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Zhu R, Zhang L, Zhang H, Hu Z. BRD4 promotes LPS-induced endothelial cells senescence via activating and cooperating STING-IRF3 pathway. Cell Signal 2024; 118:111127. [PMID: 38447881 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Endothelial cells (ECs) senescence is closely associated with the initiation and development of multiple age-related cardiovascular diseases. It is necessary to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of ECs senescence, which is not only the basis to decipher cellular senescence, but also a novel therapeutic target for the endothelial senescence-related diseases. BRD4, a key epigenetic regulator, is universally related to gene expression regulation and has been reported to accelerate cell senescence. Besides, emerging evidence has suggested that the stimulator of interferon genes protein (STING) can regulate inflammatory and senescence-related diseases. However, whether STING pathway activation is regulated by BRD4 in the context of ECs senescence remains largely unclear. Here, we observed that elevated BRD4 and activated STING-IRF3 signaling pathway during ECs senescence and further confirmed that BRD4 could abolish STING activation. We demonstrated that BRD4 could inhibit E3 ubiquitin ligase HRD1-mediated ubiquitination degradation of STING via inhibiting HRD1 transcription. In addition to the direct regulatory effect of BRD4 on STING activation, we have confirmed that BRD4 cooperates with IRF3 and P65 to promote SASP gene expression, thereby accelerating ECs senescence. Here, we proposed a novel mechanism underlying BRD4' key dual role in activating the STING pathway during ECs senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruigong Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing City 210023, China; State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang City 550014, China.
| | - Lei Zhang
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Huai'an, Huaiyin Hospital of Huai'an, Huai'an City 223300, China.
| | - Hao Zhang
- The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong City 226006, China.
| | - Zhifeng Hu
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Huai'an, Huaiyin Hospital of Huai'an, Huai'an City 223300, China.
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Bigger-Allen A, Gheinani AH, Adam RM. Investigation of the impact of bromodomain inhibition on cytoskeleton stability and contraction. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:184. [PMID: 38493137 PMCID: PMC10944605 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01553-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Injury to contractile organs such as the heart, vasculature, urinary bladder and gut can stimulate a pathological response that results in loss of normal contractility. PDGF and TGFβ are among the most well studied initiators of the injury response and have been shown to induce aberrant contraction in mechanically active cells of hollow organs including smooth muscle cells (SMC) and fibroblasts. However, the mechanisms driving contractile alterations downstream of PDGF and TGFβ in SMC and fibroblasts are incompletely understood, limiting therapeutic interventions. METHODS To identify potential molecular targets, we have leveraged the analysis of publicly available data, comparing transcriptomic changes in mechanically active cells stimulated with PDGF and TGFβ. Additional Analysis of publicly available data sets were performed on SMC and fibroblasts treated in the presence or absence of the MYC inhibitor JQ1. Validation of in silico findings were performed with qPCR, immunoblots, and collagen gel contraction assays measure the effect of JQ1 on cytoskeleton associated genes, proteins and contractility in mechanically active cells. Likelihood ratio test and FDR adjusted p-values were used to determine significant differentially expressed genes. Student ttest were used to calculate statistical significance of qPCR and contractility analyses. RESULTS Comparing PDGF and TGFβ stimulated SMC and fibroblasts identified a shared molecular profile regulated by MYC and members of the AP-1 transcription factor complex. Additional in silico analysis revealed a unique set of cytoskeleton-associated genes that were sensitive to MYC inhibition with JQ1. In vitro validation demonstrated JQ1 was also able to attenuate TGFβ and PDGF induced changes to the cytoskeleton and contraction of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in vitro. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify MYC as a key driver of aberrant cytoskeletal and contractile changes in fibroblasts and SMC, and suggest that JQ1 could be used to restore normal contractile function in hollow organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bigger-Allen
- Urological Diseases Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Enders Bldg 1061.4, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Biological & Biomedical Sciences Program, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ali Hashemi Gheinani
- Urological Diseases Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Enders Bldg 1061.4, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Functional Urology Research Group, Department for BioMedical Research DBMR, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Urology, Inselspital University Hospital, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rosalyn M Adam
- Urological Diseases Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Enders Bldg 1061.4, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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3
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Liu R, Li L, Wang Z, Zhu J, Ji Y. Acetylated Histone Modifications: Intersection of Diabetes and Atherosclerosis. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2024; 83:207-219. [PMID: 37989137 DOI: 10.1097/fjc.0000000000001516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Worldwide, type 2 diabetes is predominant form of diabetes, and it is mainly affected by the environment. Furthermore, the offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorder syndrome may have a higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which indicates that the environmental impact on diabetes prevalence can be transmitted across generations. In the process of diabetes onset and intergenerational transmission, the genetic structure of the individual is not directly changed but is regulated by epigenetics. In this process, genes or histones are modified, resulting in selective expression of proteins. This modification will affect not only the onset of diabetes but also the related onset of atherosclerosis. Acetylation and deacetylation may be important regulatory factors for the above lesions. Therefore, in this review, based on the whole process of atherosclerosis evolution, we explored the possible existence of acetylation/deacetylation caused by diabetes. However, because of the lack of atherosclerosis-related acetylation studies directly based on diabetic models, we also used a small number of experiments involving nondiabetic models of related molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhongqun Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; and
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Cardiology, The Lu'an Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, The Lu' an People's Hospital, Lu'an, China
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4
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Song S, Zhang X, Huang Z, Zhao Y, Lu S, Zeng L, Cai F, Wang T, Pei Z, Weng X, Luo W, Lu H, Wei Z, Wu J, Yu P, Shen L, Zhang X, Sun A, Ge J. TEA domain transcription factor 1(TEAD1) induces cardiac fibroblasts cells remodeling through BRD4/Wnt4 pathway. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:45. [PMID: 38374140 PMCID: PMC10876703 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01732-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are the primary cells tasked with depositing and remodeling collagen and significantly associated with heart failure (HF). TEAD1 has been shown to be essential for heart development and homeostasis. However, fibroblast endogenous TEAD1 in cardiac remodeling remains incompletely understood. Transcriptomic analyses revealed consistently upregulated cardiac TEAD1 expression in mice 4 weeks after transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and Ang-II infusion. Further investigation revealed that CFs were the primary cell type expressing elevated TEAD1 levels in response to pressure overload. Conditional TEAD1 knockout was achieved by crossing TEAD1-floxed mice with CFs- and myofibroblasts-specific Cre mice. Echocardiographic and histological analyses demonstrated that CFs- and myofibroblasts-specific TEAD1 deficiency and treatment with TEAD1 inhibitor, VT103, ameliorated TAC-induced cardiac remodeling. Mechanistically, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analysis identified Wnt4 as a novel TEAD1 target. TEAD1 has been shown to promote the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition through the Wnt signalling pathway, and genetic Wnt4 knockdown inhibited the pro-transformation phenotype in CFs with TEAD1 overexpression. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase assays demonstrated interaction between TEAD1 and BET protein BRD4, leading to the binding and activation of the Wnt4 promoter. In conclusion, TEAD1 is an essential regulator of the pro-fibrotic CFs phenotype associated with pathological cardiac remodeling via the BRD4/Wnt4 signalling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Song
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaokai Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zihang Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongchao Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyang Lu
- Department of cardiac surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linqi Zeng
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengze Cai
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tongyao Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiqiang Pei
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyu Weng
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Lu
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zilun Wei
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Yu
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaochun Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Aijun Sun
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Junbo Ge
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Viral Heart Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Marchant V, Trionfetti F, Tejedor-Santamaria L, Rayego-Mateos S, Rotili D, Bontempi G, Domenici A, Menè P, Mai A, Martín-Cleary C, Ortiz A, Ramos AM, Strippoli R, Ruiz-Ortega M. BET Protein Inhibitor JQ1 Ameliorates Experimental Peritoneal Damage by Inhibition of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:2055. [PMID: 38136175 PMCID: PMC10740563 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12122055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a current replacement therapy for end-stage kidney diseases (ESKDs). However, long-term exposure to PD fluids may lead to damage of the peritoneal membrane (PM) through mechanisms involving the activation of the inflammatory response and mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (MMT), leading to filtration failure. Peritoneal damage depends on a complex interaction among external stimuli, intrinsic properties of the PM, and subsequent activities of the local innate-adaptive immune system. Epigenetic drugs targeting bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins have shown beneficial effects on different experimental preclinical diseases, mainly by inhibiting proliferative and inflammatory responses. However the effect of BET inhibition on peritoneal damage has not been studied. To this aim, we have evaluated the effects of treatment with the BET inhibitor JQ1 in a mouse model of peritoneal damage induced by chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX). We found that JQ1 ameliorated the CHX-induced PM thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, JQ1 decreased gene overexpression of proinflammatory and profibrotic markers, together with an inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Additionally, JQ1 blocked the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and restored changes in the mRNA expression levels of NADPH oxidases (NOX1 and NOX4) and NRF2/target antioxidant response genes. To corroborate the in vivo findings, we evaluated the effects of the BET inhibitor JQ1 on PD patients' effluent-derived primary mesothelial cells and on the MeT-5A cell line. JQ1 inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced proinflammatory gene upregulation and restored MMT phenotype changes, together with the downmodulation of oxidative stress. Taken together, these results suggest that BET inhibitors may be a potential therapeutic option to ameliorate peritoneal damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Marchant
- Cellular and Molecular Biology in Renal and Vascular Pathology Laboratory, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.M.); (L.T.-S.); (S.R.-M.)
- RICORS2040, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (A.O.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Flavia Trionfetti
- Gene Expression Laboratory, National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Lazzaro Spallanzani IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy; (F.T.); (G.B.); (R.S.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Tejedor-Santamaria
- Cellular and Molecular Biology in Renal and Vascular Pathology Laboratory, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.M.); (L.T.-S.); (S.R.-M.)
- RICORS2040, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (A.O.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Sandra Rayego-Mateos
- Cellular and Molecular Biology in Renal and Vascular Pathology Laboratory, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.M.); (L.T.-S.); (S.R.-M.)
- RICORS2040, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (A.O.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Giulio Bontempi
- Gene Expression Laboratory, National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Lazzaro Spallanzani IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy; (F.T.); (G.B.); (R.S.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Domenici
- Renal Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (P.M.)
| | - Paolo Menè
- Renal Unit, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant’Andrea University Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (P.M.)
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Catalina Martín-Cleary
- Laboratory of Nephrology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Alberto Ortiz
- RICORS2040, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (A.O.); (A.M.R.)
- Laboratory of Nephrology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Adrian M. Ramos
- RICORS2040, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (A.O.); (A.M.R.)
