/mTORC1/YME1L axis. Co-culture models further demonstrated the involvement of EMT and metabolic reprogramming in affected cells.

CONCLUSION

Targeting the HIF-1α signaling pathway offers a promising therapeutic strategy for renal fibrosis by modulating macrophage polarization and the PKM2/mTORC1/YME1L axis.

Single-cell multi-omics analysis reveals the mechanism of action of a novel antioxidant polyphenol nanoparticle loaded with STAT3 agonist in mediating cardiomyocyte ferroptosis to ameliorate age-related heart failure

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is a prevalent and critical cardiac condition that leads to profound structural and functional changes in the heart. Although traditional treatments have shown partial efficacy, the long-term outcomes remain suboptimal. Emerging research has highlighted the pivotal role of oxidative stress and ferroptosis in HF progression. This study investigates a new therapeutic approach utilizing antioxidant polyphenol nanoparticles loaded with a STAT3 agonist (PN@Col) to target these pathways and improve age-related HF.

RESULTS

Key cells and genes contributing to HF progression were identified via analysis of the GEO database, with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and AUCell analysis used to evaluate differential gene expression. The STAT3 gene was highlighted as essential, and its functionality was further validated in vitro through cell experiments, confirming its impact on cardiomyocytes (CMs) in HF. Following the development of PN@Col, in vitro experiments showed that PN@Col effectively reduced oxidative stress and ferroptosis in CMs. In vivo studies in elderly HF mice demonstrated significant improvements in cardiac function following PN@Col treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

PN@Col offers a promising therapeutic approach to age-related HF by mitigating oxidative stress and ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes. These findings provide a solid scientific foundation for PN@Col as a potential novel treatment strategy for HF, supporting further exploration toward clinical application.

Diagnostic Value of Let-7a-5p in Essential Hypertension

This study aimed to investigate the role of let-7a-5p in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension (EH) and its correlation with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) biomarkers. Ninety-eight EH patients and 24 healthy controls (HC) enrolled in the study were assayed for the relative expression of let-7a-5p in plasma by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR), and biomarkers of the RAAS system, including angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), Ang (1-7), MAS1, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II (Ang II), and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) The expression levels of the biomarkers of RAAS system were determined. The results showed that the expression levels of let-7a-5p in the plasma of EH patients were remarkably higher than those of HC. The prediction model of combined let-7a-5p showed high accuracy by constructing a subject operating characteristic (ROC) curve with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.885, and the reliability of the model was further verified by the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) goodness-of-fit test, the Model Calibration Curve, and the Decision Curve Analysis. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the expression of let-7a-5p was positively correlated with ACE (r = 0.352, p < 0.001), and mediation analysis indicated that ACE partially mediated between let-7a-5p and the development of hypertension. The present study concludes with the potential of let-7a-5p as a companion diagnostic biomarker for EH. It suggests that there may be a complex regulatory mechanism between it and specific RAAS biomarkers, which provides a new perspective on the pathogenesis and diagnosis of EH.

Exploring the therapeutic mechanisms of heart failure with Chinese herbal medicine: a focus on miRNA-mediated regulation

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical condition caused by abnormalities in the heart's structure or function, primarily manifested as diminished ability of the heart to pump blood, which leads to compensatory activation of neurohormones and increased left ventricular filling pressure. HF is one of the fastest-growing cardiovascular diseases globally in terms of incidence and mortality, negatively impacting patients' quality of life and imposing significant medical and economic burdens. Despite advancements in the treatment of HF, hospitalization and mortality remain rates high. In China, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has historically played a prominent role in addressing HF, with significant proven efficacy. MicroRNA (miRNA) exerts a pivotal regulatory influence on the maintenance of regular cardiac activity and the progression of HF. MiRNAs, a category of single-stranded RNA molecules, are characterized by their inability to code for proteins. They regulate gene expression by binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of target mRNAs, thereby influencing the onset and progression of various diseases. Abnormal expression of specific miRNAs is closely associated with HF pathological processes, such as cardiomyocyte apoptosis, myocardial fibrosis, and cardiac hypertrophy. This abnormal expression can influence the pathological progression of HF through the regulation of miRNA expression. This article reviews the regulatory role of miRNAs in HF pathology discusses how CHM compounds and their active ingredients can ameliorate HF pathology through the regulation of miRNA expression. In conclusion, miRNAs represent promising therapeutic targets for HF, and CHM provides a novel strategy for treatment through the regulation of miRNA expression. Future studies must delve deeper into the precise mechanisms by which CHM modulates miRNAs and fully explore its potential for clinical application in HF treatment.

Role of miRNA in Cardiovascular Diseases in Children-Systematic Review

The number of children suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is rising globally. Therefore, there is an urgent need to acquire a better understanding of the genetic factors and molecular mechanisms related to the pathogenesis of CVDs in order to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for the future. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a class of small non-coding RNA fragments that range from 17 to 25 nucleotides in length and play an essential role in regulating gene expression, controlling an abundance of biological aspects of cell life, such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, thus affecting immune response, stem cell growth, ageing and haematopoiesis. In recent years, the concept of miRNAs as diagnostic markers allowing discrimination between healthy individuals and those affected by CVDs entered the purview of academic debate. In this review, we aimed to systematise available information regarding miRNAs associated with arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis and congenital heart diseases in children. We focused on the targeted genes and metabolic pathways influenced by those particular miRNAs, and finally, tried to determine the future of miRNAs as novel biomarkers of CVD.

