RND3 Transcriptionally Regulated by FOXM1 Inhibits the Migration and Inflammation of Synovial Fibroblasts in Rheumatoid Arthritis Through the Rho/ROCK Pathway

The emerging role of vascular endothelial cell-mediated angiogenesis in the imbalance of RA synovial microenvironment and its clinical relevance

Vascular endothelial cells (VEC) play a key role in the occurrence and progression of vascular inflammation. VEC activation secretes powerful inflammatory mediators and aggravates the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathological processes of inflammation and synovial infiltration, driving RA progression. A substantial amount of evidence suggests that the VEC at the inflammatory site of RA is both an active participant and a regulator of the inflammatory process. At present, the research progress of VEC and inflammation in RA is still incomplete. In this review, we summarize the role of VEC and angiogenesis in the development of RA, describe the relevant cells, cytokines and signaling pathways involved in regulation, and provide research clues on the role of post-translational modification (PTMs) in VEC function and angiogenesis in RA, and classify and integrate these mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. This review aims to synthesize current evidence to support the established link between VEC and RA-related pathology, provide a theoretical basis for clinical studies, and provide valuable insights into the development of therapeutic drugs against RA.

RND1 Induces Ferroptosis to Alleviate Inflammatory Response, Proliferation, Invasion, and Migration of Rheumatoid Synoviocytes

Background

Ferroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of inflammatory arthritis. RND1 has been reported to possess pro-ferroptosis activity.

Objective

This study was designed to explore the role and the molecular mechanism of RND1 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

DBA/1 mice were exposed to type II collagen immunization. The pathological damage of the knee joints of mice was observed with H&E staining and RND1 expression in synovial tissues was detected using Western blot. In vitro, Western blot was used to measure RND1, ferroptosis-, migration- and inflammation-related proteins. The cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected using CCK-8 method, EdU staining, wound healing and transwell assays. The levels of inflammatory factors were detected with ELISA and RT-qPCR. Relative iron level, GSH and MDA concentrations were detected with corresponding assay kits. BODIPY 581/591 C11 kit measured lipid ROS. 4-HNE and GPX4 expression were detected using immunofluorescence assay.

Results

This study found that RND1 expression was reduced in the synovial tissues of RA mice and human fibroblast-like MH7A synoviocytes. It was also found that the upregulation of RND1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and inflammatory response in rheumatoid synovial cells via ferroptosis.

Conclusion

Collectively, RND1 exerted protective impacts on RA, which might be mediated by ferroptosis.

Role of the FOXM1/CMA/ER stress axis in regulating the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The molecular mechanisms driving nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progression are poorly understood. This research examines the involvement of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) in NASH progression.

METHODS

Hepatic CMA activity was analysed in NASH mice and patients. Lysosome-associated membrane protein 2A (LAMP2A) was knocked down or overexpressed to assess the effects of hepatocyte-specific CMA on NASH progression. Mice received a high-fat diet or a methionine and choline-deficient diet to induce NASH. Palmitic acid was employed to mimic lipotoxicity-induced hepatocyte damage in vitro. The promoter activity of FOXM1 was evaluated via ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays.

RESULTS

Hepatic CMA activity was substantially low in NASH mice and patients. LAMP2A knockdown resulted in hepatocyte-specific CMA deficiency, which promoted fibrosis and hepatic inflammation in NASH mice. Both in vitro and in vivo, CMA deficiency also exacerbated hepatocyte damage and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Mechanistically, CMA deficiency in hepatocytes increased cholesterol accumulation by blocking the degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMGCR), a key cholesterol synthesis-related enzyme, and the accumulated cholesterol subsequently induced ER stress and hepatocyte damage. The restoration of hepatocyte-specific CMA activity effectively ameliorated diet-induced NASH and ER stress in vivo and in vitro. FOXM1 directly bound to LAMP2A promoter and negatively regulated its transcription. The upregulation of FOXM1 expression impaired CMA and enhanced ER stress, which in turn increased FOXM1 expression, resulting in a vicious cycle and promoting NASH development.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the significance of the FOXM1/CMA/ER stress axis in NASH progression and proposes novel therapeutic targets for NASH.

