Crosstalk between circulating microRNAs and chronotypical features in subjects with metabolic syndrome

Estrogen replacement restores period 2-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis and mitigates cardiac dysfunction in estrogen-deficient rats

The ovarian hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) confers cardioprotection via upregulating cardiac circadian rhythm period 2 (Per2) and is associated cardioprotective microRNA (miRNAs). However, whether Per2-mediated downregulation of ferroptosis-induced oxidative stress and injury in noncardiac tissues extends to the heart remains unknown. Therefore, studying the interplay between E2 and cardiac ferroptosis will have important ramifications for female cardiovascular health. We hypothesized that Per2-mediated suppression of cardiac ferroptosis contributes to E2-dependent cardioprotection while E2 deficiency promotes ferroptosis and cardiac dysfunction in female rats. The study used Sprague-Dawley rats with sham operation (sham), bilateral ovariectomy (E2-deficient) followed by E2 or vehicle treatment for 8 weeks. Cardiovascular function was assessed via radiotelemetry and echocardiography, with ex vivo analyses of ferroptosis markers, Per2, and associated miRNAs in heart tissues. E2-replete (sham and ovariectomy + E2) rats showed lower body weight gain, heart weight/body weight ratio, fat mass, and blood pressure compared with E2-deficient rats. Echocardiography data revealed reduced contractility indices in E2-deficient rats, which were restored to sham levels with E2 treatment. Molecular analyses revealed that E2-treated E2-deficient rats had upregulated Per2, cardioprotective miRNAs (499, 192, 194, and 144), and improved redox balance, along with decreased cardiodetrimental miRNAs (652 and 208b) and reactive oxygen species. In E2-deficient rats, glutathione depletion led to reduced glutathione peroxidase-4, iron overload from heme oxygenase-1 upregulation, and increased lipid peroxidation. This study highlights possible contribution of Per2-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis to E2-mediated cardioprotection in females, offering new insights for women's heart health. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study describes the contribution of estrogen-mediated upregulation of cardiac circadian clock protein Per2 to the inhibition of ferroptosis and the improvement of cardiac function. The findings offer new perspective for understanding the intersection between hormonal regulation, circadian clock protein, microRNA, and ferroptosis in cardiovascular health. The research adds new knowledge on female molecular cardiology, particularly those related to ferroptosis. This perspective broadens current understanding of the complex molecular underpinnings of female heart health in presence or absence of estrogen.

The epigenetic mechanism of metabolic risk in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex and severe mental illness that causes significant suffering to patients. In addition to the burden of depressive and manic symptoms, patients with BD are at an increased risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS includes factors associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which may increase the mortality rate of patients with BD. Several studies have suggested a link between BD and MetS, which may be explained at an epigenetic level. We have focused on epigenetic mechanisms to review the causes of metabolic risk in BD.

Estrogen-mediated mitigation of cardiac oxidative stress in ovariectomized rats is associated with upregulated cardiac circadian clock Per2 and heart-specific miRNAs

AIM

Estrogen (E2) confers cardioprotection in premenopausal women and in models of menopause and its effects, mostly studied in female reproductive organs, vary on a circadian rhythm basis in relation to the circadian clock genes. However, it remains unknown if a similar circadian pattern exists in the female heart in a manner that explains, at least partly, the cardioprotective effect of E2. The aim of the present investigation was to determine if upregulation of the circadian clock Per2 and its regulated heart-specific miRNAs, and redox enzymes contribute to the E2-mediated cardioprotection in ovariectomized rats.

MAIN METHODS

Rats were subjected to ovariectomy (OVX) 2-weeks prior to a 2-week E2 treatment. On the last treatment day, hearts were collected every 4 h. for ex-vivo biochemical measurements. In parallel studies, telemetric mean arterial pressure (MAP) was obtained at the tissue collection times.

KEY FINDINGS

OVX + E2 rats exhibited lower body weight during daytime and MAP during day and night times, and their hearts exhibited: (1) higher Per2 protein abundance, cardioprotective miRNAs (miRNA1, miRNA133a, miRNA208a, miRNA499), mALDH2, and catalase; (2) lower reactive oxygen species, cardio-detrimental miRNA652, carbonyl, MDA and HO-1 levels. The reciprocal Per2/HO-1 relationship was more evident during the daytime and correlated with the upregulated cardioprotective miRNAs in OVX + E2 rats. Finally, cardiac Per2, heart-specific miRNAs and reactive oxygen species levels and redox enzymes activities were similar in normal female and OVX + E2 rats.

SIGNIFICANCE

Enhancement of cardiac Per2, redox enzymes and heart-specific miRNAs likely contribute to E2-mediated mitigation of cardiac oxidative stress in OVX rats.

Circadian system microRNAs - Role in the development of cardiovascular diseases

Circadian rhythm regulates numerous physiological processes, and disruption of the circadian clock can lead to cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Small non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), are involved in regulating gene expression, both those important for the cardiovascular system and key circadian clock genes. Epigenetic mechanisms based on miRNAs are essential for fine-tuning circadian physiology. Indeed, some miRNAs depend on circadian periodicity, others are under the influence of light, and still others are under the influence of core clock genes. Dysregulation of miRNAs involved in circadian rhythm modulation has been associated with inflammatory conditions of the endothelium and atherosclerosis, which can lead to coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. Epigenetic processes are reversible through their association with environmental factors, enabling innovative preventive and therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular disease. Here, is a review of recent findings on how miRNAs modulate circadian rhythm desynchronization in cardiovascular disease. In the era of personalized medicine, the possibility of treatment with miRNA antagomirs should be time-dependent to correspond to chronotherapy and achieve the most significant efficacy.