Tripartite motif‑containing 14 may aggravate cardiac hypertrophy via the AKT signalling pathway in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and transgenic mice

Tripartite motif‑containing 14 (TRIM14) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that primarily participates in the natural immune response and in tumour development via ubiquitination. However, the role of TRIM14 in cardiac hypertrophy is not currently clear. The present study examined the role of TRIM14 in cardiac hypertrophy and its potential molecular mechanism. TRIM14 was overexpressed in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes using adenovirus and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was induced using phenylephrine (PE). Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was assessed by measuring cardiomyocyte surface area and markers of hypertrophy. In addition, TRIM14‑transgenic (TRIM14‑TG) mice were created and cardiac hypertrophy was induced using transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Cardiac function, heart weight‑to‑body weight ratio (HW/BW), cardiomyocyte cross‑sectional area, cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophic markers were further examined. The expression of AKT signalling pathway‑related proteins was detected. TRIM14 overexpression in cardiomyocytes promoted PE‑induced increases in cardiomyocyte surface area and hypertrophic markers. TRIM14‑TG mice developed worse cardiac function, greater HW/BW, cross‑sectional area and cardiac fibrosis, and higher levels of hypertrophic markers in response to TAC. TRIM14 overexpression also increased the phosphorylation levels of AKT, GSK‑3β, mTOR and p70S6K in vivo and in vitro. To the best our knowledge, the present study was the first to reveal that overexpression of TRIM14 aggravated cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro, which may be related to activation of the AKT signalling pathway.

Apoptosis and heart failure: The role of non-coding RNAs and exosomal non-coding RNAs

Heart failure is a condition that affects the cardio vascular system and occurs if the heart cannot adequately pump the oxygen and blood to the body. Myocardial infarction, reperfusion injury, and this disease is the only a few examples of the numerous cardiovascular illnesses that are impacted by the closely controlled cell deletion process known as apoptosis. Attention has been paid to the creation of alternative diagnostic and treatment modalities for the condition. Recent evidences have shown that some non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) influence the stability of proteins, control of transcription factors, and HF apoptosis through a variety of methods. Exosomes make a significant paracrine contribution to the regulation of illnesses as well as to the communication between nearby and distant organs. However, it has not yet been determined whether exosomes regulate the cardiomyocyte-tumor cell interaction in ischemia HF to limit the vulnerability of malignancy to ferroptosis. Here, we list the numerous ncRNAs in HF that are connected to apoptosis. In addition, we emphasize the significance of exosomal ncRNAs in the HF.

Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis Is Associated with Contractile Dysfunction in Stem Cell Model of MYH7 E848G Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Missense mutations in myosin heavy chain 7 (MYH7) are a common cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the molecular mechanisms underlying MYH7-based HCM remain unclear. In this work, we generated cardiomyocytes derived from isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells to model the heterozygous pathogenic MYH7 missense variant, E848G, which is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and adult-onset systolic dysfunction. MYH7E848G/+ increased cardiomyocyte size and reduced the maximum twitch forces of engineered heart tissue, consistent with the systolic dysfunction in MYH7E848G/+ HCM patients. Interestingly, MYH7E848G/+ cardiomyocytes more frequently underwent apoptosis that was associated with increased p53 activity relative to controls. However, genetic ablation of TP53 did not rescue cardiomyocyte survival or restore engineered heart tissue twitch force, indicating MYH7E848G/+ cardiomyocyte apoptosis and contractile dysfunction are p53-independent. Overall, our findings suggest that cardiomyocyte apoptosis is associated with the MYH7E848G/+ HCM phenotype in vitro and that future efforts to target p53-independent cell death pathways may be beneficial for the treatment of HCM patients with systolic dysfunction.

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis contributes to contractile dysfunction in stem cell model of MYH7 E848G hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Missense mutations in myosin heavy chain 7 ( MYH7 ) are a common cause of hyper-trophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the molecular mechanisms underlying MYH7 -based HCM remain unclear. In this work, we generated cardiomyocytes derived from isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells to model the heterozygous pathogenic MYH7 missense variant, E848G, which is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and adultonset systolic dysfunction. MYH7 E848G/+ increased cardiomyocyte size and reduced the maximum twitch forces of engineered heart tissue, consistent with the systolic dysfunction in MYH7 E848G HCM patients. Interestingly, MYH7 E848G/+ cardiomyocytes more frequently underwent apoptosis that was associated with increased p53 activity relative to controls. However, genetic ablation of TP53 did not rescue cardiomyocyte survival or restore engineered heart tissue twitch force, indicating MYH7 E848G/+ cardiomyocyte apoptosis and contractile dysfunction are p53-independent. Overall, our findings suggest that cardiomyocyte apoptosis plays an important role in the MYH7 E848G/+ HCM phenotype in vitro and that future efforts to target p53-independent cell death pathways may be beneficial for the treatment of HCM patients with systolic dysfunction.

Bibliometric analysis on the progress of chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the terminal stage of a variety of heart diseases with higher morbidity and mortality. Although CHF has been studied for decades, the comprehensive analysis by bibliometrics has not been done. So, we analyzed the scientific outputs of global chronic heart failureresearches, explored the current research status and hotpots from 2009 to 2019.