- Laboratory of Nephrology, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Raffaele Strippoli
- Gene Expression Laboratory, National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Lazzaro Spallanzani IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy; (F.T.); (G.B.); (R.S.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Ruiz-Ortega
- Cellular and Molecular Biology in Renal and Vascular Pathology Laboratory, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (V.M.); (L.T.-S.); (S.R.-M.)
- RICORS2040, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (A.O.); (A.M.R.)
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6
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Bigger-Allen A, Gheinani AH, Adam RM. Investigation of the impact of bromodomain inhibition on cytoskeleton stability and contraction. bioRxiv 2023:2023.11.14.567076. [PMID: 38014184 PMCID: PMC10680757 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.567076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Injury to contractile organs such as the heart, vasculature, urinary bladder and gut can stimulate a pathological response that results in loss of normal contractility. PDGF and TGFβ are among the most well studied initiators of the injury response and have been shown to induce aberrant contraction in mechanically active cells of hollow organs including smooth muscle cells (SMC) and fibroblasts. However the mechanisms driving contractile alterations downstream of PDGF and TGFβ in SMC and fibroblasts are incompletely understood, limiting therapeutic interventions. To identify potential molecular targets, we have leveraged the analysis of publicly available data, comparing transcriptomic changes in mechanically active cells stimulated with PDGF and TGFβ and identified a shared molecular profile regulated by MYC and members of the AP-1 transcription factor complex. We also analyzed data sets from SMC and fibroblasts treated in the presence or absence of the MYC inhibitor JQ1. This analysis revealed a unique set of cytoskeleton-associated genes that were sensitive to MYC inhibition. JQ1 was also able to attenuate TGFβ and PDGF induced changes to the cytoskeleton and contraction of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in vitro. These findings identify MYC as a key driver of aberrant cytoskeletal and contractile changes in fibroblasts and SMC, and suggest that JQ1 could be used to restore normal contractile function in hollow organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bigger-Allen
- Urological Diseases Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological & Biomedical Sciences Program, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ali Hashemi Gheinani
- Urological Diseases Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Functional Urology Research Group, Department for BioMedical Research DBMR, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rosalyn M. Adam
- Urological Diseases Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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7
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Sun J, Gui Y, Zhou S, Zheng XL. Unlocking the secrets of aging: Epigenetic reader BRD4 as the target to combatting aging-related diseases. J Adv Res 2023:S2090-1232(23)00329-6. [PMID: 37956861 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aging, a complex and profound journey, leads us through a labyrinth of physiological and pathological transformations, rendering us increasingly susceptible to aging-related diseases. Emerging investigations have unveiled the function of bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4) in manipulating the aging process and driving the emergence and progression of aging-related diseases. AIM OF REVIEW This review aims to offer a comprehensive outline of BRD4's functions involved in the aging process, and potential mechanisms through which BRD4 governs the initiation and progression of various aging-related diseases. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW BRD4 has a fundamental role in regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, cellular senescence, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), senolysis, autophagy, and mitochondrial function, which are involved in the aging process. Several studies have indicated that BRD4 governs the initiation and progression of various aging-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart failure, aging-related pulmonary fibrosis, and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Thus, the evidence from this review supports that BRD4 could be a promising target for managing various aging-related diseases, while further investigation is warranted to gain a thorough understanding of BRD4's role in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Sun
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Cardiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yu Gui
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shenghua Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Xi-Long Zheng
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.
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8
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Jiao T, Wang Y, Lin X, Song W, Wang L, Rahman TMS, Xu L, Nie L, Zhang Q, Li J. Axitinib targets cardiac fibrosis in pressure overload-induced heart failure through VEGFA-KDR pathway. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1256156. [PMID: 38020087 PMCID: PMC10667428 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1256156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background There are no specific clinical medications that target cardiac fibrosis in heart failure (HF). Recent studies have shown that tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may benefit fibrosis in various organs. However, there is limited research on their application in cardiac fibrosis. Axitinib, an FDA-approved tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was used to evaluate its effects on cardiac fibrosis and function in pressure overload-induced heart failure. Methods To build a pharmacological network, the pharmacological targets of axitinib were first retrieved from databases and coupled with key heart failure gene molecules for analysis and prediction. To validate the results outlined above, 8-week-old male C57BL/6 J mice were orally administrated of axitinib (30 mg/kg) daily for 8 weeks after Transverse Aortic Constriction (TAC) surgery. Mouse cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts were used as cell lines to test the function and mechanism of axitinib. Results We found that the pharmacological targets of axitinib could form a pharmacological network with key genes involved in heart failure. The VEGFA-KDR pathway was found to be closely related to the differential gene expression of human heart-derived primary cardiomyocyte cell lines treated with axitinib, based on analysis of the publicly available dataset. The outcomes of animal experiments demonstrated that axitinib therapy greatly reduced cardiac fibrosis and improved TAC-induced cardiac dysfunction. Further research has shown that the expression of transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) and other fibrosis genes was significantly reduced in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion Our study provides evidence for the repurposing of axitinib to combat cardiac fibrosis, and offers new insights into the treatment of patients with HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Jiao
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanqi Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueqi Lin
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Song
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of General Practice, Jinyang Community Health Service Center in Pudong District, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tapu Md Sakibur Rahman
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Linghao Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lindong Nie
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiming Li
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Sato S, Koyama K, Ogawa H, Murakami K, Imakura T, Yamashita Y, Kagawa K, Kawano H, Hara E, Nishioka Y. A novel BRD4 degrader, ARV-825, attenuates lung fibrosis through senolysis and antifibrotic effect. Respir Investig 2023; 61:781-792. [PMID: 37741093 DOI: 10.1016/j.resinv.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest that cellular senescence is related to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, cellular senescence has yet to be targeted therapeutically in clinical practice. ARV825, a recently developed BRD4 degrader, has been reported as a novel senolytic drug. Conversely, it has also been reported that BRD4 regulates the pro-fibrotic gene expression of fibroblasts. Therefore, this study focuses on the senolytic and anti-fibrotic effects of ARV825 and evaluated these effects on lung fibrosis. METHODS Lung fibroblasts were induced to senescence through serial passage. The expression of senescence markers and pro-fibrotic markers were determined through quantitative PCR or immunoblot analysis. Lung fibrosis was induced in mice through intratracheal administration of bleomycin. Mice treated with ARV825 underwent histological analysis of lung fibrosis using the Ashcroft score. Total lung collagen was quantified through a hydroxyproline assay. Respiratory mechanics analysis was performed using the flexiVent system. RESULTS For senescent cells, ARV825 induced the expression of an apoptosis marker while reducing the expression of BRD4 and senescence markers. On the other hand, for early passage pre-senescent cells, ARV825 reduced the expression of collagen type 1 and α-smooth muscle actin. In an experimental mouse model of lung fibrosis, ARV825 attenuated lung fibrosis and improved lung function. Immunohistochemical staining revealed a significant decrease in the number of senescent alveolar type 2 cells in lung tissue due to ARV825 treatment. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that ARV825 may impact the progressive and irreversible course of fibrotic lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seidai Sato
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Kazuya Koyama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Ogawa
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Kojin Murakami
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Imakura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yuya Yamashita
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Kozo Kagawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawano
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Eiji Hara
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (RIMD), Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Nishioka
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.
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10
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Cai Z, Mei S, Zhou L, Ma X, Wuyun Q, Yan J, Ding H. Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Sheds New Light upon Cardiovascular Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15418. [PMID: 37895097 PMCID: PMC10607581 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a biophysical process that mediates the precise and complex spatiotemporal coordination of cellular processes. Proteins and nucleic acids are compartmentalized into micron-scale membrane-less droplets via LLPS. These droplets, termed biomolecular condensates, are highly dynamic, have concentrated components, and perform specific functions. Biomolecular condensates have been observed to organize diverse key biological processes, including gene transcription, signal transduction, DNA damage repair, chromatin organization, and autophagy. The dysregulation of these biological activities owing to aberrant LLPS is important in cardiovascular diseases. This review provides a detailed overview of the regulation and functions of biomolecular condensates, provides a comprehensive depiction of LLPS in several common cardiovascular diseases, and discusses the revolutionary therapeutic perspective of modulating LLPS in cardiovascular diseases and new treatment strategies relevant to LLPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Cai
- Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (Z.C.); (S.M.); (L.Z.); (X.M.); (Q.W.)
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shuai Mei
- Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (Z.C.); (S.M.); (L.Z.); (X.M.); (Q.W.)
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (Z.C.); (S.M.); (L.Z.); (X.M.); (Q.W.)
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiaozhu Ma
- Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (Z.C.); (S.M.); (L.Z.); (X.M.); (Q.W.)
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Qidamugai Wuyun
- Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (Z.C.); (S.M.); (L.Z.); (X.M.); (Q.W.)
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jiangtao Yan
- Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (Z.C.); (S.M.); (L.Z.); (X.M.); (Q.W.)
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan 430030, China
- Genetic Diagnosis Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hu Ding
- Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (Z.C.); (S.M.); (L.Z.); (X.M.); (Q.W.)