Antimicrobial Peptides-Mechanisms of Action, Antimicrobial Effects and Clinical Applications

The growing emergence of antimicrobial resistance represents a global problem that not only influences healthcare systems but also has grave implications for political and economic processes. As the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents is lagging, one of the solutions is innovative therapeutic options that would expand our armamentarium against this hazard. Compounds of interest in many such studies are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which actually represent the host's first line of defense against pathogens and are involved in innate immunity. They have a broad range of antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and viruses, with specific mechanisms of action utilized by different AMPs. Coupled with a lower propensity for resistance development, it is becoming clear that AMPs can be seen as emerging and very promising candidates for more pervasive usage in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, their use in quotidian clinical practice is not without challenges. In this review, we aimed to summarize state-of-the-art evidence on the structure and mechanisms of action of AMPs, as well as to provide detailed information on their antimicrobial activity. We also aimed to present contemporary evidence of clinical trials and application of AMPs and highlight their use beyond infectious diseases and potential challenges that may arise with their increasing availability.

The circadian clock has roles in mesenchymal stem cell fate decision

The circadian clock refers to the intrinsic biological rhythms of physiological functions and behaviours. It synergises with the solar cycle and has profound effects on normal metabolism and organismal fitness. Recent studies have suggested that the circadian clock exerts great influence on the differentiation of stem cells. Here, we focus on the close relationship between the circadian clock and mesenchymal stem cell fate decisions in the skeletal system. The underlying mechanisms include hormone signals and the activation and repression of different transcription factors under circadian regulation. Additionally, the clock interacts with epigenetic modifiers and non-coding RNAs and is even involved in chromatin remodelling. Although the specificity and safety of circadian therapy need to be further studied, the circadian regulation of stem cells can be regarded as a promising candidate for health improvement and disease prevention.

Disturbance of the Circadian System in Shift Work and Its Health Impact

The various non-standard schedules required of shift workers force abrupt changes in the timing of sleep and light-dark exposure. These changes result in disturbances of the endogenous circadian system and its misalignment with the environment. Simulated night-shift experiments and field-based studies with shift workers both indicate that the circadian system is resistant to adaptation from a day- to a night-oriented schedule, as determined by a lack of substantial phase shifts over multiple days in centrally controlled rhythms, such as those of melatonin and cortisol. There is evidence that disruption of the circadian system caused by night-shift work results not only in a misalignment between the circadian system and the external light-dark cycle, but also in a state of internal desynchronization between various levels of the circadian system. This is the case between rhythms controlled by the central circadian pacemaker and clock genes expression in tissues such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells, hair follicle cells, and oral mucosa cells. The disruptive effects of atypical work schedules extend beyond the expression profile of canonical circadian clock genes and affects other transcripts of the human genome. In general, after several days of living at night, most rhythmic transcripts in the human genome remain adjusted to a day-oriented schedule, with dampened group amplitudes. In contrast to circadian clock genes and rhythmic transcripts, metabolomics studies revealed that most metabolites shift by several hours when working nights, thus leading to their misalignment with the circadian system. Altogether, these circadian and sleep-wake disturbances emphasize the all-encompassing impact of night-shift work, and can contribute to the increased risk of various medical conditions. Here, we review the latest scientific evidence regarding the effects of atypical work schedules on the circadian system, sleep and alertness of shift-working populations, and discuss their potential clinical impacts.

Differentially Expressed Functional LncRNAs in Human Subjects With Metabolic Syndrome Reflect a Competing Endogenous RNA Network in Circulating Extracellular Vesicles

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a collective cluster of disease risk factors that include dyslipidemia, obesity, inflammation, hypertension, and insulin resistance, affects numerous people worldwide. Accumulating studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to play essential roles in regulating gene expression in various diseases. To explore the role of lncRNAs as ceRNAs in MetS, we examined a MetS-associated network in circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) collected from the systemic blood of MetS and control patients (n = 5 each). In total, 191 differentially expressed lncRNAs, 1,389 mRNAs, and 138 miRNAs were selected for further analysis. Biological processes and pathway functional enrichment analysis were performed based on the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). The lncRNA/mRNA/miRNA ceRNA network was constructed by Cytoscape v3.8 based on the DE-RNAs and included 13 lncRNAs, 8 miRNAs, and 64 mRNAs. MetS patients showed elevated body weight, glucose, blood pressure, insulin, liver injury, and inflammatory marker levels. We found that lncRNAs reflect a ceRNA network that may regulate central cellular processes and complications of MetS, including cancer. These findings suggest that MetS alters the interactions among the ceRNA network components in circulating EVs and that this cargo of circulating EVs may have potential translational ramifications for MetS.

Non-Coding RNAs: Novel Players in Insulin Resistance and Related Diseases

The rising prevalence of metabolic diseases related to insulin resistance (IR) have stressed the urgent need of accurate and applicable tools for early diagnosis and treatment. In the last decade, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have gained growing interest because of their potential role in IR modulation. NcRNAs are variable-length transcripts which are not translated into proteins but are involved in gene expression regulation. Thanks to their stability and easy detection in biological fluids, ncRNAs have been investigated as promising diagnostic and therapeutic markers in metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here we review the emerging role of ncRNAs in the development of IR and related diseases such as obesity, T2D and NAFLD, and summarize current evidence concerning their potential clinical application.