METHODS

Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) was the data source, and the data was retrieved on June 25, 2020, according to the set search strategy. Bibliometrics tools- CiteSpace V (Drexel university, Chaomei Chen) and VOS viewer (Leiden University, van Eck NJ)-were used for analyzing published literature and exploring research hotspots and frontier directions.

RESULTS

A total of 21,484 articles were included, and the rate of published articles increased from 2009 to 2019 annually. United States of America (USA) was the leading country, Duke University was the leading institution, and Stefan D Anker was the most productive researcher in this field. The analysis of keywords showed that mortality, risk, outcomes, association, and dysfunction were the main hotpots and frontier directions of CHF.

CONCLUSION

Bibliometric analysis of the outputs on CHF shows an overall view about the current status of the research on CHF. Clinical treatment and the associations among organs in the patients with CHF are the major research frontiers. However, further research and collaboration are still required worldwide. Our findings can help researchers grasp the research status of CHF and determine new directions for future researches as soon as possible.

MicroRNAs in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, despite the wide diversity of molecular targets identified and the development of therapeutic methods. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small (about 22 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in the cytoplasm and play complicated roles in different CVDs. While miRNA overexpression in one type of cell protects against heart disease, it promotes cardiac dysfunction in another type of cardiac cell. Moreover, recent studies have shown that, apart from cytosolic miRNAs, subcellular miRNAs such as mitochondria- and nucleus-localized miRNAs are dysregulated in CVDs. However, the functional properties of cellular- and subcellular-localized miRNAs have not been well characterized. In this review article, by carefully revisiting animal-based miRNA studies in CVDs, we will address the regulation and functional properties of miRNAs in various CVDs. Specifically, the cell-cell crosstalk and subcellular perspective of miRNAs are highlighted. We will provide the background for attractive molecular targets that might be useful in preventing the progression of CVDs and heart failure (HF) as well as insights for future studies.

Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum attenuates Angiotensin-II induced cardiac hypertrophy and improves cardiac function by repressing protein kinase C-ζ to restore HSF2 deSUMOlyation and Mel-18-IGF-IIR signaling suppression

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Solanum nigrum, commonly known as Makoi or black shade has been traditionally used in Asian countries and other regions of world to treat liver disorders, diarrhoea, inflammatory conditions, chronic skin ailments (psoriasis and ringworm), fever, hydrophobia, painful periods, eye diseases, etc. It has been observed that S. nigrum contains substances, like steroidal saponins, total alkaloid, steroid alkaloid, and glycoprotein, which show anti-tumor activity. However; there is no scientific evidence of the efficacy of S. nigrum in the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy.

AIM

To investigate the ability of S. nigrum to attenuate Angiotensin II - induced cardiac hypertrophy and improve cardiac function through the suppression of protein kinase PKC-ζ and Mel-18-IGF-IIR signaling leading to the restoration of HSF2 desumolyation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cardiomyoblast cells (H9c2) were challenged with 100 nM Angiotensin-II (AngII) for 24 h and were then treated with different concentration of S.nigrum or Calphostin C for 24 h. The hypertrophic effect in cardiomyoblast cells were determined by immunofluorescence staining and the modulations in hypertrophic protein marker along with Protein Kinase C-ζ, MEL18, HSF2, and Insulin like growth factor II (IGFIIR), markers were analyzed by western blotting. In vivo experiments were performed using 12 week old male Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) separated into five groups. [1]Control WKY, [2] WKY -100 mg/kg of S.nigrum treatment, [3] SHR, [4] SHR-100 mg/kg of S.nigrum treatment, [5] SHR-300 mg/kg of S.nigrum treatment. S. nigrum was administered intraperitoneally for 8 week time interval.

RESULTS

Western blotting results indicate that S. nigrum significantly attenuates AngII induced cardiac hypertrophy. Furthermore, actin staining confirmed the ability of S. nigrum to ameliorate AngII induced cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, S. nigrum administration suppressed the hypertrophic signaling mediators like Protein Kinase C-ζ, Mel-18, and IGFIIR in a dose-dependent manner and HSF2 activation (restore deSUMOlyation) that leads to downregulation of IGF-IIR expression. Additionally in vivo experiments demonstrate the reduced heart sizes of S. nigrum treated SHRs rats when compared to control WKY rats.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, the data reveals the cardioprotective effect of S. nigrum inhibiting PKC-ζ with alleviated IGF IIR level in the heart that profoundly remits cardiac hypertrophy for hypertension-induced heart failure.

Upregulation of miR-128 Mediates Heart Injury by Activating Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Heart Failure Mice

Cardiac hypertrophy contributes to heart failure and is pathogenically modulated by a network of signaling cascades including Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. miRNAs have been widely demonstrated to regulate gene expression in heart development. miR-128 was routinely found as a brain-enriched gene and has been functionally associated with regulation of cardiac function. However, its role and molecular mechanisms that regulate cardiac hypertrophy remain largely unclear. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-mediated constructs with miR-128 or anti-miR-128 were generated and delivered to overexpression or blockade of miR-128 in vivo followed by HF induction with isoproterenol (ISO) or transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy, coupled with involved gene and protein level, were then assessed. Our data found that miR-128, Wnt1, and β-catenin expressions were upregulated in both patients and mice model with HF. Interference with miR-128 reduces Wnt1/β-catenin expression in mouse failing hearts and ameliorates heart dysfunctional properties. We identified miR-128 directly targets to Axin1, an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and suppresses its inhibition on Wnt1/β-catenin. Our study provides evidence indicating miR-128 as an inducer of HF and cardiac hypertrophy by enhancing Wnt1/β-catenin in an Axin1-dependent nature. We thus suggest miR-128 has potential value in the treatment of heart failure.

