Muscle Cell Proliferation Research Articles

Vitamin D and muscle health: insights from recent studies.

The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate the effects of vitamin D on muscle mass and physical/muscle function in middle-aged and older adults, based on recent human studies, including cross-sectional, observational, and intervention studies. Vitamin D, beyond its well established role in bone health, has shown potential in influencing muscle physiology, making it a nutrient of interest in the context of sarcopenia and related chronic conditions. The review states how vitamin D affects muscle function, emphasizing its role in muscle cell proliferation, differentiation, and key signaling pathways. Additionally, the review of recent human studies revealed an inconsistent relationship between vitamin D and sarcopenia and related indices, with mixed results regarding muscle mass and strength. Variability in supplementation dose, duration, and baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels may contribute to these inconsistencies. While animal studies indicate vitamin D's effectiveness in muscle growth, cross-sectional, observational, and intervention studies do not show clear benefits of maintaining efficient vitamin D levels on muscle mass or function in humans. Although vitamin D impacts muscle health, it is insufficient alone, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach to sarcopenia prevention and management.

Abstract We009: Cardiac Fibroblast Autophagy Is Required for Neonatal Heart Regeneration

Introduction: During heart regeneration, a switch between the synthesis, secretion and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential, which relies on highly coordinated biosynthetic and catabolic processes. Although many biosynthetic signaling have been identified, catabolic processes in heart regeneration is still largely unexplored. Hypothesis: Autophagy is a key catabolic process necessary for depredating unwanted cellular components, dysfunctional organelles or aggregated proteins, and providing the needed substances for newly synthesizing ECM. We assessed the hypothesis that autophagy was involved in heart regeneration through regulating ECM remodeling. Methods: Apical resection (AR) and myocardial infarction (MI) models in neonatal mice were used. Three mouse stains, GFP-LC3 tg/+ , Atg7 fl/fl and Col1a2-2A-CreER mice were induced . Transmission electron microscopy was applied to observe autophagic vesicles. Immunostaining was used to detect autophagy activation and cardiomyocyte proliferation. Cardiac fibrosis was evaluated by Masson staining. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was utilized for ECM components analysis. Results: We performed AR injury on postnatal day 1 (P1) mice, and observed an obvious increase in the number and size of autophagic vesicles in the injured heart tissue at 1 day post-resection using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Co-localization analysis of GFP-LC3 with cardiomyocyte marker α-actinin and fibroblast (FB) marker PDGFRα revealed that autophagy was predominantly activated in cardiac FBs following AR. Cardiac FB-specific Atg7 conditional knockout ( Atg7- cKO) resulted in impaired heart regeneration after AR or MI injury in neonatal mice, accompanied by reduced cardiomyocyte proliferation. Cardiac ECM (cECM) derived from Atg7 -cKO mice hindered cardiomyocyte proliferation compared to Atg7 fl/fl mice, indicating that cardiac FB autophagy regulated cardiomyocyte proliferation by modulating the ECM profile. Through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, we revealed that cardiac FB-specific Atg7 deficiency induced the downregulation of ECM components associated with regeneration, cell cycle, and muscle cell proliferation. Conclusion: In conclusion, our research highlights that cardiac FB autophagy plays a crucial role in neonatal heart regeneration by controlling the ECM remodeling. These findings suggest that targeting autophagy could be a promising therapeutic approach for individuals with ischemic heart disease.

