Epigenetic and Metabolic Regulation of Macrophages during Gout

Abstract

The analysis of metabolite mediators has allowed a broader understanding of disease mechanisms. Experimental evidence indicates that metabolic rewiring is a key feature of inflammatory cells to restore tissue homeostasis upon damage. Over the last two decades, next-generation sequencing techniques have offered the possibility of looking at the genome-wide effect of the exposure of inflammatory cells to external stimuli. During gout flares, monosodium urate crystals activate a distinct metabolic profile and inflammatory transcriptional program in inflammatory cells. The extracellular signals are transduced through distinct signalling pathways, which are regulated by non-coding RNA and DNA sequences, and modification of histones. During response to inflammatory stimuli, changes in the abundance of metabolic mediators can regulate the activation of histones and of chromatin remodellers. The interplay between metabolic changes by MSUc, the regulation of epigenetic changes and the activation of transcription factor networks in inflammatory cells remains unknown. A better understanding of the interplay between metabolites and how it alters inflammatory response may provide novel insights into disease mechanisms during gout. In this review, we aim to provide a deeper understanding of the current view of how metabolic deregulation could alter the epigenetic landscape of inflammatory cells during gout.