Insight into the Protective Effect of Salidroside against H2O2-Induced Injury in H9C2 Cells

Salidroside is the important active ingredient of Rhodiola species, which shows a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antioxidative stress, anti-inflammation, and antiliver fibrosis. In this paper, we aimed to study the protective effect and mechanism of salidroside against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in H9C2 cells by determining cell proliferation rate, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, antioxidant enzyme activities, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. The results showed that salidroside significantly alleviated cell growth inhibition induced by H2O2 treatment in H9C2 cells, decreased the levels of intracellular ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT); meanwhile, salidroside upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 while downregulated the expression of Bax, p53, and caspase-3 in H2O2-treated H9C2 cells. Furthermore, the antiapoptotic effect of salidroside was almost eliminated by the knockdown of Bcl-2. In the further exploration, the Bcl-2 expression was decreased by the p53 overexpression and increased by p53 knockdown in H2O2-treated H9C2 cells. Consequently, salidroside could protect H9C2 cells against H2O2-induced oxidative damage, and the underlying mechanism may be related to scavenging intracellular ROS, increasing the activities of intracellular antioxidant enzymes and inhibiting the expression of apoptosis-related proteins.

Neurogenic Hypertension Mediated Mitochondrial Abnormality Leads to Cardiomyopathy: Contribution of UPRmt and Norepinephrine-miR- 18a-5p-HIF-1α Axis

Aims: Hypertension increases the risk of heart disease. Hallmark features of hypertensive heart disease is sympathoexcitation and cardiac mitochondrial abnormality. However, the molecular mechanisms for specifically neurally mediated mitochondrial abnormality and subsequent cardiac dysfunction are unclear. We hypothesized that enhanced sympatho-excitation to the heart elicits cardiac miR-18a-5p/HIF-1α and mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) signaling that lead to mitochondrial abnormalities and consequent pathological cardiac remodeling. Methods and Results: Using a model of neurogenic hypertension (NG-HTN), induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of Ang II (NG-HTN; 20 ng/min, 14 days, 0.5 μl/h, or Saline; Control, 0.9%) through osmotic mini-pumps in Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g), we attempted to identify a link between sympathoexcitation (norepinephrine; NE), miRNA and HIF-1α signaling and UPRmt to produce mitochondrial abnormalities resulting in cardiomyopathy. Cardiac remodeling, mitochondrial abnormality, and miRNA/HIF-1α signaling were assessed using histology, immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, Western blotting or RT-qPCR. NG-HTN demonstrated increased sympatho-excitation with concomitant reduction in UPRmt, miRNA-18a-5p and increased level of HIF-1α in the heart. Our in silico analysis indicated that miR-18a-5p targets HIF-1α. Direct effects of NE on miRNA/HIF-1α signaling and mitochondrial abnormality examined using H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes showed NE reduces miR-18a-5p but increases HIF-1α. Electron microscopy revealed cardiac mitochondrial abnormality in NG-HTN, linked with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and fibrosis. Mitochondrial unfolded protein response was decreased in NG-HTN indicating mitochondrial proteinopathy and proteotoxic stress, associated with increased mito-ROS and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and oxidative phosphorylation. Further, there was reduced cardiac mitochondrial biogenesis and fusion, but increased mitochondrial fission, coupled with mitochondrial impaired TIM-TOM transport and UPRmt. Direct effects of NE on H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes also showed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, increased mitochondrial ROS generation, and UPRmt corroborating the in vivo data. Conclusion: In conclusion, enhanced sympatho-excitation suppress miR-18a-5p/HIF-1α signaling and increased mitochondrial stress proteotoxicity, decreased UPRmt leading to decreased mitochondrial dynamics/OXPHOS/ΔΨm and ROS generation. Taken together, these results suggest that ROS induced mitochondrial transition pore opening activates pro-hypertrophy/fibrosis/inflammatory factors that induce pathological cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis commonly observed in NG-HTN.

Identification of key miRNAs and mRNAs related to coronary artery disease by meta-analysis

Background

To illustrate the mechanism of miRNA and mRNA in coronary artery diseasen (CAD), differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and genes (DEGs) were analyzed.

Methods

The mRNA transcription profiles of GSE20680 (including 87 blood samples of CAD and 52 blood samples of control), GSE20681 (including 99 blood samples of CAD and 99 blood samples of control) and GSE12288 (including 110 blood samples of CAD and 112 blood samples of control) and the miRNA transcription profiles of GSE59421 (including 33 blood samples of CAD and 37 blood samples of control), GSE49823 (including 12 blood samples of CAD and 12 blood samples of control) and GSE28858 (including 13 blood samples of CAD and 13 blood samples of control) were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/). Then, the homogenous expressed mRNAs and miRNAs across the three mRNA transcription profiles and three miRNA transcription profiles were screened using the Fishers exact test in MetaDE. ES package. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to analyze gene modules. Additionally, the integrated miRNAs–targets regulatory network using the DEmiRNA and their targets was constructed using Cytoscape.