Lipid Mapping of Lipid Signaling Mediators in Skeletal Muscle

Recent advancements in lipidomic have provided profound insight that goes beyond considering lipids as simple organic compounds that constitute the fundamental components of cell membranes. Beyond their pivotal roles in processes such as energy storage and serving as the fundamental building blocks of life, lipids have emerged as potent signaling molecules of significance. The importance of lipid signaling stems from its ability to orchestrate cellular responses to many environmental stresses, including salinity and pathogen attacks. Lipid signaling plays a significant role by allowing cells to respond to their local environment through reactions such as cell differentiation, inflammation and even immunity. In context with this knowledge, our objective is to comprehensively identify key signaling lipid mediators documented from published scientific literature, followed by a systemic visualization of the resulting data through the process of lipid mediator mapping to identify common signaling mediators pathways/networks that are essential for musculoskeletal (MSK) health and disease. These bioinformatics studies are complemented by our experimental studies in muscle cells. To this end, we are using a customized liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach to profile and quantify lipid mediators (LMs). We were able to identify and profile up to 214 LMs and to precisely quantify 60 of them from various samples including body fluid, plasma, serum, bone marrow, muscle tissue, and other cell tissues. Preliminary screening indicated that 11,12-EET, 12-HETE, and PGE2 are three LMs that regulate physiologic aspects in muscles. In addition, 11,12-EET contributes to the regulation of vasodilation, exhibits anti-inflammatory properties under some conditions and in some specific tissues, and maintains endothelial function, and vascular health. However, our data indicates that 11, 12-EET levels increase with aging, decrease with exercise, and is causal for osteopenia in a zebrafish model, supporting our hypothesis that the effects of LMs are tissue specific and related to environmental factors. PGE2, which also causes inflammation, seems to be a putative LM implicated in tissue regeneration in multiple organs. In skeletal muscles, we found that PGE2 enhances myogenic differentiation and proliferation of muscle cells up to nM concentration. PGE2 also possesses beneficial bronchoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects on the airways. In conclusion, this combination of bioinformatics and experimental studies to deepen the mapping of signaling pathways and networks of LMs is crucially needed to understand the full function of LMs in MSK health and disease. This work was directly supported by NIH-National Institutes of Aging P01AG039355 (MB) and the George W. and Hazel M. Jay and Evanston Research Endowments (MB). Authors were supported by NIH Grants: National Institutes of Aging (NINDS) 2-R01NS105621; NIA-R01AG056504, NIA-2R01AG060341, National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Kidney (NIDDK)-1R01DK119066 to MB, and National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) 2-R01NS105621 to MB. Also, NIH/NIDC 1R01DE031872-01 (VV). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Triptolide, a Cancer Cell Proliferation Inhibitor, Causes Zebrafish Muscle Defects by Regulating Notch and STAT3 Signaling Pathways.

Triptolide is a natural compound in herbal remedies with anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. We studied its effects on critical signaling processes within the cell, including Notch1 and STAT3 signaling. Our research showed that triptolide reduces cancer cell proliferation by decreasing the expression of downstream targets of these signals. The levels of each signal-related protein and mRNA were analyzed using Western blot and qPCR methods. Interestingly, inhibiting one signal with a single inhibitor alone did not significantly reduce cancer cell proliferation. Instead, MTT assays showed that the simultaneous inhibition of Notch1 and STAT3 signaling reduced cell proliferation. The effect of triptolide was similar to a combination treatment with inhibitors for both signals. When we conducted a study on the impact of triptolide on zebrafish larvae, we found that it inhibited muscle development and interfered with muscle cell proliferation, as evidenced by differences in the staining of myosin heavy chain and F-actin proteins in confocal fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, we noticed that inhibiting a single type of signaling did not lead to any significant muscle defects. This implies that triptolide obstructs multiple signals simultaneously, including Notch1 and STAT3, during muscle development. Chemotherapy is commonly used to treat cancer, but it may cause muscle loss due to drug-related adverse reactions or other complex mechanisms. Our study suggests that anticancer agents like triptolide, inhibiting essential signaling pathways including Notch1 and STAT3 signaling, may cause muscle atrophy through anti-proliferative activity.

Pirfenidone and nintedanib attenuates pulmonary artery endothelial and smooth muscle cells transformations induced by IL-11

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) associated to pulmonary hypertension (PH) portends a poor prognosis, characterized by lung parenchyma fibrosis and pulmonary artery remodeling. Serum and parenchyma levels of Interleukin 11 (IL-11) are elevated in IPF-PH patients and contributes to pulmonary artery remodeling and PH. However, the effect of current approved therapies against IPF in pulmonary artery remodeling induced by IL-11 is unknown. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of nintedanib and pirfenidone on pulmonary artery endothelial and smooth muscle cell remodeling induced by IL-11 in vitro. Our results show that nintedanib (NTD) and pirfenidone (PFD) ameliorates endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EnMT), pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell to myofibroblast-like transformation and pulmonary remodeling in precision lung cut slices. This study provided also evidence of the inhibitory effect of PFD and NTD on IL-11-induced endothelial and muscle cells proliferation and senescence. The inhibitory effect of these drugs on monocyte arrest and angiogenesis was also studied. Finally, we observed that IL-11 induced canonical signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and non-canonical mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation, but, PFD and NTD only inhibited ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Therefore, this study provided evidence of the inhibitory effect of NTD and PFD on markers of pulmonary artery remodeling induced by IL-11.