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan 430030, China
- Genetic Diagnosis Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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11
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Ravassa S, López B, Treibel TA, San José G, Losada-Fuentenebro B, Tapia L, Bayés-Genís A, Díez J, González A. Cardiac Fibrosis in heart failure: Focus on non-invasive diagnosis and emerging therapeutic strategies. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 93:101194. [PMID: 37384998 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Heart failure is a leading cause of mortality and hospitalization worldwide. Cardiac fibrosis, resulting from the excessive deposition of collagen fibers, is a common feature across the spectrum of conditions converging in heart failure. Eventually, either reparative or reactive in nature, in the long-term cardiac fibrosis contributes to heart failure development and progression and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Despite this, specific cardiac antifibrotic therapies are lacking, making cardiac fibrosis an urgent unmet medical need. In this context, a better patient phenotyping is needed to characterize the heterogenous features of cardiac fibrosis to advance toward its personalized management. In this review, we will describe the different phenotypes associated with cardiac fibrosis in heart failure and we will focus on the potential usefulness of imaging techniques and circulating biomarkers for the non-invasive characterization and phenotyping of this condition and for tracking its clinical impact. We will also recapitulate the cardiac antifibrotic effects of existing heart failure and non-heart failure drugs and we will discuss potential strategies under preclinical development targeting the activation of cardiac fibroblasts at different levels, as well as targeting additional extracardiac processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Ravassa
- Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA Universidad de Navarra and IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain; CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Begoña López
- Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA Universidad de Navarra and IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain; CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas A Treibel
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, UK; Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Gorka San José
- Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA Universidad de Navarra and IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain; CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Losada-Fuentenebro
- Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA Universidad de Navarra and IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain; CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Leire Tapia
- Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA Universidad de Navarra and IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain; CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoni Bayés-Genís
- CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain; Servei de Cardiologia i Unitat d'Insuficiència Cardíaca, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Science Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | - Javier Díez
- Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA Universidad de Navarra and IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain; CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Arantxa González
- Program of Cardiovascular Diseases, CIMA Universidad de Navarra and IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain; CIBERCV, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
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12
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Gaytan SL, Beaven E, Gadad SS, Nurunnabi M. Progress and prospect of nanotechnology for cardiac fibrosis treatment. Interdiscip Med 2023; 1:e20230018. [PMID: 38089921 PMCID: PMC10712437 DOI: 10.1002/inmd.20230018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Cardiac fibrosis is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components in the heart, leading to reduced cardiac functionality and heart failure. This review provides an overview of the therapeutic applications of nanotechnology for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis. We first delve into the fundamental pathophysiology of cardiac fibrosis, highlighting the key molecular players, including Matrix Metalloproteinases, Transforming Growth Factor-beta, and several growth factors, cytokines, and signaling molecules. Each target presents a unique opportunity to develop targeted nano-therapies. We then focus on recent advancements in nanotechnology and how nanoparticles can be engineered to deliver drugs or therapeutic genes. These advanced delivery approaches have shown significant potential to inhibit fibrosis-promoting factors, thereby mitigating the fibrotic response and potentially reversing disease progression. In addition, we discuss the challenges associated with developing and translating nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, including ensuring biocompatibility, safety, and regulatory compliance. This review highlights how nanotechnology can bridge the gap between lab research and clinical practice for treating cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Gaytan
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of PharmacyThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Interdisciplinary Health SciencesCollege of Health SciencesThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | - Elfa Beaven
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of PharmacyThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCollege of EngineeringThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | - Shrikanth S. Gadad
- Center of Emphasis in CancerDepartment of Molecular and Translational MedicinePaul L. Foster School of MedicineTexas Tech University Health Sciences Center El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
| | - Md Nurunnabi
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of PharmacyThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Interdisciplinary Health SciencesCollege of Health SciencesThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringCollege of EngineeringThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
- Border Biomedical Research CenterThe University of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
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13
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Wang D, Zhu Z, Fu Y, Zhang Q, Zhang Y, Wang T, Weng Y, Wen Y, Cao W, Tao G, Wang Y. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 activates androgen receptor transcription and promotes ovarian fibrosis in PCOS. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113090. [PMID: 37669164 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder and the main cause of anovulatory infertility, in which persistent activation of androgen receptor (AR) due to aberrant acetylation modifications of transcription is a potential trigger; however, the precise mechanisms of AR activation are poorly understood. In this study, AR activation in dehydroepiandrosterone- and letrozole-induced rat PCOS ovaries coincided with a marked increase of a chromatin acetylation "reader" BRD4. Further bioinformatic analysis showed that the AR promoter contained highly conserved binding motifs of BRD4 and HIF-1α. BRD4 and HIF-1α inducibly bound to the histone 3/4 acetylation-modified AR promoter, while administration of a BRD4-selective inhibitor JQ1 reduced the binding and AR transcription and improved the adverse expression of the core fibrotic mediators in PCOS ovaries and DHT-treated granulosa cells. Our data indicate that BRD4 upregulation and the resultant AR transcriptional activation constitute an important regulatory pathway that promotes ovarian fibrosis in PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daojuan Wang
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; Department of Pain Management, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhengquan Zhu
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yu Fu
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210002, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Tingyu Wang
- Department of Pain Management, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yajing Weng
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yanting Wen
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Wangsen Cao
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; Department of Nephrology, Yangzhou Precision Research Institute of Kidney Disease, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Teaching Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Yangzhou 225009, China.
| | - Gaojian Tao
- Department of Pain Management, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Yong Wang
- The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
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14
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Chu L, Xie D, Xu D. Epigenetic Regulation of Fibroblasts and Crosstalk between Cardiomyocytes and Non-Myocyte Cells in Cardiac Fibrosis. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1382. [PMID: 37759781 PMCID: PMC10526373 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms and cell crosstalk have been shown to play important roles in the initiation and progression of cardiac fibrosis. This review article aims to provide a thorough overview of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in fibroblast regulation. During fibrosis, fibroblast epigenetic regulation encompasses a multitude of mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone acetylation and methylation, and chromatin remodeling. These mechanisms regulate the phenotype of fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix composition by modulating gene expression, thereby orchestrating the progression of cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, cardiac fibrosis disrupts normal cardiac function by imposing myocardial mechanical stress and compromising cardiac electrical conduction. This review article also delves into the intricate crosstalk between cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes in the heart. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms governing epigenetic regulation and cell crosstalk in cardiac fibrosis is critical for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Further research is warranted to unravel the precise molecular mechanisms underpinning these processes and to identify potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dachun Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 315 Yanchang Middle Road, Shanghai 200072, China; (L.C.); (D.X.)
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15
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Reyat JS, di Maio A, Grygielska B, Pike J, Kemble S, Rodriguez-Romero A, Simoglou Karali C, Croft AP, Psaila B, Simões F, Rayes J, Khan AO. Modelling the pathology and treatment of cardiac fibrosis in vascularised atrial and ventricular cardiac microtissues. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1156759. [PMID: 37727305 PMCID: PMC10506403 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1156759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recent advances in human cardiac 3D approaches have yielded progressively more complex and physiologically relevant culture systems. However, their application in the study of complex pathological processes, such as inflammation and fibrosis, and their utility as models for drug development have been thus far limited. Methods In this work, we report the development of chamber-specific, vascularised human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac microtissues, which allow for the multi-parametric assessment of cardiac fibrosis. Results We demonstrate the generation of a robust vascular system in the microtissues composed of endothelial cells, fibroblasts and atrial or ventricular cardiomyocytes that exhibit gene expression signatures, architectural, and electrophysiological resemblance to in vivo-derived anatomical cardiac tissues. Following pro-fibrotic stimulation using TGFβ, cardiac microtissues recapitulated hallmarks of cardiac fibrosis, including myofibroblast activation and collagen deposition. A study of Ca2+ dynamics in fibrotic microtissues using optical mapping revealed prolonged Ca2+ decay, reflecting cardiomyocyte dysfunction, which is linked to the severity of fibrosis. This phenotype could be reversed by TGFβ receptor inhibition or by using the BET bromodomain inhibitor, JQ1. Discussion In conclusion, we present a novel methodology for the generation of chamber-specific cardiac microtissues that is highly scalable and allows for the multi-parametric assessment of cardiac remodelling and pharmacological screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmeet S. Reyat
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro di Maio
- The Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Beata Grygielska
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Pike
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- The Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Kemble
- Rheumatology Research Group, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Rodriguez-Romero
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Simoglou Karali
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Adam P. Croft
- Rheumatology Research Group, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Bethan Psaila
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Cancer and Haematology Centre, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Filipa Simões
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Julie Rayes
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- The Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Abdullah O. Khan
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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16
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Luo S, Yang Z, Chen R, You D, Teng F, Yuan Y, Liu W, Li J, Zhang H. Cytokine receptor-like factor 1 (CRLF1) promotes cardiac fibrosis via ERK1/2 signaling pathway. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2023; 24:682-697. [PMID: 37551555 PMCID: PMC10423965 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2200506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac fibrosis is a cause of morbidity and mortality in people with heart disease. Anti-fibrosis treatment is a significant therapy for heart disease, but there is still no thorough understanding of fibrotic mechanisms. This study was carried out to ascertain the functions of cytokine receptor-like factor 1 (CRLF1) in cardiac fibrosis and clarify its regulatory mechanisms. We found that CRLF1 was expressed predominantly in cardiac fibroblasts. Its expression was up-regulated not only in a mouse heart fibrotic model induced by myocardial infarction, but also in mouse and human cardiac fibroblasts provoked by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Gain- and loss-of-function experiments of CRLF1 were carried out in neonatal mice cardiac fibroblasts (NMCFs) with or without TGF-β1 stimulation. CRLF1 overexpression increased cell viability, collagen production, cell proliferation capacity, and myofibroblast transformation of NMCFs with or without TGF-β1 stimulation, while silencing of CRLF1 had the opposite effects. An inhibitor of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway and different inhibitors of TGF-β1 signaling cascades, comprising mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD)-dependent and SMAD-independent pathways, were applied to investigate the mechanisms involved. CRLF1 exerted its functions by activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the SMAD-dependent pathway, not the SMAD-independent pathway, was responsible for CRLF1 up-regulation in NMCFs treated with TGF-β1. In summary, activation of the TGF-β1/SMAD signaling pathway in cardiac fibrosis increased CRLF1 expression. CRLF1 then aggravated cardiac fibrosis by activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. CRLF1 could become a novel potential target for intervention and remedy of cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenjian Luo
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Shock and Microcirculation, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ruxin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Danming You
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Shock and Microcirculation, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Fei Teng
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Youwen Yuan
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Wenhui Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Shock and Microcirculation, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Shanxi Medical University Affiliated Second Hospital, Taiyuan 030001, China.
| | - Huijie Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Shock and Microcirculation, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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17
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Zhou D, Liu W, Zhang J, Dong Y, Wu J, Zhang Y, Dai C, Zhang T, Yang G, Zhang Y, Li A. Bellidifolin ameliorates isoprenaline-induced cardiac hypertrophy by the Nox4/ROS signalling pathway through inhibiting BRD4. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:279. [PMID: 37528096 PMCID: PMC10394041 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01563-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, there is no effective therapy for pathological cardiac hypertrophy, which can ultimately lead to heart failure. Bellidifolin (BEL) is an active xanthone component of Gentianella acuta (G. acuta) with a protective function for the heart. However, the role and mechanism of BEL action in cardiac hypertrophy remain unknown. In this study, the mouse model of cardiac hypertrophy was established by isoprenaline (ISO) induction with or without BEL treatment. The results showed that BEL alleviated cardiac dysfunction and pathological changes induced by ISO in the mice. The expression of cardiac hypertrophy marker genes, including ANP, BNP, and β-MHC, were inhibited by BEL both in mice and in H9C2 cells. Furthermore, BEL repressed the epigenetic regulator bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) to reduce the ISO-induced acetylation of H3K122 and phosphorylation of RNA Pol II. The Nox4/ROS/ADAM17 signalling pathway was also inhibited by BEL in a BRD4 dependent manner. Thus, BEL alleviated cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction via the BRD4/Nox4/ROS axes during ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy. These findings clarify the function and molecular mechanism of BEL action in the therapeutic intervention of cardiac hypertrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingyan Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Weizhe Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Juanjuan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yucui Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jiangli Wu
- Department of Technology, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Cheng Dai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Gaoshan Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China.
- Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China.
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, China.
| | - Aiying Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China.
- Hebei Higher Education Institute Applied Technology Research Center on TCM Formula Preparation, Shijiazhuang, China.
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Research on Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, China.
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18
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Chi C, Song K. Cellular reprogramming of fibroblasts in heart regeneration. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2023; 180:84-93. [PMID: 36965699 PMCID: PMC10347886 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Myocardial infarction causes the loss of cardiomyocytes and the formation of cardiac fibrosis due to the activation of cardiac fibroblasts, leading to cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. Unfortunately, current therapeutic interventions can only slow the disease progression. Furthermore, they cannot fully restore cardiac function, likely because the adult human heart lacks sufficient capacity to regenerate cardiomyocytes. Therefore, intensive efforts have focused on developing therapeutics to regenerate the damaged heart. Several strategies have been intensively investigated, including stimulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation, transplantation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, and conversion of fibroblasts into cardiac cells. Resident cardiac fibroblasts are critical in the maintenance of the structure and contractility of the heart. Fibroblast plasticity makes this type of cells be reprogrammed into many cell types, including but not limited to induced pluripotent stem cells, induced cardiac progenitor cells, and induced cardiomyocytes. Fibroblasts have become a therapeutic target due to their critical roles in cardiac pathogenesis. This review summarizes the reprogramming of fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, induced cardiac progenitor cells, and induced cardiomyocytes to repair a damaged heart, outlines recent findings in utilizing fibroblast-derived cells for heart regeneration, and discusses the limitations and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congwu Chi
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kunhua Song
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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19
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Grayczyk JP, Egan MS, Liu L, Aunins E, Wynosky-Dolfi MA, Canna S, Minn AJ, Shin S, Brodsky IE. TLR priming licenses NAIP inflammasome activation by immunoevasive ligands. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.04.539437. [PMID: 37205371 PMCID: PMC10187295 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.04.539437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
NLR family, apoptosis inhibitory proteins (NAIPs) detect bacterial flagellin and structurally related components of bacterial type III secretion systems (T3SS), and recruit NLR family, CARD domain containing protein 4 (NLRC4) and caspase-1 into an inflammasome complex that induces pyroptosis. NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasome assembly is initiated by the binding of a single NAIP to its cognate ligand, but a subset of bacterial flagellins or T3SS structural proteins are thought to evade NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasome sensing by not binding to their cognate NAIPs. Unlike other inflammasome components such as NLRP3, AIM2, or some NAIPs, NLRC4 is constitutively present in resting macrophages, and not thought to be regulated by inflammatory signals. Here, we demonstrate that Toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulation upregulates NLRC4 transcription and protein expression in murine macrophages, which licenses NAIP detection of evasive ligands. TLR-induced NLRC4 upregulation and NAIP detection of evasive ligands required p38 MAPK signaling. In contrast, TLR priming in human macrophages did not upregulate NLRC4 expression, and human macrophages remained unable to detect NAIP-evasive ligands even following priming. Critically, ectopic expression of either murine or human NLRC4 was sufficient to induce pyroptosis in response to immunoevasive NAIP ligands, indicating that increased levels of NLRC4 enable the NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasome to detect these normally evasive ligands. Altogether, our data reveal that TLR priming tunes the threshold for NAIP/NLRC4 inflammasome activation and enables inflammasome responses against immunoevasive or suboptimal NAIP ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Grayczyk
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marisa S Egan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luying Liu
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily Aunins
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Meghan A Wynosky-Dolfi
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Scott Canna
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Andy J Minn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sunny Shin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Igor E Brodsky
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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20
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Sopic M, Robinson EL, Emanueli C, Srivastava P, Angione C, Gaetano C, Condorelli G, Martelli F, Pedrazzini T, Devaux Y. Integration of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in heart failure. Basic Res Cardiol 2023; 118:16. [PMID: 37140699 PMCID: PMC10158703 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-023-00986-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The number of "omics" approaches is continuously growing. Among others, epigenetics has appeared as an attractive area of investigation by the cardiovascular research community, notably considering its association with disease development. Complex diseases such as cardiovascular diseases have to be tackled using methods integrating different omics levels, so called "multi-omics" approaches. These approaches combine and co-analyze different levels of disease regulation. In this review, we present and discuss the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating gene expression and provide an integrated view of how these mechanisms are interlinked and regulate the development of cardiac disease, with a particular attention to heart failure. We focus on DNA, histone, and RNA modifications, and discuss the current methods and tools used for data integration and analysis. Enhancing the knowledge of these regulatory mechanisms may lead to novel therapeutic approaches and biomarkers for precision healthcare and improved clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miron Sopic
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Emma L Robinson
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Costanza Emanueli
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Claudio Angione
- School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Tees Valley, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK
- Centre for Digital Innovation, Teesside University, Campus Heart, Tees Valley, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, UK
- National Horizons Centre, Darlington, DL1 1HG, UK
| | - Carlo Gaetano
- Laboratorio di Epigenetica, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Condorelli
- IRCCS-Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano, MI, Italy
- Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research, National Research Council of Italy, Arnold-Heller-Str.3, 24105, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Martelli
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS-Policlinico San Donato, Via Morandi 30, San Donato Milanese, 20097, Milan, Italy
| | - Thierry Pedrazzini
- Experimental Cardiology Unit, Division of Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Lausanne Medical School, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yvan Devaux
- Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-1445, Strassen, Luxembourg.
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21
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Voges HK, Foster SR, Reynolds L, Parker BL, Devilée L, Quaife-Ryan GA, Fortuna PRJ, Mathieson E, Fitzsimmons R, Lor M, Batho C, Reid J, Pocock M, Friedman CE, Mizikovsky D, Francois M, Palpant NJ, Needham EJ, Peralta M, Monte-Nieto GD, Jones LK, Smyth IM, Mehdiabadi NR, Bolk F, Janbandhu V, Yao E, Harvey RP, Chong JJH, Elliott DA, Stanley EG, Wiszniak S, Schwarz Q, James DE, Mills RJ, Porrello ER, Hudson JE. Vascular cells improve functionality of human cardiac organoids. Cell Rep 2023:112322. [PMID: 37105170 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Crosstalk between cardiac cells is critical for heart performance. Here we show that vascular cells within human cardiac organoids (hCOs) enhance their maturation, force of contraction, and utility in disease modeling. Herein we optimize our protocol to generate vascular populations in addition to epicardial, fibroblast, and cardiomyocyte cells that self-organize into in-vivo-like structures in hCOs. We identify mechanisms of communication between endothelial cells, pericytes, fibroblasts, and cardiomyocytes that ultimately contribute to cardiac organoid maturation. In particular, (1) endothelial-derived LAMA5 regulates expression of mature sarcomeric proteins and contractility, and (2) paracrine platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) signaling from vascular cells upregulates matrix deposition to augment hCO contractile force. Finally, we demonstrate that vascular cells determine the magnitude of diastolic dysfunction caused by inflammatory factors and identify a paracrine role of endothelin driving dysfunction. Together this study highlights the importance and role of vascular cells in organoid models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly K Voges
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Simon R Foster
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Liam Reynolds
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Benjamin L Parker
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Lynn Devilée
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Gregory A Quaife-Ryan
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | | | - Ellen Mathieson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | | | - Mary Lor
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Christopher Batho
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Janice Reid
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Mark Pocock
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Clayton E Friedman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Dalia Mizikovsky
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Mathias Francois
- The Centenary Institute, David Richmond Program for Cardiovascular Research: Gene Regulation and Editing, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Nathan J Palpant
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Elise J Needham
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Marina Peralta
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute. Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | | | - Lynelle K Jones
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Ian M Smyth
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Neda R Mehdiabadi
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Francesca Bolk
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Vaibhao Janbandhu
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ernestene Yao
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Richard P Harvey
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - James J H Chong
- Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - David A Elliott
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Edouard G Stanley
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sophie Wiszniak
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Quenten Schwarz
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - David E James
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2010 NSW, Australia
| | - Richard J Mills
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Enzo R Porrello
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Melbourne Centre for Cardiovascular Genomics and Regenerative Medicine, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia.
| | - James E Hudson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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22
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Cheng M, Li JJ, Niu XN, Zhu L, Liu JY, Jia PC, Zhu S, Meng HW, Lv XW, Huang C, Li J. BRD4 promotes hepatic stellate cells activation and hepatic fibrosis via mediating P300/H3K27ac/PLK1 axis. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 210:115497. [PMID: 36907496 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a reversible wound-healing response characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and secondary to persistent chronic injury. Bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) commonly functions as a "reader" to regulate epigenetic modifications involved in various biological and pathological events, but the mechanism of HF remains unclear. In this study, we established a CCl4-induced HF model and spontaneous recovery model in mice and found aberrant BRD4 expression, which was consistent with the results in human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs)- LX2 cells in vitro. Subsequently, we found that distriction and inhibition of BRD4 restrained TGFβ-induced trans-differentiation of LX2 cells into activated, proliferative myofibroblasts and accelerated apoptosis, and BRD4 overexpression blocked MDI-induced LX2 cells inactivation and promoted the proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of inactivated cells. Additionally, adeno-associated virus serotype 8-loaded short hairpin RNA-mediated BRD4 knockdown in mice significantly attenuated CCl4-induced fibrotic responses including HSCs activation and collagen deposition. Mechanistically, BRD4 deficiency inhibited PLK1 expression in activated LX2 cells, and ChIP and Co-IP assays revealed that BRD4 regulation of PLK1 was dependent on P300-mediated acetylation modification for H3K27 on the PLK1 promoter. In conclusion, BRD4 deficiency in the liver alleviates CCl4-induced HF in mice, and BRD4 participates in the activation and reversal of HSCs through positively regulating the P300/H3K27ac/PLK1 axis, providing a potential insight for HF therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Cheng
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Juan-Juan Li
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xue-Ni Niu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jin-Yu Liu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Jia
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Sai Zhu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Hong-Wu Meng
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xiong-Wen Lv
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Cheng Huang
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Jun Li
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
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23
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Amrute JM, Lai L, Ma P, Koenig AL, Kamimoto K, Bredemeyer A, Shankar TS, Kuppe C, Kadyrov FF, Schulte LJ, Stoutenburg D, Kopecky BJ, Navankasattusas S, Visker J, Morris SA, Kramann R, Leuschner F, Mann DL, Drakos SG, Lavine KJ. Defining cardiac functional recovery in end-stage heart failure at single-cell resolution. Nat Cardiovasc Res 2023; 2:399-416. [PMID: 37583573 PMCID: PMC10426763 DOI: 10.1038/s44161-023-00260-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Recovery of cardiac function is the holy grail of heart failure therapy yet is infrequently observed and remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing from patients with heart failure who recovered left ventricular systolic function after left ventricular assist device implantation, patients who did not recover and non-diseased donors. We identified cell-specific transcriptional signatures of recovery, most prominently in macrophages and fibroblasts. Within these cell types, inflammatory signatures were negative predictors of recovery, and downregulation of RUNX1 was associated with recovery. In silico perturbation of RUNX1 in macrophages and fibroblasts recapitulated the transcriptional state of recovery. Cardiac recovery mediated by BET inhibition in mice led to decreased macrophage and fibroblast Runx1 expression and diminished chromatin accessibility within a Runx1 intronic peak and acquisition of human recovery signatures. These findings suggest that cardiac recovery is a unique biological state and identify RUNX1 as a possible therapeutic target to facilitate cardiac recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junedh M. Amrute
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Junedh M. Amrute, Lulu Lai
| | - Lulu Lai
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Junedh M. Amrute, Lulu Lai
| | - Pan Ma
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrew L. Koenig
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kenji Kamimoto
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrea Bredemeyer
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Thirupura S. Shankar
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine & Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah Health & School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Christoph Kuppe
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology and Division of Nephrology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Farid F. Kadyrov
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Linda J. Schulte
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Dylan Stoutenburg
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Benjamin J. Kopecky
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sutip Navankasattusas
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine & Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah Health & School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Joseph Visker
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine & Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah Health & School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Samantha A. Morris
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rafael Kramann
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology and Division of Nephrology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Florian Leuschner
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Douglas L. Mann
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stavros G. Drakos
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine & Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah Health & School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kory J. Lavine
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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24
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Liu Y, Wen D, Ho C, Yu L, Zheng D, O'Reilly S, Gao Y, Li Q, Zhang Y. Epigenetics as a versatile regulator of fibrosis. J Transl Med 2023; 21:164. [PMID: 36864460 PMCID: PMC9983257 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04018-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis, a process caused by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), is a common cause and outcome of organ failure and even death. Researchers have made many efforts to understand the mechanism of fibrogenesis and to develop therapeutic strategies; yet, the outcome remains unsatisfactory. In recent years, advances in epigenetics, including chromatin remodeling, histone modification, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNA (ncRNA), have provided more insights into the fibrotic process and have suggested the possibility of novel therapy for organ fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the current research on the epigenetic mechanisms involved in organ fibrosis and their possible clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangdan Liu
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Dongsheng Wen
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Chiakang Ho
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Li Yu
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Danning Zheng
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | | | - Ya Gao
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
| | - Qingfeng Li
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China.