Results

A total of 1201 homogenously statistically significant DEGs were identified including 879 up-regulated and 322 down-regulated DEGs, while a total of 47 homogenously statistically significant DEmiRNAs including 37 up-regulated and 10 down-regulated DEmiRNAs in CAD compared with the controls across the three mRNA transcription profiles and the three miRNA transcription profiles. A total of 5067 genes were clustered into 9 modules in the training dataset, among which, 8 modules were validated. In the miRNAs-targets network, there existed 267 interaction relationships among 5 miRNAs (hsa-miR-361-5p, hsa-miR-139-5p, hsa-miR-146b-5p, hsa-miR-502-5p and hsa-miR-501-5p) and 213 targets. CAV1 could be the target of hsa-miR-361-5 while HSF2 was the target of both hsa-miR-361-5p and hsa-miR-146b-5p. CAV1 was significantly enriched in the GO term of regulation of cell proliferation.

Conclusion

hsa-miR-361-5p, has-miR-146b-5p, CAV1 and HSF2 could play an important role in CAD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-021-02211-2.

Cardioprotective effects of transplanted adipose-derived stem cells under Ang II stress with Danggui administration augments cardiac function through upregulation of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor in late-stage hypertension rats

In aging hypertensive conditions, deterioration of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) cause a pathological impact on hypertensive hearts with an increased Ang II level. Recovering these adverse conditions through transplanted adipose-derived stem cells is a challenging approach. Moreover, Danggui, a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is used for the treatment of cardioprotective effects. In this study, to evaluate whether the combined effect of MSCs and TCM can recover the cardiac function in late-stage hypertension rats. We observed that lower dose of Danggui crude extract treatment showed an increased level of cell viability with maintained stemness properties and growth rate in rat adipose-derived stem cells (rADSCs). Further, we cocultured the H9c2 cells with rADSCs and the results revealed that Danggui-treated MSCs enhanced the IGF1R expression and attenuated the hypertrophy in H9c2 cells against Ang II challenge by immunoblot and rhodamine-phalloidin staining. In addition, Danggui crude extract was also quantified and characterized by HPLC and LC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the in vivo study was performed by considering 11 months old rats (n = 7). Importantly, the oral administration of Danggui crude extract with stem cells intravenous injection in SHR-D-ADSCs group showed a combination effect to augment the cardiac function through enhancement of ejection fraction, fractional shortening, contractility function in the late-stage hypertension conditions. We have also observed a decreased apoptosis rate in the heart tissue of SHR-D-ADSCs group. Taken together, these results indicate that the combinatorial effects of Danggui crude extract and stem cell therapy enhanced cardiac function in late-stage SHR rats.

Small Molecule Compound Nerolidol attenuates Hypertension induced hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats through modulation of Mel-18-IGF-IIR signalling

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases are caused by multitudes of stress factors like hypertension and their outcomes are associated with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Nerolidol, a naturally occurring sesquiterpene found in several plant species, embodies various pharmacological benefits against numerous health disorders. However, their effects on hypertension induced cardiac complications are not completely understood.

PURPOSE

The present study is to elucidate the efficacy of nerolidol against hypertension related cardiac hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).

STUDY DESIGN

For preliminary in vitro studies, H9c2 cardiomyoblasts cells were challenged with 200 nM Angiotensin-II (AngII) for 12 h and were then treated with nerolidol for 24 h. The hypertrophic effect in H9c2 cells were analyzed by actin staining and the modulations in hypertrophic protein markers and mediators were determined by Western blotting analysis. For in vivo experiments, sixteen week-old male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and SHRs were segregated into five groups (n = 9): Control WKY, hypertensive SHRs, SHRs with low dose (75 mg/kg b.w/day) nerolidol, SHRs with high dose (150 mg/kg b.w/day) nerolidol and SHR rats treated with an anti-hypertensive drug captopril (50 mg/kg b.w/day). Nerolidol treatment was given orally for 8 weeks and were analysed through Echocardiography. After euthanasia, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting was performed on left ventricle tissue.

RESULTS

Western blotting analysis revealed that nerolidol significantly attenuates AngII induced expression of hypertrophic markers ANP and BNP in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. In addition, actin staining further ascertained the potential of nerolidol to ameliorate AngII induced cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, nerolidol administration suppressed the hypertrophic signalling mediators like calcineurin, GATA4, Mel-18, HSF-2 and IGFIIR in a dose-dependent fashion. In silico studies also ascertained the role of Mel-18 in the ameliorative effects of nerolidol. Further, these intriguing in vitro results were further confirmed in in vivo SHR model. Oral neraolidol in SHRs efficiently reduced blood pressure and ameliorated hypertension induced cardiac hypertrophic effects by effectively reducing the levels of proteins involved in cardiac MeL-18-HSF2-IGF-IIR signalling.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, the data reveals that the cardioprotective effect of nerolidol against hypertension induced hypertrophy involves reduction in blood pressure and regulation of the cardiac Mel-18-IGFIIR signalling cascade.

Integrated analysis of the responses of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network to heat stress in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) liver

BACKGROUND

With the intensification of global warming, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) suffer from varying degrees of thermal stimulation, leads to mass mortality, which severely restrict the development of aquaculture. Understanding the molecular regulatory mechanisms of rainbow trout under heat stress is useful to develop approaches to relieve symptoms.

