Comparison of critical biomarkers in 2 erectile dysfunction models based on GEO and NOS-cGMP-PDE5 pathway

Identification of biomarkers for chronic renal fibrosis and their relationship with immune infiltration and cell death

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a significant global public health challenge. This study aims to identify biomarkers of renal fibrosis and elucidate the relationship between unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), immune infiltration, and cell death.

METHODS

Gene expression matrices for UUO were retrieved from the gene expression omnibus (GSE36496, GSE79443, GSE217650, and GSE217654). Seven genes identified through Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network and Support Vector Machine-Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE) analysis were validated using qRT-PCR in both in vivo and in vitro UUO experiments. WB assays were employed to investigate the role of Clec4n within NF-κB signaling pathway in renal fibrosis. The composition of immune cells in UUO was assessed using CIBERSORT, and gene set variant analysis (GSVA) was utilized to evaluate prevalent signaling pathways and cell death indices.

RESULTS

GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed numerous inflammation-related pathways significantly enriched in UUO conditions. Bcl2a1b, Clec4n, and Col1a1 were identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers for UUO. Analysis of immune cell infiltration indicated a correlation between UUO and enhanced mast cell activation. Silencing Clec4n expression appeared to mitigate the inflammatory response in renal fibrosis. GSVA results indicated elevated inflammatory pathway scores in UUO, with significant differences in disulfiram and cuproptosis scores compared to those in the normal murine kidney group.

CONCLUSION

Bcl2a1b, Clec4n, and Col1a1 may serve as biomarkers for diagnosing UUO. UUO development is closely linked to immune cell infiltration, activation of inflammatory pathways, disulfiram, and cuproptosis processes.

Adipocyte-specific FAK deletion promotes pancreatic β-cell apoptosis via adipose inflammatory response to exacerbate diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

White adipose tissue (WAT) has a key role in maintaining energy balance throughout the body, and their dysfunction take part in the regulation of diabetes mellitus. However, the internal regulatory mechanisms underlying are still unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We generated adipocyte-specific FAK KO (FAK-AKO) mice and investigated their phenotype. The cascade of adipocyte, macrophage in adipocyte tissues, and pancreatic β-cells were proposed in FAK-AKO mice and validated by cell line studies using 3T3-L1, Raw264.7 and Min6. The FAK-AKO mice exhibited glucose intolerance, reduced adipose tissue mass and increased apoptosis, lipolysis and inflammatory response in adipose tissue. We further demonstrate that adipocyte FAK deletion increases β cell apoptosis and inflammatory infiltrates into islets, which is potentiated if mice were treated with STZ. In the STZ-induced diabetes model, FAK AKO mice exhibit less serum insulin content and pancreatic β cell area. Moreover, serum pro-inflammatory factors increased and insulin levels decreased after glucose stimulation in FAK AKO mice. In a parallel vitro experiment, knockdown or inhibition of FAK during differentiation also increased apoptosis, lipolysis and inflammatory in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, whereas the opposite was observed upon overexpression of FAK. Moreover, coculturing LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophages with knockdown FAK of 3T3-L1 adipocytes increased macrophage pro-inflammatory response. Furthermore, conditioned medium from above stimulated Min6 cells apoptosis (with or without STZ), whereas the opposite was observed upon overexpression of FAK. Mechanistically, FAK protein interact with TRAF6 in adipocytes and knockdown or inhibition of FAK activated TRAF6/TAK1/NF-κB signaling, which exacerbates inflammation of adipocytes themselves.

CONCLUSION

Adipocyte FAK deletion promotes both adipocyte apoptosis and adipose tissue inflammation. Pro-inflammatory factors released by the FAK-null adipose tissue further trigger apoptosis in pancreatic islets induced by the administration of STZ, thereby exacerbating the diabetes mellitus. This study reveals a link between FAK-mediated adipose inflammation and diabetes mellitus, a mechanism that has not been previously recognized.

Identification of hub biomarkers and exploring the roles of immunity, M6A, ferroptosis, or cuproptosis in rats with diabetic erectile dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Currently, patients with diabetic erectile dysfunction (DMED) were not satisfied with the effects of first-line phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is). Hence, this paper was designed to mine hub biomarkers in DMED and explore its potential mechanisms.

METHODS

Gene expression matrix of DMED was downloaded from the gene expression omnibus (GEO; GSE2457) dataset. The top 20 genes were selected based on the connectivity degrees in protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Functional enrichment analysis was utilized to reveal DMED-related signaling pathways. We also explored the roles of immunity, m6A, ferroptosis, or cuproptosis in DMED and constructed Sprague Dawley (SD) rats DMED model to verify gene expressions by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

RESULTS

Based on the threshold, a total of 122 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in DMED, including 39 up-regulated and 83 down-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis implied that these DEGs were significantly enriched in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, ferroptosis, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signaling pathways, and so on. SD rats DMED model was also successfully established by us and validated by intracavernous pressure/mean arterial pressure, Masson's trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical analysis. We further verified the expression of these top 20 genes from the PPI network by qRT-PCR in the SD rats DMED model and finally identified Sparc, Lox, Srebf1, and Mmp3 as hub biomarkers (all p < 0.05). As for immunity and cuproptosis, our analysis indicated that DMED had nothing to do with them (all p > 0.05). Actually, DMED was markedly associated with m6A regulators and ferroptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified Sparc, Lox, Srebf1, and Mmp3 as potential hub biomarkers in the SD rats DMED model for future drug development and found its significant associations with m6A regulators and ferroptosis, but not with immunity or cuproptosis.

Integrated identification of key immune related genes and patterns of immune infiltration in calcified aortic valvular disease: A network based meta-analysis

Background: As the most prevalent valvular heart disease, calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) has become a primary cause of aortic valve stenosis and insufficiency. We aim to illustrate the roles of immune related genes (IRGs) and immune cells infiltration in the occurrence of CAVD.

Methods: Integrative meta-analysis of expression data (INMEX) was adopted to incorporate multiple gene expression datasets of CAVD from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. By matching the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to IRGs from “ImmPort” database, differentially expressed immune related genes (DEIRGs) were screened out. We performed enrichment analysis and found that DEIRGs in CAVD were closely related to inflammatory response and immune cells infiltration. We also constructed protein–protein interaction (PPI) network of DEIRGs and identified 5 key DEIRGs in CAVD according to the mixed character calculation results. Moreover, CIBERSORT algorithm was used to explore the profile of infiltrating immune cells in CAVD. Based on Spearman’s rank correlation method, correlation analysis between key DEIRGs and infiltrating immune cells was performed.

Results: A total of 220 DEIRGs were identified and the enrichment analysis of DEIRGs showed that they were significantly enriched in inflammatory responses. PPI network was constructed and PTPN11, GRB2, SYK, PTPN6 and SHC1 were identified as key DEIRGs. Compared with normal aortic valve tissue samples, the proportion of neutrophils, T cells CD4 memory activated and macrophages M0 was elevated in calcified aortic valves tissue samples, as well as reduced infiltration of macrophages M2 and NK cells activated. Furthermore, key DEIRGs identified in the present study, including PTPN11, GRB2, PTPN6, SYK, and SHC1, were all significantly correlated with infiltration of various immune cells.

Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that PTPN11, GRB2, PTPN6, SYK, and SHC1 might be key DEIRGs associated with immune cells infiltration, which play a pivotal role in pathogenesis of CAVD.