Cardioprotective Effects of a Selective c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Inhibitor in a Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction

The role of mechanosignaling in the control of myocardial mass

Regulation of myocardial mass is key for maintaining cardiovascular health. This review highlights the complex and regulatory relationship between mechanosignaling and myocardial mass, influenced by many internal and external factors including hemodynamic and microgravity, respectively. The heart is a dynamic organ constantly adapting to changes in workload (preload and afterload) and mechanical stress exerted on the myocardium, influencing both physiological adaptations and pathological remodeling. Mechanosignaling pathways, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the phosphoinositide 3-kinases and serine/threonine kinase (PI3K/Akt) pathways, mediate downstream effects on gene expression and play key roles in transducing mechanical cues into biochemical signals, thereby modulating cellular processes, including control of myocardial mass. Dysregulation of these processes can lead to pathological cardiac remodeling, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, recent studies have highlighted the importance of protein quality control mechanisms, such as the ubiquitin-proteasome system, in settings of extreme physiological conditions that alter the heart workload such as pregnancy and microgravity. Overall, this review provides a thorough insight into how mechanical signals are converted into chemical signals to regulate myocardial mass in both healthy and diseased conditions.

Identification of genetic associations between acute myocardial infarction and non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction

A growing body of evidence suggests a potential connection between myocardial infarction (MI) and lung cancer (LC). However, the underlying pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This research aims to identify common genes and pathways between MI and LC through bioinformatics analysis.

Methods

Two public datasets (GSE166780 and GSE8569) were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Common DEGs were enriched using Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Hub genes were identified and their diagnostic performance was evaluated. Gene co-expression networks, as well as regulatory networks involving miRNA-hub genes and TF-hub genes, were also constructed. Finally, candidate drugs were predicted.

Results

Among the datasets, 34 common trend DEGs were identified. Enrichment analysis linked these DEGs to key biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. Eight hub genes (CEBPA, TGFBR2, EZH2, JUNB, JUN, FOS, PLAU, COL1A1) were identified, demonstrating promising diagnostic accuracy. Key transcription factors associated with these hub genes include SP1, ESR1, CREB1, ETS1, NFKB1, and RELA, while key miRNAs include hsa-mir-101-3p, hsa-mir-124-3p, hsa-mir-29c-3p, hsa-mir-93-5p, and hsa-mir-155-5p. Additionally, potential therapeutic drugs were identified, with zoledronic acid anhydrous showing potential value in reducing the co-occurrence of the two diseases.

Discussion

This study identified eight common signature genes shared between NSCLC and AMI. Validation datasets confirmed the diagnostic value of key hub genes COL1A1 and PLAU. These findings suggest that shared hub genes may serve as novel therapeutic targets for patients with both diseases. Ten candidate drugs were predicted, with zoledronic acid showing potential for targeting dual hub genes, offering a promising therapeutic approach for the comorbidity of lung cancer and myocardial infarction.

Heat-Killed Latilactobacillus sakei CNSC001WB and Lactobacillus pentosus WB693 Have an Anti-inflammatory Effect on LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells

Excessive inflammatory results, such as those seen in rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases, are known to cause various complications. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether heat-killed Latilactobacillus sakei CNS001WB and Lactobacillus pentosus WB693 can prevent inflammatory reactions. When LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were handled with either heat-killed Lact. sakei CNSC001WB or Lact. pentosus WB693, the production of nitric oxide reduced. Furthermore, the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, was suppressed. The expression of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), which play important roles in inflammatory diseases, especially arthritis, was also reduced. Moreover, these strains inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, which activate various cytokines and inflammatory mediators. Additionally, heat-killed Lact. sakei CNSC001WB and Lact. pentosus WB693 inhibited the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Based on these results, we concluded that heat-killed Lact. sakei CNSC001WB and Lact. pentosus WB693 sufficiently inhibited the inflammatory response and may have anti-inflammatory potential.

Mitochondrial Kinase Signaling for Cardioprotection

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury is reduced by cardioprotective adaptations such as local or remote ischemic conditioning. The cardioprotective stimuli activate signaling cascades, which converge on mitochondria and maintain the function of the organelles, which is critical for cell survival. The signaling cascades include not only extracellular molecules that activate sarcolemmal receptor-dependent or -independent protein kinases that signal at the plasma membrane or in the cytosol, but also involve kinases, which are located to or within mitochondria, phosphorylate mitochondrial target proteins, and thereby modify, e.g., respiration, the generation of reactive oxygen species, calcium handling, mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy, or apoptosis. In the present review, we give a personal and opinionated overview of selected protein kinases, localized to/within myocardial mitochondria, and summarize the available data on their role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and protection from it. We highlight the regulation of mitochondrial function by these mitochondrial protein kinases.

Effect of IQ-1 on the Infarct Size and the Parameters of Cardiodynamic Indicators in the Acute Period after Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats

The effect of a new JNK inhibitor IQ-1 (11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoxalin-11-one oxime) was studied in male Wistar rats in a model of acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Area at risk and myocardial infarct zones were studied in two series of experiments: 16 h after a single dose of IQ-1 (25 mg/kg intraperitoneally during cardiac ischemia) and on day 5 after its course administration (25 mg/kg intraperitoneally during cardiac ischemia and daily over 4 days). On day 5 after ischemia/reperfusion, cardiodynamic indicators were also studied: systolic, end-diastolic, and minimum pressure in the left ventricle, stress-time index, as well as the maximum rates of pressure rise and fall in the left ventricle (+dP/dtmax and -dP/dtmax). In 16 h after ischemia/reperfusion, the infarct area in the control was 24±2% of the total area of the sections, while after administration of IQ-1 this parameter was 14±1% (p<0.05). On day 5, the infarct area in the control group was 25±1% of the total area of myocardial sections. A course of IQ-1 administration led to a significant reduction in the infarct area to 10±2% of the total area of myocardial slices. Course administration of IQ-1 led to improvement in contractile function and weakening of the diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle: systolic pressure in the left ventricle increased by 20%, +dP/dtmax by 23%, voltage-time index by 12%, -dP/dtmax by 43%, and the minimum pressure in the left ventricle decreased by 3.4 times.