Implantable heterogeneous triboelectric nanogenerator effectively prevents denervation-induced muscle atrophy

Electrical stimulation (ES) is one of the most effective methods of preventing muscle atrophy. However, current electrotherapy equipment is relatively complex and inconvenient to carry, and the daily training time needs to be scheduled. Implantable flexible triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) can realize ES and effectively avoid the above problems. Therefore, we developed a high-performance TENG with excellent biocompatibility and implanted it subcutaneously to prevent denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) analysis found that the spacing of the heterogeneous film can change its dipole, which is one of the reasons for the voltage change of heterogeneous TENG (h-TENG). In addition, in vitro experiments demonstrate that h-TENG can effectively promote much more muscle cell proliferation. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and gene knockout methods found that h-TENG prevents muscle atrophy by upregulating the expression of the FGF6 gene.

Maternal dietary choline levels cause transcriptome shift due to genotype-by-diet interactions in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The objective of this study was to identify metabolic regulatory mechanisms affected by choline availability in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) broodstock diets associated with increased offspring growth performance. Three customized diets were formulated to have different levels of choline: (a) 0 % choline supplementation (Low Choline: 2065 ppm choline), (b) 0.6 % choline supplementation (Medium Choline: 5657 ppm choline), and (c) 1.2 % choline supplementation (High Choline: 9248 ppm choline). Six all-female rainbow trout families were fed experimental diets beginning 18 months post-hatch until spawning at 22 months post-hatch; their offspring were fed a commercial diet. Experimental broodstock diet did not affect overall choline, fatty acid, or amino acid content in the oocytes (p > 0.05), apart from tyrosine (p ≤ 0.05). Offspring body weights from the High and Low Choline diets did not differ from those in the Medium Choline diet (p > 0.05); however, family-by-diet and sire-by-diet interactions on offspring growth were detected (p ≤ 0.05). The High Choline diet did not improve growth performance in the six broodstock families at final harvest (520-days post-hatch, or dph). Numerous genes associated with muscle development and lipid metabolism were identified as affected by broodstock diet, including myosin, troponin C, and fatty acid binding proteins, which were associated with key signaling pathways of lipid metabolism, muscle cell development, muscle cell proliferation, and muscle cell differentiation. These findings indicate that supplementing broodstock diets with choline does regulate expression of genes related to growth and nutrient partitioning but does not lead to growth benefits in rainbow trout families selected for disease resistance.

Thermoresponsive Injectable Hydrogel To Mimic the Heat- and Strain-Stiffening Behavior of Biopolymers toward Muscle Cell Proliferation.

Injectable hydrogels with nonlinear mechanical attributes to emulate natural biopolymers hold paramount significance in tissue engineering, offering the potential to create scaffolds that seamlessly mimic the biomechanical intricacies of living tissues. Herein, we unveil a synthetic design strategy employing Schiff base chemistry to furnish a peptide-polymer hierarchical contractile injectable hydrogel network. This innovative design demonstrates cross-linking of supramolecular peptide nanostructures such as nanofibers, 1NF, and twisted bundles, 1TB, with a thermosensitive aldehyde-functionalized polymer, PCHO. These networks exhibit interesting nonlinear mechanical stiffening responses to temperature and external stress. Furthermore, the hydrogels transform into a gel state at physiological temperature to exhibit injectable behavior and demonstrate compression load-bearing capabilities. Finally, the hydrogel network exhibits excellent biocompatibility and cell proliferation toward fibroblast, L929, and myoblast, C2C12, to validate their use as potential extracellular matrix mimetic injectable scaffolds.