RESULTS

Changes in nonspecific immune parameters revealed that a strong stress response was caused in rainbow trout at 24 °C, so we performed multiple transcriptomic analyses of rainbow trout liver under heat stress (HS, 24 °C) and control conditions (CG, 18 °C). A total of 324 DEcircRNAs, 105 DEmiRNAs, and 1885 DEmRNAs were identified. A ceRNA regulatory network was constructed and a total of 301 circRNA-miRNA and 51 miRNA-mRNA negative correlation pairs were screened, and three regulatory correlation pairs were predicted: novel_circ_003889 - novel-m0674-3p - hsp90ab1, novel_circ_002325 - miR-18-y - HSPA13 and novel_circ_002446 - novel-m0556-3p - hsp70. Some target genes involved in metabolic processes, biological regulation or response to stimulus were highly induced at high temperatures. Several important pathways involved in heat stress were characterized, such as protein processing in the ER, the estrogen signaling pathway, and the HIF-1 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

These results extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the heat stress response and provide novel insight for the development of strategies that relieve heat stress.

Inhibition of cell death-inducing p53 target 1 through miR-210-3p overexpression attenuates reactive oxygen species and apoptosis in rat adipose-derived stem cells challenged with Angiotensin II

Hypoxic preconditioning is a well-known strategy to improve the survival and therapeutic potential of stem cells against various challenges including hemodynamic and neurohormonal modulations. However, the mechanism involved in hypoxia-induced benefits on stem cells is still ambiguous. In pathological hypertension, the elevation of the neurohormonal mediator Angiotensin II (Ang II) causes the adverse effects to stem cells. In this study, we investigate the effect and mechanism of action of short term hypoxia-inducible miRNA in suppressing the effects of AngII on stem cells. According to the results obtained, Ang II affects the normal cell cycle and triggers apoptosis in rADSCs with a corresponding increase in the expression of cell death-inducing p53 target 1 (CDIP1) protein. However, the short term hypoxia-inducible miRNA-miR-210-3p was found to target CDIP1 and reduce their levels upon the Ang II challenge. CDIP1 induces stress-mediated apoptosis involving the extrinsic apoptosis pathway via Bid/Bax/cleaved caspase3 activation. Administration of mimic miR-210-3p targets CDIP1 mRNA by binding to the 3' UTR region as confirmed by dual luciferase assay and also reduced Ang II-induced mitochondrial ROS accumulation as analyzed by MitoSOX staining. Moreover, the present study demonstrates the mechanism of miR-210-3p in the regulation of Ang II-induced CDIP1-associated apoptotic pathway in rADSCs.

Regulatory RNAs in Heart Failure

Cardiovascular disease is an enormous socioeconomic burden worldwide and remains a leading cause of mortality and disability despite significant efforts to improve treatments and personalize healthcare. Heart failure is the main manifestation of cardiovascular disease and has reached epidemic proportions. Heart failure follows a loss of cardiac homeostasis, which relies on a tight regulation of gene expression. This regulation is under the control of multiple types of RNA molecules, some encoding proteins (the so-called messenger RNAs) and others lacking protein-coding potential, named noncoding RNAs. In this review article, we aim to revisit the notion of regulatory RNA, which has been thus far mainly confined to noncoding RNA. Regulatory RNA, which we propose to abbreviate as regRNA, can include both protein-coding RNAs and noncoding RNAs, as long as they contribute, directly or indirectly, to the regulation of gene expression. We will address the regulation and functional role of messenger RNAs, microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs (ie, regRNAs) in heart failure. We will debate the utility of regRNAs to diagnose, prognosticate, and treat heart failure, and we will provide directions for future work.

Single-cell reconstruction of the adult human heart during heart failure and recovery reveals the cellular landscape underlying cardiac function

Owing to the prevalence and high mortality rates of cardiac diseases, a more detailed characterization of the human heart is necessary; however, this has been largely impeded by the cellular diversity of cardiac tissue and limited access to samples. Here, we show transcriptome profiling of 21,422 single cells-including cardiomyocytes (CMs) and non-CMs (NCMs)-from normal, failed and partially recovered (left ventricular assist device treatment) adult human hearts. Comparative analysis of atrial and ventricular cells revealed pronounced inter- and intracompartmental CM heterogeneity as well as compartment-specific utilization of NCM cell types as major cell-communication hubs. Systematic analysis of cellular compositions and cell-cell interaction networks showed that CM contractility and metabolism are the most prominent aspects that are correlated with changes in heart function. We also uncovered active engagement of NCMs in regulating the behaviour of CMs, exemplified by ACKR1⁺-endothelial cells, injection of which preserved cardiac function after injury. Beyond serving as a rich resource, our study provides insights into cell-type-targeted intervention of heart diseases.