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25
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McKinsey TA, Foo R, Anene-Nzelu CG, Travers JG, Vagnozzi RJ, Weber N, Thum T. Emerging epigenetic therapies of cardiac fibrosis and remodelling in heart failure: from basic mechanisms to early clinical development. Cardiovasc Res 2023; 118:3482-3498. [PMID: 36004821 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases and specifically heart failure (HF) impact global health and impose a significant economic burden on society. Despite current advances in standard of care, the risks for death and readmission of HF patients remain unacceptably high and new therapeutic strategies to limit HF progression are highly sought. In disease settings, persistent mechanical or neurohormonal stress to the myocardium triggers maladaptive cardiac remodelling, which alters cardiac function and structure at both the molecular and cellular levels. The progression and magnitude of maladaptive cardiac remodelling ultimately leads to the development of HF. Classical therapies for HF are largely protein-based and mostly are targeted to ameliorate the dysregulation of neuroendocrine pathways and halt adverse remodelling. More recently, investigation of novel molecular targets and the application of cellular therapies, epigenetic modifications, and regulatory RNAs has uncovered promising new avenues to address HF. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on novel cellular and epigenetic therapies and focus on two non-coding RNA-based strategies that reached the phase of early clinical development to counteract cardiac remodelling and HF. The current status of the development of translating those novel therapies to clinical practice, limitations, and future perspectives are additionally discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A McKinsey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E.19th Ave, Aurora, CO, 80045-2507, USA
| | - Roger Foo
- NUHS Cardiovascular Disease Translational Research Programme, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Heart Centre, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chukwuemeka George Anene-Nzelu
- NUHS Cardiovascular Disease Translational Research Programme, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Heart Centre, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore.,Montreal Heart Institute, 5000 Rue Belanger, H1T 1C8, Montreal, Canada
| | - Joshua G Travers
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E.19th Ave, Aurora, CO, 80045-2507, USA
| | - Ronald J Vagnozzi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E.19th Ave, Aurora, CO, 80045-2507, USA
| | - Natalie Weber
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Thum
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.,REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Therapies, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Nikolai-Fuchs-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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26
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Qin L, Liu N, Bao CLM, Yang DZ, Ma GX, Yi WH, Xiao GZ, Cao HL. Mesenchymal stem cells in fibrotic diseases-the two sides of the same coin. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2023; 44:268-287. [PMID: 35896695 PMCID: PMC9326421 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-022-00952-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis is caused by extensive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, which play a crucial role in injury repair. Fibrosis attributes to ~45% of all deaths worldwide. The molecular pathology of different fibrotic diseases varies, and a number of bioactive factors are involved in the pathogenic process. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of multipotent stem cells that have promising therapeutic effects in the treatment of different diseases. Current updates of fibrotic pathogenesis reveal that residential MSCs may differentiate into myofibroblasts which lead to the fibrosis development. However, preclinical and clinical trials with autologous or allogeneic MSCs infusion demonstrate that MSCs can relieve the fibrotic diseases by modulating inflammation, regenerating damaged tissues, remodeling the ECMs, and modulating the death of stressed cells after implantation. A variety of animal models were developed to study the mechanisms behind different fibrotic tissues and test the preclinical efficacy of MSC therapy in these diseases. Furthermore, MSCs have been used for treating liver cirrhosis and pulmonary fibrosis patients in several clinical trials, leading to satisfactory clinical efficacy without severe adverse events. This review discusses the two opposite roles of residential MSCs and external MSCs in fibrotic diseases, and summarizes the current perspective of therapeutic mechanism of MSCs in fibrosis, through both laboratory study and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Qin
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Orthopedics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000 China
| | - Nian Liu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Orthopedics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000 China
| | - Chao-le-meng Bao
- CASTD Regengeek (Shenzhen) Medical Technology Co. Ltd, Shenzhen, 518000 China
| | - Da-zhi Yang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Orthopedics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000 China
| | - Gui-xing Ma
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Wei-hong Yi
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Orthopedics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000 China
| | - Guo-zhi Xiao
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Hui-ling Cao
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Shenzhen, 518055 China
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Dudakovic A, Bayram B, Bettencourt JW, Limberg AK, Galvan ML, Carrasco ME, Stans B, Thaler R, Morrey ME, Sanchez-Sotelo J, Berry DJ, van Wijnen AJ, Abdel MP. The epigenetic regulator BRD4 is required for myofibroblast differentiation of knee fibroblasts. J Cell Biochem 2023; 124:320-334. [PMID: 36648754 PMCID: PMC9990907 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Arthrofibrosis, which is characterized by excessive scar tissue and limited motion, can complicate the daily functioning of patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Molecular hallmarks of arthrofibrosis include pathologic accumulation of myofibroblasts and disproportionate collagen deposition. Epigenetic mechanisms, including posttranslation modification of histones, control gene expression and may regulate fibrotic events. This study assessed the role of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins on myofibroblast differentiation. This group of epigenetic regulators recognize acetylated lysines and are targeted by a class of drugs known as BET inhibitors. RNA-seq analysis revealed robust mRNA expression of three BET members (BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4) while the fourth member (BRDT) is not expressed in primary TKA knee outgrowth fibroblasts. RT-qPCR and western blot analyses revealed that BET inhibition with the small molecule JQ1 impairs TGFβ1-induced expression of ACTA2, a key myofibroblast marker, in primary outgrowth knee fibroblasts. Similarly, JQ1 administration also reduced COL3A1 mRNA levels and collagen deposition as monitored by picrosirius red staining. Interestingly, the inhibitory effects of JQ1 on ACTA2 mRNA and protein expression, as well as COL3A1 expression and collagen deposition, were paralleled by siRNA-mediated depletion of BRD4. Together, these data reveal that BRD4-mediated epigenetic events support TGFβ1-mediated myofibroblast differentiation and collagen deposition as seen in arthrofibrosis. To our knowledge, these are the first studies that assess epigenetic regulators and their downstream events in the context of arthrofibrosis. Future studies may reveal clinical utility for drugs that target epigenetic pathways, specifically BET proteins, in the prevention and treatment of arthrofibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amel Dudakovic
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Banu Bayram
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Afton K. Limberg
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - M. Lizeth Galvan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Britta Stans
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Roman Thaler
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mark E. Morrey
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Daniel J. Berry
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Andre J. van Wijnen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Matthew P. Abdel
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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28
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Amrute JM, Luo X, Penna V, Bredemeyer A, Yamawaki T, Yang S, Kadyrov F, Heo GS, Shi SY, Lee P, Koenig AL, Kuppe C, Jones C, Kopecky B, Hayat S, Ma P, Terada Y, Fu A, Furtado M, Kreisel D, Stitziel NO, Li CM, Kramann R, Liu Y, Ason B, Lavine KJ. Targeting Immune-Fibroblast Crosstalk in Myocardial Infarction and Cardiac Fibrosis. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-2402606. [PMID: 36747878 PMCID: PMC9900986 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2402606/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Inflammation and tissue fibrosis co-exist and are causally linked to organ dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms driving immune-fibroblast crosstalk in human cardiac disease remains unexplored and there are currently no therapeutics to target fibrosis. Here, we performed multi-omic single-cell gene expression, epitope mapping, and chromatin accessibility profiling in 38 donors, acutely infarcted, and chronically failing human hearts. We identified a disease-associated fibroblast trajectory marked by cell surface expression of fibroblast activator protein (FAP), which diverged into distinct myofibroblasts and pro-fibrotic fibroblast populations, the latter resembling matrifibrocytes. Pro-fibrotic fibroblasts were transcriptionally similar to cancer associated fibroblasts and expressed high levels of collagens and periostin (POSTN), thymocyte differentiation antigen 1 (THY-1), and endothelin receptor A (EDNRA) predicted to be driven by a RUNX1 gene regulatory network. We assessed the applicability of experimental systems to model tissue fibrosis and demonstrated that 3 different in vivo mouse models of cardiac injury were superior compared to cultured human heart and dermal fibroblasts in recapitulating the human disease phenotype. Ligand-receptor analysis and spatial transcriptomics predicted that interactions between C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) macrophages and fibroblasts mediated by interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) signaling drove the emergence of pro-fibrotic fibroblasts within spatially defined niches. This concept was validated through in silico transcription factor perturbation and in vivo inhibition of IL-1β signaling in fibroblasts where we observed reduced pro-fibrotic fibroblasts, preferential differentiation of fibroblasts towards myofibroblasts, and reduced cardiac fibrosis. Herein, we show a subset of macrophages signal to fibroblasts via IL-1β and rewire their gene regulatory network and differentiation trajectory towards a pro-fibrotic fibroblast phenotype. These findings highlight the broader therapeutic potential of targeting inflammation to treat tissue fibrosis and restore organ function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junedh M. Amrute
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Xin Luo
- Genome Analysis Unit, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Vinay Penna
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Andrea Bredemeyer
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Tracy Yamawaki
- Genome Analysis Unit, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Steven Yang
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Farid Kadyrov
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Gyu-Seong Heo
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Sally Yu Shi
- Department of Cardiometabolic Disorders, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Paul Lee
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Andrew L. Koenig
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Christoph Kuppe
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, RWTH Aachen, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany
| | - Cameran Jones
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Benjamin Kopecky
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Sikander Hayat
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany
| | - Pan Ma
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Yuriko Terada
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Angela Fu
- Department of Cardiometabolic Disorders, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Milena Furtado
- Genome Analysis Unit, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Daniel Kreisel
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Nathan O. Stitziel
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Chi-Ming Li
- Genome Analysis Unit, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Rafael Kramann
- Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, RWTH Aachen, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplantation Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yongjian Liu
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Brandon Ason
- Department of Cardiometabolic Disorders, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Kory J. Lavine
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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29
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Zhou Z, Ma D, Zhou Y, Zhang K, Liu Y, Wang Z, Wang Y. The Carthamus tinctorius L. and Lepidium apetalum Willd. Drug Pair Inhibits EndMT through the TGFβ1/Snail Signaling Pathway in the Treatment of Myocardial Fibrosis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2023; 2023:6018375. [PMID: 36686974 DOI: 10.1155/2023/6018375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Background Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is an essential pathological factor for heart failure. Previous studies have shown that the combination of Carthamus tinctorius L. and Lepidium apetalum Willd. (C-L), two types of Chinese herbal medicine, can ameliorate MF after myocardial infarction (MI) in rats and inhibit the activation of myocardial fibroblasts. However, the mechanism of C-L in the treatment of MF remains unclear. Methods A rat model of MF with left anterior descending coronary ligation-induced MI was first established. Then, the effects of C-L on cardiac function, MF, and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) were evaluated by the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, Masson's trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining. Next, a hypoxia-induced cardiac microvascular endothelial cell (CMEC) model was established to observe the effects of C-L on EndMT. The supernatant of CMECs was collected and used to culture cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and observe the effects of CMEC paracrine factors on CFs. Results Animal experiments indicated that C-L improves the cardiac function of rats after MI, inhibits the progression of EndMT and MF, and downregulates TGFβ1, Snail, and CTGF expression. Cell experiments showed that drug-loaded serum containing C-L inhibits the EndMT of CMECs under hypoxic conditions. The culture supernatant of CMECs grown under hypoxic conditions significantly activated CFs. After treatment with C-L, the activating factor for CFs in hypoxic CMEC culture supernatant was substantially downregulated, and the effect of the culture supernatant on CF activation was also reduced. However, TGFβ1 agonists inhibited the effects of C-L on CMECs and CFs. Conclusion Our data demonstrated that by regulating the TGFβ1/Snail pathway, C-L inhibits EndMT of CMECs and reduces the release of CF-activating factors in cells undergoing EndMT.
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30
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Alexanian M, Padmanabhan A, Nishino T, Travers JG, Ye L, Lee CY, Sadagopan N, Huang Y, Pelonero A, Auclair K, Zhu A, Teran BG, Flanigan W, Kim CKS, Lumbao-Conradson K, Costa M, Jain R, Charo I, Haldar SM, Pollard KS, Vagnozzi RJ, McKinsey TA, Przytycki PF, Srivastava D. Chromatin Remodeling Drives Immune-Fibroblast Crosstalk in Heart Failure Pathogenesis. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.06.522937. [PMID: 36711864 PMCID: PMC9881961 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.06.522937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Chronic inflammation and tissue fibrosis are common stress responses that worsen organ function, yet the molecular mechanisms governing their crosstalk are poorly understood. In diseased organs, stress-induced changes in gene expression fuel maladaptive cell state transitions and pathological interaction between diverse cellular compartments. Although chronic fibroblast activation worsens dysfunction of lung, liver, kidney, and heart, and exacerbates many cancers, the stress-sensing mechanisms initiating the transcriptional activation of fibroblasts are not well understood. Here, we show that conditional deletion of the transcription co-activator Brd4 in Cx3cr1-positive myeloid cells ameliorates heart failure and is associated with a dramatic reduction in fibroblast activation. Analysis of single-cell chromatin accessibility and BRD4 occupancy in vivo in Cx3cr1-positive cells identified a large enhancer proximal to Interleukin-1 beta (Il1b), and a series of CRISPR deletions revealed the precise stress-dependent regulatory element that controlled expression of Il1b in disease. Secreted IL1B functioned non-cell autonomously to activate a p65/RELA-dependent enhancer near the transcription factor MEOX1, resulting in a profibrotic response in human cardiac fibroblasts. In vivo, antibody-mediated IL1B neutralization prevented stress-induced expression of MEOX1, inhibited fibroblast activation, and improved cardiac function in heart failure. The elucidation of BRD4-dependent crosstalk between a specific immune cell subset and fibroblasts through IL1B provides new therapeutic strategies for heart disease and other disorders of chronic inflammation and maladaptive tissue remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Alexanian
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Arun Padmanabhan
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tomohiro Nishino
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joshua G. Travers
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Lin Ye
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Clara Youngna Lee
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Nandhini Sadagopan
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Yu Huang
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Angelo Pelonero
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kirsten Auclair
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ada Zhu
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Barbara Gonzalez Teran
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Will Flanigan
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Program in Bioengineering; Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Charis Kee-Seon Kim
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Koya Lumbao-Conradson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Mauro Costa
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rajan Jain
- Cardiovascular Institute, Epigenetics Institute, and Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Saptarsi M. Haldar
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco CA, USA
- Amgen Research, Cardiometabolic Disorders; South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Katherine S. Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ronald J. Vagnozzi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Timothy A. McKinsey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Pawel F. Przytycki
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University; Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deepak Srivastava
- Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Roddenberry Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, USA
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31
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Li X, Zhu H, Wen J, Huang J, Chen Y, Tian M, Ren J, Zhou L, Yang Q. Inhibition of BRD4 decreases fibrous scarring after ischemic stroke in rats by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Smad2/3. Brain Res 2022; 1797:148126. [PMID: 36244457 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Fibrous scarring may play a much more important role in preventing secondary expansion of tissue damage and hindering repair and regeneration than glial scarring after central nervous system (CNS) injury. However, relatively little is known about how fibrous scars form and how fibrous scar formation is regulated after CNS injury. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is involved in fibrosis in many tissues, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad2/3 signaling is one of the critical pathways of fibrosis. However, it is unclear whether and how BRD4 affects fibrous scar formation after ischemicbraininjury. In the present study, whether BRD4 can regulate the formation of fibrous scars after ischemic stroke via TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling was assessed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Primary meningeal fibroblasts isolated from neonatal SD rats were treated with TGF-β1, SB431542 (a TGF-β1 receptor inhibitor) and JQ1 (a small-molecule BET inhibitor that can also inhibit BRD4). BRD4 was knocked down in adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by using adenovirus before middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) injury. The proliferation and migration of meningeal fibroblasts in vitro were evaluated with the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and scratch test, respectively. Neurological function was assessed with Longa scores, modified Bederson Scores and modified neurological severity scores (mNSSs). The infarct volume was assessed with TTC staining. The protein expression of synaptophysin (SY), BRD4, Smad2/3, p-Smad2/3, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen-1 (COL1) and fibronectin (FN) in vivo and in vitro was examined with immunocytochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. KEY FINDINGS BRD4 expression was upregulated in a TGF-β1-induced meningeal fibroblast fibrosis model and was downregulated by the TGF-β1 receptor inhibitor SB431542 in vitro. JQ1, a small-molecule BET inhibitor, inhibited BRD4 and decreased TGF-β1-induced meningeal fibroblast proliferation, migration and activation. Furthermore, MCAO/R injury induced fibrosis and upregulated BRD4 expression in the cerebral infarct center. BRD4 knockdown by adenovirus inhibited fibrous scarring, promoted synaptic survival, decreased the infarct volume, and improved neurological function after MCAO/R injury. Moreover, inhibition of BRD4, either by JQ1 in vitro or adenovirus in vivo, decreased the phosphorylation of Smad2/3. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to indicate that inhibition of BRD4 delays fibrous scarring after ischemic stroke through mechanisms involving the phosphorylation of Smad2/3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Li
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huimin Zhu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Wen
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiagui Huang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yue Chen
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mingfen Tian
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiangxia Ren
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qin Yang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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32
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R H Hobby
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, RC2, Room 8014A, 12700 E. 19th Ave, Mail Stop B139, Aurora, CO 80045-0508, USA.,Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Timothy A McKinsey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, RC2, Room 8014A, 12700 E. 19th Ave, Mail Stop B139, Aurora, CO 80045-0508, USA.,Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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33
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Micheletti R, Alexanian M. Transcriptional plasticity of fibroblasts in heart disease. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:1247-1255. [PMID: 36281993 PMCID: PMC9704531 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts play an essential role in maintaining the structural framework of the heart. Upon stress, fibroblasts undergo a cell state transition to activated fibroblasts (also referred to as myofibroblasts), a highly synthetic cell type that proliferates, migrates, and secrets both extracellular matrix as well as signaling factors that can modulate cellular crosstalk [J. Clin. Invest. 132, e148554]. Activated fibroblasts are critical regulators of cardiac wound healing after injury, but their excessive and persistent activation promote tissue fibrosis, a hallmark feature of the pathological remodeling of the heart. While much of the previous work in cardiac fibroblast biology has focused on the role of canonical signaling pathways or components of the extracellular matrix, recent efforts have been focused on deciphering the gene regulatory principles governing fibroblast activation. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that trigger and sustain the fibrotic process in heart disease has the potential to accelerate the development of therapies that specifically target the cardiac activated fibroblasts, which are at the moment unavailable. This concise review focuses on the mechanisms underlying the chromatin and transcriptional regulation of cardiac fibroblast activation. We discuss recent work from our group and others in this space, highlighting the application of single-cell genomics in the characterization of fibroblast function and diversity, and provide an overview on the prospects of targeting cardiac fibroblasts in heart disease and the associated challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudi Micheletti
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department and School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Michael Alexanian