KEY POINTS

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) deficiency in hepatocytes promotes hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by inducing cholesterol accumulation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Upregulated FOXM1 impairs CMA by suppressing the transcription of lysosome-associated membrane protein 2A (LAMP2A), a rate-limiting component of CMA. ER stress increases FOXM1 expression and cholesterol accumulation. FOXM1/CMA/ER stress axis forms a vicious circle and promotes the development of NASH.

Exosomal MicroRNAs: Biomarkers of moyamoya disease and involvement in vascular cytoskeleton reconstruction

Moyamoya disease currently lacks a suitable method for early clinical screening.This study aimed to identify a simple and feasible clinical screening index by investigating microRNAs carried by peripheral blood exosomes. Experimental subjects participated in venous blood collection, and exosomes were isolated using Exquick-related technology. Sequencing was performed on the extracted exosomal ribonucleic acids (RNAs) to identify differential microRNAs. Verification of the results involved selecting relevant samples from the genetic database. The study successfully pinpointed a potential marker for early screening, hsa-miR-328-3p + hsa-miR-200c-3p carried by peripheral blood exosomes. Enrichment analysis of target genes revealed associations with intercellular junctions, impaired cytoskeletal regulation, and increased fibroblast proliferation, leading to bilateral internal carotid artery neointimal expansion and progressive stenosis. These findings establish the diagnostic value of hsa-miR-328-3p+hsa-miR-200c-3p in screening moyamoya disease, while also contributing to a deeper understanding of its underlying pathophysiology. Significant differences in microRNA expressions derived from peripheral blood exosomes were observed between moyamoya disease patients and control subjects. Consequently, the utilization of peripheral blood exosomes, specifically hsa-miR-328-3p + hsa-miR-200c-3p, holds potential for diagnostic screening purposes.

RND3 modulates microglial polarization and alleviates neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Neuroinflammation mediated by microglia plays an important role in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Rho family GTPase 3 (RND3) exerts anti-inflammatory effects and may act as a potential new inducer of neuroprotective phenotypes in microglia. However, whether RND3 can be used to regulate microglia activation or reduce neuroinflammation in PD remains elusive. The study investigated the microglia modulating effects and potential anti-inflammatory effects of RND3 in vivo and in vitro, using animal models of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD and cell models of BV-2 cells stimulated by LPS plus IFN-γ with or without RND3-overexpression. The results showed that RND3 was highly expressed in the MPTP-induced PD mouse model and BV-2 cells treated with LPS and IFN-γ. In vivo experiments confirmed that RND3 overexpression could modulate microglia phenotype and ameliorate MPTP-induced neuroinflammation through inhibiting activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). In vitro study showed that RND3 overexpression could attenuate the production of pro-inflammatory factors in BV2 cells stimulated by LPS and IFN-γ. Mechanistically, RND3 reduced the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome upon LPS and IFN-γ stimulation. Taken together, these findings suggest that RND3 modulates microglial polarization and alleviates neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

HOXD10 regulates intestinal permeability and inhibits inflammation of dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis through the inactivation of the Rho/ROCK/MMPs axis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) has been identified as a severe inflammatory disease with significantly increased incidence across the world. The detailed role and mechanism of HOXD10 in UC remain unclear. In present study, we found that HOXD10 was lowly expressed in UC samples and was notably decreased by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) administration. Overexpression of HOXD10 dramatically ameliorated DSS-induced UC symptoms, including the loss of weight, increased disease activity index values, and the shortened colon length. Additionally, terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling and immunohistochemistry staining assays showed that HOXD10 overexpression suppressed cell apoptosis and facilitated proliferation of colon tissues after DSS treatment. Moreover, HOXD10 overexpression obviously suppressed DSS-triggered inflammatory response by decreasing the expression level of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Furthermore, overexpression of HOXD10 effectively restored the intestinal permeability, thereby alleviating DSS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction. Mechanistic study demonstrated that HOXD10 significantly reduced the activities of Rho/ROCK/MMPs axis in colon tissues of mice with UC. In conclusion, this study revealed that HOXD10 might effectively improve DSS-induced UC symptoms by suppressing the activation of Rho/ROCK/MMPs pathway.