Emerging role of microRNAs in dilated cardiomyopathy: evidence regarding etiology

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heart muscle disease characterized by ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction in the absence of abnormal loading conditions or coronary artery disease. This cardiac disorder is a major health problem due to its high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. DCM is a complex disease with a common phenotype but heterogeneous pathological mechanisms. Early etiological diagnosis and prognosis stratification is crucial for the clinical management of the patient. Advances in imaging technology and genetic tests have provided useful tools for clinical practice. Nevertheless, the assessment of the disease remains challenging. Novel noninvasive indicators are still needed to assist in decision-making. microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of small noncoding RNAs, have been identified as key mediators of cell biology. They are found in a stable form in body fluids and their concentration is altered in response to stress. Previous research has suggested that the miRNA signature constitutes a novel source of noninvasive biomarkers for a wide array of cardiovascular diseases. Specifically, several studies have reported the potential role of miRNAs as clinical indicators among the etiologies of DCM. However, this field has not been reviewed in detail. Here, we summarize the evidence of intracellular and circulating miRNAs in DCM and their usefulness in the development of novel diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic approaches, with a focus on DCM etiology. Although the findings are still preliminary, due to methodological and technical limitations and the lack of robust population-based studies, miRNAs constitute a promising tool to assist in the clinical management of DCM.

The combined inhibition of the CaMKIIδ and calcineurin signaling cascade attenuates IGF-IIR-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common phenomenon observed in progressive heart disease associated with heart failure. Insulin-like growth factor receptor II (IGF-IIR) has been much implicated in myocardial hypertrophy. Our previous studies have found that increased activities of signaling mediators, such as calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and calcineurin induces pathological hypertrophy. Given the critical roles played by CaMKII and calcineurin signaling in the progression of maladaptive hypertrophy, we anticipated that inhibition of CaMKII and calcineurin signaling may attenuate IGF-IIR-induced cardiac hypertrophy. The current study, therefore, investigated the effects of IGF-IIR activation on the CaMKII and calcineurin signaling and whether the combinatorial inhibition of the CaMKIIδ and calcineurin signaling could ameliorate IGF-IIR-induced pathological hypertrophy. In the present study, we induced IGF-IIR through the cardiomyocyte-specific transduction of IGFII^Y27L via adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) to evaluate its effects on cardiac hypertrophy. Interestingly, it was observed that the activation of IGF-IIR signaling through IGFII^Y27L induces significant hypertrophy of the myocardium and increased cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis. Moreover, we found that Leu²⁷ IGF-II significantly induced calcineurin and CaMKII expression. Furthermore and importantly, the combinatorial treatment with CaMKII and calcineurin inhibitors significantly alleviates IGF-IIR-induced hypertrophic responses. Thus, it could be envisaged that the inhibition of IGF-IIR may serve as a promising candidate for attenuating maladaptive hypertrophy. Both calcineurin and CaMKII could be valuable targets for developing treatment strategies against hypertension-induced cardiomyopathies.

Inhibition of ERK-Drp1 signaling and mitochondria fragmentation alleviates IGF-IIR-induced mitochondria dysfunction during heart failure

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a major contributor to myocyte loss and the development of heart failure. Myocytes have quality control mechanisms to retain functional mitochondria by removing damaged mitochondria via specialized autophagy, i.e., mitophagy. The underlying mechanisms of fission affect the survival of cardiomyocytes, and left ventricular function in the heart is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated the direct effect and potential mechanisms of mitochondrial functional defects associated with abnormal mitochondrial dynamics in heart failure. We observed that IGF-IIR signaling produced significant changes in mitochondrial morphology and function; such changes were associated with the altered expression and distribution of dynamin-related protein (Drp1) and mitofusin (Mfn2). IGF-IIR signaled extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation to promote Drp1 phosphorylation and translocation to mitochondria for mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, IGF-IIR signaling triggered Rab9-dependent autophagosome formation by the JNK-mediated phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at serine 87 and promoted ULK1/Beclin 1-dependent autophagic membrane formation. Excessive mitochondrial fission by Drp1 enhanced the Rab9-dependent autophagosome recognition and engulfing of damaged mitochondria and eventually decreased cardiomyocyte viability. Therefore, these results demonstrated the connection between Rab9-dependent autophagosomes and mitochondrial fission in cardiac myocytes, which provides a potential therapeutic strategy for treating heart disease.

Non-coding RNA-linked epigenetic regulation in cardiac hypertrophy

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive enlargement of myocardium in response to pressure overload caused various pathological insults, which is accompanied by alteration of a complex cascade of signaling pathways. During the hypertrophy process, many changes occur at cellular level including gene reprogramming by turning off chromatin regulators. Studies from the past decade have demonstrated that the abnormal epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and oxidative modification of nucleic acid, could lead to changes in chromosome structure and cardiac dysfunction. Increasing evidence indicates that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have functional significance in modulating the gene expression during those pathological events in the heart. Emerging evidences have highlighted that ncRNAs might serve as a signal for changing the state of chromatin, however, the knowledge about the ncRNA-linked epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in cardiac pathologies is still largely unexplored. In this review, we summarize the current information on association between ncRNAs and epigenetic modifications in cardiac hypertrophy, and we have discussed their crosstalk. In addition, this review provides insights into their therapeutic and diagnostic potential for treating hypertrophic heart disease.