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A
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34
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Fang Q, Wang J, Wei J, Long X, Wang Y, He J, Yuan X, Du J. Transcriptomic profile analysis of the left atrium in spontaneously hypertensive rats in the early stage. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:989636. [PMID: 36324689 PMCID: PMC9620422 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.989636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Left atrial remodeling, characterized by enlargement and hypertrophy of the left atrium and increased fibrosis, was accompanied by an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation. While before morphological changes at the early stage of hypertension, how overloaded hypertension influences the transcriptomic profile of the left atrium remains unclear. Therefore, RNA-sequencing was performed to define the RNA expressing profiles of left atrium in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats as a control group. We also compared the changes in the RNA expression profiles in SHRs treated with an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) to assess the distinct effects on the left atrium. In total, 1,558 differentially expressed genes were found in the left atrium between WKY rats and SHRs. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these mRNAs could regulate upstream pathways in atrial remodeling through atrial fibrosis, inflammation, electrical remodeling, and cardiac metabolism. The regulated transcripts detected in the left atrial tissue in both the ARB-treated and ARNI-treated groups were related to metabolism. In contrast to the ARB-treated rates, the transcripts in ARNI-treated rats were mapped to the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase G signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Fang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiangjun Wei
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xianglin Long
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiacheng He
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Yuan
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianlin Du
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Jianlin Du,
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35
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Felker GM, Buttrick P, Rosenzweig A, Abel ED, Allen LA, Bristow M, Das S, DeVore AD, Drakos SG, Fang JC, Freedman JE, Hernandez AF, Li DY, McKinsey TA, Newton-Cheh C, Rogers JG, Shah RV, Shah SH, Stehlik J, Selzman CH. Heart Failure Strategically Focused Research Network: Summary of Results and Future Directions. J Am Heart Assoc 2022; 11:e025517. [PMID: 36073647 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.122.025517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Heart failure remains among the most common and morbid health conditions. The Heart Failure Strategically Focused Research Network (HF SFRN) was funded by the American Heart Association to facilitate collaborative, high-impact research in the field of heart failure across the domains of basic, clinical, and population research. The Network was also charged with developing training opportunities for young investigators. Four centers were funded in 2016: Duke University, University of Colorado, University of Utah, and Massachusetts General Hospital-University of Massachusetts. This report summarizes the aims of each center and major research accomplishments, as well as training outcomes from the HF SFRN.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Michael Felker
- Division of Cardiology Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Clinical Research Institute Durham NC
| | - Peter Buttrick
- Division of Cardiology University of Colorado School of Medicine Aurora CO
| | | | - E Dale Abel
- Department of Medicine UCLA School of Medicine Los Angeles CA
| | - Larry A Allen
- Division of Cardiology University of Colorado School of Medicine Aurora CO
| | - Michael Bristow
- Division of Cardiology University of Colorado School of Medicine Aurora CO
| | - Saumya Das
- Division of Cardiology Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA
| | - Adam D DeVore
- Division of Cardiology Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Clinical Research Institute Durham NC
| | - Stavros G Drakos
- Division of Cardiology University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT
| | - James C Fang
- Division of Cardiology University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT
| | - Jane E Freedman
- Division of Cardiology Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville TN
| | - Adrian F Hernandez
- Division of Cardiology Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Clinical Research Institute Durham NC
| | - Dean Y Li
- Merck Research Laboratories Rahway NJ
| | - Timothy A McKinsey
- Division of Cardiology University of Colorado School of Medicine Aurora CO
| | | | | | - Ravi V Shah
- Division of Cardiology Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville TN
| | - Svati H Shah
- Division of Cardiology Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Clinical Research Institute Durham NC
| | - Josef Stehlik
- Division of Cardiology University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT
| | - Craig H Selzman
- Division of Cardiology University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT
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36
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Abstract
Cardiac fibroblasts play critical roles in the maintenance of cardiac structure and the response to cardiac insult. Extracellular matrix deposition by activated resident cardiac fibroblasts, called myofibroblasts, is an essential wound healing response. However, persistent fibroblast activation contributes to pathological fibrosis and cardiac chamber stiffening, which can cause diastolic dysfunction, heart failure, and initiate lethal arrhythmias. The dynamic and phenotypically plastic nature of cardiac fibroblasts is governed in part by the transcriptional regulation of genes encoding extracellular matrix molecules. Understanding how fibroblasts integrate various biomechanical cues into a precise transcriptional response may uncover therapeutic strategies to prevent fibrosis. Here, we provide an overview of the recent literature on transcriptional control of cardiac fibroblast plasticity and fibrosis, with a focus on canonical and non-canonical TGF-β signaling, biomechanical regulation of Hippo/YAP and Rho/MRTF signaling, and metabolic and epigenetic control of fibroblast activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly N. Burgos Villar
- Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Department of Pathology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Liu
- Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Eric M. Small
- Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA,Correspondence:
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37
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Shao J, Liu J, Zuo S. Roles of Epigenetics in Cardiac Fibroblast Activation and Fibrosis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152347. [PMID: 35954191 PMCID: PMC9367448 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac fibrosis is a common pathophysiologic process associated with numerous cardiovascular diseases, resulting in cardiac dysfunction. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) play an important role in the production of the extracellular matrix and are the essential cell type in a quiescent state in a healthy heart. In response to diverse pathologic stress and environmental stress, resident CFs convert to activated fibroblasts, referred to as myofibroblasts, which produce more extracellular matrix, contributing to cardiac fibrosis. Although multiple molecular mechanisms are implicated in CFs activation and cardiac fibrosis, there is increasing evidence that epigenetic regulation plays a key role in this process. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field in biology, and provides a modulated link between pathological stimuli and gene expression profiles, ultimately leading to corresponding pathological changes. Epigenetic modifications are mainly composed of three main categories: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. This review focuses on recent advances regarding epigenetic regulation in cardiac fibrosis and highlights the effects of epigenetic modifications on CFs activation. Finally, we provide some perspectives and prospects for the study of epigenetic modifications and cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingrong Shao
- The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China;
| | - Jiao Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China;
| | - Shengkai Zuo
- The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China;
- Correspondence:
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38
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Huang C, Wang R, Lu J, He Y, Wu Y, Ma W, Xu J, Wu Z, Feng Z, Wu M. MicroRNA
‐338‐3p as a therapeutic target in cardiac fibrosis through
FGFR2
suppression. J Clin Lab Anal 2022; 36:e24584. [PMID: 35792028 PMCID: PMC9396162 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of cardiac fibrosis involves the activation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and their differentiation into myofibroblasts, which leads to the disruption of the extracellular matrix network. In the past few years, microRNAs (miRNA) have been described as potential targets for treating cardiac diseases. Although miR‐338‐3p has been shown to participate in the development of carcinoma, whether it affects cardiac fibrosis is unclear. Methods We examined the expression profiles of microRNAs in left ventricular samples of heart failure mice established by thoracic aortic constriction (TAC). Real‐time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was used to detect the expression of miR‐338‐3p. CCK‐8 assay/Transwell migration assay was used to measure the proliferation rate/migration of CFs. Luciferase reporter gene assay was used to test the binding between miR‐338‐3p and FGFR2. Results This study demonstrated that miR‐338‐3p was significantly decreased in thoracic aortic constriction mice. Cardiac miR‐338‐3p amounts were also reduced in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Interestingly, miR‐338‐3p overexpression inhibited α‐SMA, COL1A1, and COL3A1 expression, as well as cell proliferation and migration in CFs. Bioinformatics analysis and dual‐luciferase reporter assays revealed FGFR2 was targeted by miR‐338‐3p, whose antifibrotic effect could be alleviated by overexpression of FGFR2. Moreover, in DCM cases, serum miR‐338‐3p levels were markedly elevated in individuals with worse outcomes. Conclusions The present study provides evidence that miR‐338‐3p suppresses cardiac fibroblast activation, proliferation, and migration by directly targeting FGFR2 in mice. Besides, serum miR‐338‐3p might constitute a potential prognostic biomarker of dilated cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute Guangzhou China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute Guangzhou China
| | - Jianjun Lu
- Department of Medical Services The First Affiliated Hopital of Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Yongli He
- Department of Intensive Care Unit Guangdong General Hospital Zhuhai Hospital Zhuhai Golden Bay Center Hospital Zhuhai China
| | - Yueheng Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute Guangzhou China
| | - Wuxia Ma
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute Guangzhou China
| | - Jindong Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Guangzhou China
| | - Zejia Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute Guangzhou China
| | - Zhe Feng
- Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute Guangzhou China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute Guangzhou China
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39
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Shi Y, Zhang H, Huang S, Yin L, Wang F, Luo P, Huang H. Epigenetic regulation in cardiovascular disease: mechanisms and advances in clinical trials. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:200. [PMID: 35752619 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01055-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics is closely related to cardiovascular diseases. Genome-wide linkage and association analyses and candidate gene approaches illustrate the multigenic complexity of cardiovascular disease. Several epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA, which are of importance for cardiovascular disease development and regression. Targeting epigenetic key enzymes, especially the DNA methyltransferases, histone methyltransferases, histone acetylases, histone deacetylases and their regulated target genes, could represent an attractive new route for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Herein, we summarize the knowledge on epigenetic history and essential regulatory mechanisms in cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the preclinical studies and drugs that are targeted these epigenetic key enzymes for cardiovascular diseases therapy. Finally, we conclude the clinical trials that are going to target some of these processes.