The pleiotropic enhancer enh9 promotes cell proliferation and migration in non-small cell lung cancer via ERMP1 and PD-L1

Enhancers, cis-acting DNA elements for transcriptional regulation, are important regulators of cell identity and disease. However, of the hundreds of thousands of enhancers annotated in the human genome, only a few have been studied for their regulatory mechanisms and functions in cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Here, we report the pleiotropy of one enhancer (named enh9) in both cell proliferation and migration in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. By integrating multi-genomic data, ERMP1 and PD-L1 were screened out as potential targets of enh9. CUT&Tag sequencing demonstrated that enh9 was involved in the genomic interactions between the transcription factor RELA and the promoters of ERMP1 and PD-L1. In addition, ERMP1 and PD-L1 were validated to be involved in cell proliferation and migration, respectively. Our study fully elucidated the function and transcriptional regulation mechanisms of enh9 in NSCLC. The exploration on enhancers is promising to provide new insights for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Navigating the landscape of Rho GTPase signalling system in autoimmunity: A bibliometric analysis spanning over three decades (1990 to 2023)

Ras-homologous (Rho) guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) are considered a central player in regulating various biological processes, extending to immune regulation. Perturbations in Rho GTPase signalling have been implicated in immune-related dysregulation, contributing to the development of autoimmunity. This study presents a scientometric analysis exploring the interlink between the Rho GTPase signalling system and autoimmunity, while also delving into the trends of past studies. A total of 967 relevant publications from 1990 to 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database after throrough manual filtering of irrelevant articles. The findings show an upward trajectory in publications related to this field since 2006. Over the past three decades, the United States of America (41.68%) emerged as the primary contributor in advancing our understanding of the association between the Rho GTPase signalling system and autoimmunity. Research in autoimmunity has mainly centered around therapeutic interventions, with an emphasis on studying leukocyte (macrophage) and endothelial remodelling. Interestingly, within the domains of multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, the current focus has been directed towards comprehending the role of RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42. Notably, certain subfamilies of Rho (such as RhoB and RhoC), Rac (including Rac2 and RhoG), Cdc42 (specifically RhoJ), and other atypical Rho GTPases (like RhoE and RhoH) consistently demonstrating compelling link with autoimmunity, but still warrants emphasis in the future study. Hence, strategic manipulation of the Rho signalling system holds immense promise as a pivotal approach to addressing the global challenge of autoimmunity.

FOXM1: Functional Roles of FOXM1 in Non-Malignant Diseases

Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are a wing-like helix family of transcription factors in the DNA-binding region. By mediating the activation and inhibition of transcription and interactions with all kinds of transcriptional co-regulators (MuvB complexes, STAT3, β-catenin, etc.), they play significant roles in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, biological aging and immune regulation, development, and diseases in mammals. Recent studies have focused on translating these essential findings into clinical applications in order to improve quality of life, investigating areas such as diabetes, inflammation, and pulmonary fibrosis, and increase human lifespan. Early studies have shown that forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) functions as a key gene in pathological processes in multiple diseases by regulating genes related to proliferation, the cell cycle, migration, and apoptosis and genes related to diagnosis, therapy, and injury repair. Although FOXM1 has long been studied in relation to human diseases, its role needs to be elaborated on. FOXM1 expression is involved in the development or repair of multiple diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, diabetes, liver injury repair, adrenal lesions, vascular diseases, brain diseases, arthritis, myasthenia gravis, and psoriasis. The complex mechanisms involve multiple signaling pathways, such as WNT/β-catenin, STAT3/FOXM1/GLUT1, c-Myc/FOXM1, FOXM1/SIRT4/NF-κB, and FOXM1/SEMA3C/NRP2/Hedgehog. This paper reviews the key roles and functions of FOXM1 in kidney, vascular, lung, brain, bone, heart, skin, and blood vessel diseases to elucidate the role of FOXM1 in the development and progression of human non-malignant diseases and makes suggestions for further research.