C1QTNF1 attenuates angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy via activation of the AMPKa pathway

RATIONALE

Complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related proteins (C1QTNFs) have been reported to have diverse biological influence on the cardiovascular system. C1QTNF1 is a member of the CTRP superfamily. C1QTNF1 is expressed in the myocardium; however, its function in myocytes has not yet been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically investigate the roles of C1QTNF1 in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

C1QTNF1 knock-out mice were used with the aim of determining the role of C1QTNF1 in cardiac hypertrophy in the adult heart. Data from experiments showed that C1QTNF1 was up-regulated during cardiac hypertrophic processes, which were triggered by increased reactive oxygen species. C1QTNF1 deficiency accelerated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation responses, and oxidative stress with deteriorating cardiac dysfunction in the Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy mouse model. We identified C1QTNF1 as a negative regulator of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in Ang II-stimulated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes using the recombinant human globular domain of C1QTNF1 and C1QTNF1 siRNA. Injection of the recombinant human globular domain of C1QTNF1 also suppressed the Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophic response in vivo. The anti-hypertrophic effects of C1QTNF1 rely on AMPKa activation, which inhibits mTOR P70S6K phosphorylation. An AMPKa inhibitor abrogated the anti-hypertrophic effects of the recombinant human globular domain of C1QTNF1 both in vivo and vitro. Moreover, C1QTNF1-mediated AMPKa activation was triggered by the inhibition of PDE1-4, which subsequently activated the cAMP/PKA/LKB1 pathway.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that C1QTNF1 improves cardiac function and inhibits cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by increasing and activating AMPKa, suggesting that C1QTNF1 could be a therapeutic target for cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

Loss of P53 regresses cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload partially through inhibiting HIF1α signaling in mice

The tumor suppressor p53 is recognized as the guardian of the genome in cell cycle and cell death. P53 expression increases as cardiac hypertrophy worsens to heart failure, suggesting that p53 may play important role in cardiac remodeling. In the present study, deletion of p53 in the mice heart would ameliorate cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload. The role of p53 on heart was investigated using in vivo models. Cardiac hypertrophy in mice was induced by transverse aortic banding surgery. The extent of cardiac hypertrophy was examined by echocardiography, as well as pathological and molecular analyses of heart tissue. Global knockout of p53 in the mice reduced the hypertrophic response and markedly reduced cardiac apoptosis, and fibrosis. Ejection fraction of heart was also improved in hearts without p53 in response to pressure overload. Protein determination further suggested loss of p53 expression markedly increased Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. The study indicated p53 deteriorated cardiac functions and cardiac hypertrophy, apoptosis, and fibrosis by partially inhibition of HIF1α and VEGF.

Platycodin D Reverses Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy and Fibrosis in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Platycodin D (PD) is the main active saponin isolated from Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) and is reported to exhibit anticancer, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammation and anti-obesity biological effects. The current study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of PD in cardiac fibrosis and for hypertrophy in spontaneous hypertension rats (SHRs) and to verify inhibition of the signaling pathway. Significant increases in the cardiac functional indices of left ventricular internal diameter end diastole (LVIDd) and left ventricular internal diameter end systole (LVIDs); the eccentric hypertrophy marker p-MEK5; concentric hypertrophy markers, such as CaMKII[Formula: see text] and calcineurin; and expression levels of NFATc3, p-GATA4 and BNP were observed in spontaneously hypertensive groups. PD treatment reversed these increases in SHRs. In addition, an increase in the fibrosis markers FGF2, uPA, MMP2, MMP9, TGF[Formula: see text]-1 and CTGF during cardiac hypertrophy was detected by western blotting analyses. These results demonstrated that PD treatment considerably attenuates cardiac fibrosis. Histopathological examination revealed that PD treatment remarkably reduced collagen accumulation in contrast to spontaneously hypertensive groups. This study clearly suggests that PD provides myocardial protection by alleviating two damaging responses to hypertension, fibrosis and hypertrophy, in the heart.

Rab9-dependent autophagy is required for the IGF-IIR triggering mitophagy to eliminate damaged mitochondria

Mitochondria dysfunction is the major characteristic of mitophagy, which is essential in mitochondrial quality control. However, excessive mitophagy contributes to cell death in a number of diseases, including ischemic stroke and hepatotoxicity. Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and its receptor (IGF-IIR) play vital roles in the development of heart failure during hypertension. We found that IGF-II triggers IGF-IIR receptor activation, causing mitochondria dysfunction, resulting in mitophagy, and cardiomyocyte cell death. These results indicated that IGF-IIR activation triggers mitochondria fragmentation, leading to autophagosome formation, and loss of mitochondria content. These results are associated with Parkin-dependent mitophagy. Additionally, autophagic proteins Atg5, and Atg7 deficiency did not suppress IGF-IIR-induced mitophagy. However, Rab9 knockdown reduced mitophagy and maintained mitochondrial function. These constitutive mitophagies through IGF-IIR activation trigger mitochondria loss and mitochondrial ROS accumulation for cardiomyocyte viability decrease. Together, our results indicate that IGF-IIR predominantly induces mitophagy through the Rab9-dependent alternative autophagy.

Data supporting the angiotensin II activates MEL18 to deSUMOylate HSF2 for hypertension-related heart failure

In association with the published article “Inhibition of HSF2 SUMOylation via MEL18 upregulates IGF-IIR and leads to hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy” (Huang et al., 2017) [1], this data article contains information about deSUMOylation of HSF2 on lysine 82 on angiotensin II (ANG II) -induced cardiac hypertrophy, which is mediated by MEL18. Isolated adult human whole heart tissue showed MEL18-mediated HSF2-IGF-IIR pathway is upregulated in hypertension human heart, compared to health human heart.