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40
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Garvin AM, Hale TM. State of Change: Epigenetic and Mitochondrial Regulation of Cardiac Fibroblast Activation. Current Opinion in Physiology 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2022.100557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
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41
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Fu R, Zu SJ, Liu YJ, Li JC, Dang WZ, Liao LP, Liu LP, Chen PY, Huang HM, Wu KH, Zhou B, Pan Q, Luo C, Zhang YY, Li GM. Selective bromodomain and extra-terminal bromodomain inhibitor inactivates macrophages and hepatic stellate cells to inhibit liver inflammation and fibrosis. Bioengineered 2022; 13:10914-10930. [PMID: 35499161 PMCID: PMC9278415 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2066756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis occurs following inflammation triggered by the integrated actions of activated liver-resident macrophages (Kupffer cells) and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and the multiplicity of these mechanisms complicates drug therapy. Here, we demonstrate that the selective bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) bromodomain inhibitor compound38 can block both the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in macrophages, which decreased their secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. The inactivation of macrophages attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced injurious inflammation concurrent with a reduction in F4/80+ cells, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and neutrophil infiltration. Moreover, compound 38 inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin and transforming growth factor-beta/SMAD signaling pathways to abolish the activation of HSCs. In vivo, compound 38 significantly decreased the collagen deposition and fibrotic area of a CCl4-induced liver fibrosis model, and restored the deficiency of activated HSCs and the upregulation of liver inflammation. These results highlight the potential role of compound 38 in treating liver fibrosis considering its simultaneous inhibitory effects on liver inflammation and related fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Fu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, Yangpu District, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Jia Zu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huairou District, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Jun Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, Yangpu District, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Cheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Zhen Dang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Ping Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Ping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Pan-Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - He-Ming Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Kang-Hui Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, Yangpu District, China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, Yangpu District, China
- Research center, Zhoupu Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, Zhouyuan District, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huairou District, Beijing, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Zuchongzhi District, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huairou District, Beijing, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guang-Ming Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, Yangpu District, China
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Del Re DP. Hippo-Yap signaling in cardiac and fibrotic remodeling. Curr Opin Physiol 2022; 26:100492. [PMID: 36644337 PMCID: PMC9836231 DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2022.100492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac injury initiates a tissue remodeling process in which aberrant fibrosis plays a significant part, contributing to impaired contractility of the myocardium and the progression to heart failure. Fibrotic remodeling is characterized by the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of quiescent fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, and the resulting effects on the extracellular matrix and inflammatory milieu. Molecular mechanisms underlying fibroblast fate decisions and subsequent cardiac fibrosis are complex and remain incompletely understood. Emerging evidence has implicated the Hippo-Yap signaling pathway, originally discovered as a fundamental regulator of organ size, as an important mechanism that modulates fibroblast activity and adverse remodeling in the heart, while also exerting distinct cell type-specific functions that dictate opposing outcomes on heart failure. This brief review will focus on Hippo-Yap signaling in cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, and other non-myocytes, and present mechanisms by which it may influence the course of cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction.
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Hu S, Vondriska TM. How Chromatin Stiffens Fibroblasts. Current Opinion in Physiology 2022; 26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2022.100537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Provencher S, Potus F, Blais-Lecours P, Bernard S, Martineau S, Breuils-Bonnet S, Weatherald J, Sweeney M, Kulikowski E, Boucherat O, Bonnet S. BET Protein Inhibition for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Pilot Study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2022; 205:1357-1360. [PMID: 35289736 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202109-2182le] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Steeve Provencher
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, 55973, Pneumologie, Quebec, Quebec, Canada;
| | - François Potus
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Pulmonary Hypertension Research Group, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Sarah Bernard
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sandra Martineau
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Pulmonary Hypertension Research Group, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sandra Breuils-Bonnet
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Pulmonary Hypertension Research Group, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jason Weatherald
- University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, 70401, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | - Olivier Boucherat
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Pneumologie, Québec, Quebec, Canada
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Zhang S, Bai P, Lei D, Liang Y, Zhen S, Bakiasi G, Pang H, Choi SH, Wang C, Tanzi RE, Zhang C. Degradation and Inhibition of Epigenetic Regulatory Protein BRD4 Exacerbate Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Neuropathology in Cell Models. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101794. [PMID: 35248531 PMCID: PMC8958546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation plays substantial roles in human pathophysiology, which provides opportunities for intervention in human disorders through the targeting of epigenetic pathways. Recently, emerging evidence from preclinical studies suggested the potential in developing therapeutics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by targeting bromodomain containing protein 4 (BRD4), an epigenetic regulatory protein. However, further characterization of AD-related pathological events is urgently required. Here, we investigated the effects of pharmacological degradation or inhibition of BRD4 on AD cell models. Interestingly, we found that both degradation and inhibition of BRD4 by ARV-825 and JQ1, respectively, robustly increased the levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ), which has been associated with the neuropathology of AD. Subsequently, we characterized the mechanisms by which downregulation of BRD4 increases Aβ levels. We found that both degradation and inhibition of BRD4 increased the levels of BACE1, the enzyme responsible for cleavage of the amyloid-beta protein precursor (APP) to generate Aβ. Consistent with Aβ increase, we also found that downregulation of BRD4 increased AD-related phosphorylated Tau (pTau) protein in our 3D-AD human neural cell culture model. Therefore, our results suggest that downregulation of BRD4 would not be a viable strategy for AD intervention. Collectively, our study not only shows that BRD4 is a novel epigenetic component that regulates BACE1 and Aβ levels, but also provides novel and translational insights into the targeting of BRD4 for potential clinical applications.
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Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, with pathological fibrotic remodeling mediated by activated cardiac myofibroblasts representing a unifying theme across etiologies. Despite the profound contributions of myocardial fibrosis to cardiac dysfunction and heart failure, there currently exist limited clinical interventions that effectively target the cardiac fibroblast and its role in fibrotic tissue deposition. Exploration of novel strategies designed to mitigate or reverse myofibroblast activation and cardiac fibrosis will likely yield powerful therapeutic approaches for the treatment of multiple diseases of the heart, including heart failure with preserved or reduced ejection fraction, acute coronary syndrome, and cardiovascular disease linked to type 2 diabetes. In this Review, we provide an overview of classical regulators of cardiac fibrosis and highlight emerging, next-generation epigenetic regulatory targets that have the potential to revolutionize treatment of the expanding cardiovascular disease patient population.
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Zhu L, Wang W, Ren C, Wang Y, Zhang G, Liu J, Wang W. Cellular Phenotypic Transformation in Heart Failure Caused by Coronary Heart Disease and Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Delineating at Single-Cell Level. Biomedicines 2022; 10:402. [PMID: 35203611 PMCID: PMC8962334 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is known as the final manifestation of cardiovascular diseases. Although cellular heterogeneity of the heart is well understood, the phenotypic transformation of cardiac cells in progress of HF remains obscure. This study aimed to analyze phenotypic transformation of cardiac cells in HF through human single-cell RNA transcriptome profile. Here, phenotypic transformation of cardiomyocytes (CMs), endothelial cells (ECs), and fibroblasts was identified by data analysis and animal experiments. Abnormal myosin subunits including the decrease in Myosin Heavy Chain 6, Myosin Light Chain 7 and the increase in Myosin Heavy Chain 7 were found in CMs. Two disease phenotypes of ECs named inflammatory ECs and muscularized ECs were identified. In addition, myofibroblast was increased in HF and highly associated with abnormal extracellular matrix. Our study proposed an integrated map of phenotypic transformation of cardiac cells and highlighted the intercellular communication in HF. This detailed definition of cellular transformation will facilitate cell-based mapping of novel interventional targets for the treatment of HF.
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Cai T, Yao W, Qiu L, Zhu AR, Shi Z, Du Y. PLEK2 promotes the proliferation and migration of non-small cell lung cancer cells in a BRD4-dependent manner. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:3693-3704. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07209-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Tang Y, Huo X, Liu J, Tang Y, Zhang M, Xie W, Zheng Z, He J, Lian J, Yu H. MicroRNA-325-3p Targets Human Epididymis Protein 4 to Relieve Right Ventricular Fibrosis in Rats with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Cardiovasc Ther 2022; 2022:1-15. [PMID: 35136419 PMCID: PMC8800631 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4382999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) usually causes right ventricular dysfunction, which is closely related to cardiac fibrosis. But cardiac fibrosis mechanism remains unclear. Our purpose was to explore microRNA-325-3p (miR-325-3p)/human epididymis protein 4's (HE4) role in the occurrence and development of right ventricular fibrosis in PAH. Methods The right ventricular fibrosis model of rats with PAH was constructed, and miR-325-3p was overexpressed to explore miR-325-3p's effect on myocardial fibrosis in rats with PAH. Pearson correlation coefficient examined the correlation between HE4 and miR-325-3p. We separated and identified the primary rat myocardial fibroblasts from the heart tissue. Then, the Ang II-treated myocardial fibroblast fibrosis model was constructed. miR-325-3p mimics and si-HE4 and oe-HE4 cell lines were constructed to investigate miR-325-3p and HE4 effects on myocardial cell fibrosis. Then, we added PI3K inhibitor LY294002 to study the effects of HE4 in cell fibrosis by the PI3K/AKT pathway. Starbase was used to predict miR-325-3p and HE4 binding sites. Dual-luciferase reporter assay verified whether miR-325-3p and HE4 were targeted. Results Overexpression of miR-325-3p alleviated myocardial fibrosis in rats with PAH. Pearson correlation coefficient showed that HE4 was negatively correlated with miR-325-3p expression. Starbase predicted that miR-325-3p had binding sites with HE4. Dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-325-3p targeted HE4. Overexpression of miR-325-3p downregulated HE4 and inhibited myocardial fibroblast fibrosis. HE4 knockdown inhibited myocardial fibroblast fibrosis. HE4 promoted myocardial fibroblast fibrosis and activated the PI3K/AKT pathway. In addition, HE4 affected myocardial fibroblast fibrosis through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusions miR-325-3p could target HE4 to relieve right ventricular fibrosis in rats with PAH. This study could provide new targets and strategies for right ventricular fibrosis in PAH.
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He ZX, An Q, Wei B, Zhou WJ, Wei BF, Gong YP, Zhang X, Gao G, Dong GJ, Huo JL, Zhang XH, Yang FF, Liu HM, Ma LY, Zhao W. Discovery of Potent and Selective 2-(Benzylthio)pyrimidine-based DCN1-UBC12 Inhibitors for Anticardiac Fibrotic Effects. J Med Chem 2022; 65:163-190. [PMID: 34939411 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
DCN1, a co-E3 ligase, interacts with UBC12 and activates cullin-RING ligases (CRLs) by catalyzing cullin neddylation. Although DCN1 has been recognized as an important therapeutic target for human diseases, its role in the cardiovascular area remains unknown. Here, we first found that DCN1 was upregulated in isolated cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) treated by angiotensin (Ang) II and in mouse hearts after pressure overload. Then, structure-based optimizations for DCN1-UBC12 inhibitors were performed based on our previous work, yielding compound DN-2. DN-2 specifically targeted DCN1 at molecular and cellular levels as shown by molecular modeling studies, HTRF, cellular thermal shift and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Importantly, DN-2 effectively reversed Ang II-induced cardiac fibroblast activation, which was associated with the inhibition of cullin 3 neddylation. Our findings indicate a potentially unrecognized role of DCN1 inhibition for anticardiac fibrotic effects. DN-2 may be used as a lead compound for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang-Xu He
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Qi An
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Bo Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Juan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Bing-Fei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Yun-Peng Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Ge Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Guan-Jun Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Ling Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Xin-Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Fei-Fei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
| | - Li-Ying Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
- China Meheco Topfond Pharmaceutical Co., Zhumadian 463000, China
| | - Wen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment; Key Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Education of China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P. R. China
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