Elevated angiopoietin-like protein 3 serum levels in diabetic nephropathy patients and its association with renal function and lipid profile

ANGPTL3 vital role in different kidney diseases. Current knowledge and future perspectives

Accumulating evidence has shown that angiopoietin-like-3 (ANGPTL3) plays pivotal roles in biological processes and pathological changes, including kidney diseases. ANGPTL3 expression is overexpressed in patients with proteinuria and glomerular disease. ANGPTL3 up-regulation increases podocyte motility via changes in the expression of nephrin and inducing f-Actin rearrangement, and its suppression mitigates pathological changes in kidney diseases via reducing the apoptotic cells, detached cells, and podocyte loss. Moreover, ANGPTL3 suppression can protect podocytes from injury by inhibiting the ROS/GRP78 signaling pathway in acute kidney injury. ANGPTL3 can indirectly participate in renal pathology by inducing hyperlipidaemia and inflammation. In general, ANGPTL3 inhibition holds promising therapeutic potential for management of kidney diseases, especially those linked to lipid abnormalities. However, it is essential to carefully evaluate potential side effects of ANGPTL inhibitors to guarantee their effective and safe use in clinical settings. The present review summarizes existing knowledge on the role of ANGPTL3 in kidney diseases and ANGPTL3-inhibiting therapies that can be considered as potential treatments for kidney diseases.

The significance of ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 proteins in the development of dyslipidemia in Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background

Dyslipidemia is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. As a result, it is critical to target and manage the level of atherogenic lipids. Angiopoietin-like proteins 3 and 4 (ANGPTL 3 and ANGPTL 4) play an important role in the intravascular lipolysis of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins by blocking the enzyme lipoprotein lipase. This study aimed to determine the amounts of these angiopoietin-like proteins in T2DM and find their association with dyslipidemia in T2DM.

Material and Methods

Sixty-one T2DM patients of age group 25-65 years and 27 healthy age-matched control participants were enrolled in the study. Glycemic status (FBS, PPBS, HbA1C), serum lipid parameters (cholesterol, TG, LDL, VLDL, HDL, Tc/HDL ratio), free fatty acid, serum insulin, and ANGPTL3, 4 were measured. A correlation was found between the ANGPTLs and the above parameters in T2DM patients.

Results

Serum ANGPTL3 (P < 0.05) and ANGPTL4 (P < 0.001) were significantly decreased in T2DM. ANGPTL4 was also negatively correlated to PPBS (0.03), HbA1C (P = 0.05), and IR (P = 0.04). However, no such correlation was observed with ANGPTL 3. It was observed that lipid parameters were correlated with ANGPTL3 (LDL (P = 0.03), TC/HDL (P = 0.02)). There was a significant relationship between ANGPTL3 and 4 with FFA (P = 0.001 and P = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

This study shows that ANGPTL 3,4 may be associated with dyslipidemia in T2DM. ANGPTL4 is more correlated with glycemic status.

The Role of miR-144 in Inflammatory Diseases: A Review

BACKGROUND

Inflammation, often caused by various stimuli, is a common response to tissue homeostasis disruptions and is considered a key driver of many pathological conditions. MicroRNA-144 (miR-144) has emerged as a critical regulator in inflammatory diseases, with its dysregulation implicated in various pathological conditions. Understanding its role and mechanisms is essential for developing therapeutic strategies.

OBJECTIVE

This article aimed to evaluate the role of miR-144 in inflammatory diseases through a literature review.

METHODS

Electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Springer Link, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, and Wanfang Data were searched for relevant literature. The following keywords were used and combined differently according to the rules of the databases: "miR-144," "inflammation," "inflammatory," and "immune response." Studies investigating miR-144 in the context of inflammation were included. Data were extracted to assess miR-144's expression patterns and its association with disease severity and outcomes.

RESULTS

miR-144 was found to be differentially expressed in a range of inflammatory diseases, including sepsis, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, neuropsychiatric diseases, arthritis, and pregnancy complications. The expression patterns varied depending on the disease, with both upregulation and downregulation observed. miR-144 was implicated in the modulation of inflammatory responses through direct and indirect targeting of key proteins and pathways. The review also highlighted the potential of miR-144 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.

CONCLUSION

miR-144 plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and holds promise as a biomarker. Its expression patterns and regulatory mechanisms offer insights into disease processes and may guide future therapeutic strategies. However, further clinical studies are needed to validate miR-144's utility as a biomarker and to explore its therapeutic potential in a clinical setting.

Downregulating ANGPTL3 by miR-144-3p promoted TGF-β1-induced renal interstitial fibrosis via activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Despite observations of decreased ANGPTL3 (angiopoietin-like protein 3) levels in tubular atrophy and renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF), its functional implications and regulatory mechanisms in RIF remain unclear. This investigation employed unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice as in vivo model and human proximal kidney tubuloepithelial HK-2 cells under TGF-β1 treatment as in vitro model to explore RIF. The RIF extent was evaluated using H & E staining and Masson's trichrome staining. There was a significant decrease in ANGPTL3 levels and an increase in miR-144-3p, accompanied by heightened expressions of α-SMA, p-PI3K, p-AKT, Collagen I, and Fibronectin in the UUO mice and HK-2 cells treated with TGF-β1. Enhancing ANGPTL3 expression or suppressing miR-144-3p mitigated TGF-β1-induced cellular apoptosis, inflammation, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activation, as evidenced by altered levels of α-SMA, Collagen I, Fibronectin, and associated signaling markers. Using a bioinformatics approach, a miR-144-3p binding site was discovered on the ANGPTL3 mRNA, and this finding was subsequently confirmed through luciferase reporter assay. In HK-2 cells stimulated with TGF-β1, the suppression of ANGPTL3 negated the effects of inhibiting miR-144-3p. Under comparable conditions, the use of LY294002, an inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT pathway, nullified the effects caused by the knockdown of ANGPTL3. Collectively, these findings indicate that miR-144-3p exacerbates RIF through PI3K/AKT pathway activation by targeting ANGPTL3, highlighting a novel potential therapeutic target for RIF management.