Hypoxia enhances human myoblast differentiation: involvement of HIF1α and impact of DUX4, the FSHD causal gene

BackgroundHypoxia is known to modify skeletal muscle biological functions and muscle regeneration. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of hypoxia on human myoblast differentiation remain unclear. The hypoxic response pathway is of particular interest in patients with hereditary muscular dystrophies since many present respiratory impairment and muscle regeneration defects. For example, an altered hypoxia response characterizes the muscles of patients with facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD).MethodsWe examined the impact of hypoxia on the differentiation of human immortalized myoblasts (LHCN-M2) cultured in normoxia (PO2: 21%) or hypoxia (PO2: 1%). Cells were grown in proliferation (myoblasts) or differentiation medium for 2 (myocytes) or 4 days (myotubes). We evaluated proliferation rate by EdU incorporation, used myogenin-positive nuclei as a differentiation marker for myocytes, and determined the fusion index and myosin heavy chain-positive area in myotubes. The contribution of HIF1α was studied by gain (CoCl2) and loss (siRNAs) of function experiments. We further examined hypoxia in LHCN-M2-iDUX4 myoblasts with inducible expression of DUX4, the transcription factor underlying FSHD pathology.ResultsWe found that the hypoxic response did not impact myoblast proliferation but activated precocious myogenic differentiation and that HIF1α was critical for this process. Hypoxia also enhanced the late differentiation of human myocytes, but in an HIF1α-independent manner. Interestingly, the impact of hypoxia on muscle cell proliferation was influenced by dexamethasone. In the FSHD pathological context, DUX4 suppressed HIF1α-mediated precocious muscle differentiation.ConclusionHypoxia stimulates myogenic differentiation in healthy myoblasts, with HIF1α-dependent early steps. In FSHD, DUX4-HIF1α interplay indicates a novel mechanism by which DUX4 could interfere with HIF1α function in the myogenic program and therefore with FSHD muscle performance and regeneration.

Muscle cell proliferation using water-soluble extract from nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 for sustainable cultured meat production

Muscle cell cultivation, specifically the culture of artificial meat from livestock-derived cells in serum-free media is an emerging technology and has attracted much attention. However, till now, the high cost of production and environmental load have been significant deterrents. This study aims to provide an alternate growth-promoting substance that is free from animal derivatives and lowers nitrogen pollution. We have extracted water-soluble compounds from the filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 by the ultrasonication method. The heat-inactivated and molecular weight separation experiments were conducted to identify the bioactive compound present in the extract. Finally, the compounds soluble in water (CW) containing the water-soluble pigment protein, phycocyanin as a bioactive compound, was added as a growth supplement to cultivate muscle cells such as C2C12 muscle cells and quail muscle clone 7 (QM7) cells to analyze the effectiveness of the extract. The results indicated that CW had a positive role in muscle cell proliferation. A three-dimensional (3-D) cell-dense structure was fabricated by culturing QM7 cells using the extract. Furthermore, the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial extract has vast potential for cultured meat production without animal sera in the near future.

#6062 EFFECT OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION ON ARTERIOLAR MOLECULAR PATHWAYS IN CHILDREN WITH PRECEDING PERITONEAL DIALYSIS

Abstract Background and Aims Patients on peritoneal dialysis suffer from progressive peritoneal membrane transformation and accelerated vascular disease, underlying molecular machineries have recently been described. Molecular effects of kidney transplantation (KTx) on vascular and peritoneal pathophysiology following PD are hardly understood. Method Fat surrounded omental arterioles (i.e. not directly exposed to PD fluids) from age-matched (median 6,5 years) children with chronic kidney disease (CKD5, n = 8), 5 children on PD [neutral pH, low glucose degradation product content, median PD duration 22 (5,50) months] and 6 children, who underwent successful KTx 4-5 weeks after a median 22 (12, 36) months of PD were analyzed by digital histomorphometry. Following microdissection from fat tissue, arterioles underwent transcriptome and proteome analyses, followed by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), gene ontology (GO) and protein interaction analysis (string-db.org). Key pathways were validated in independent, matched cohorts by quantitative immunohistochemistry (n = 15/group) and in vitro. Results 5000 most variable arteriolar transcripts (cut off p-value<0.05 and |r| >0.5) were grouped into 23 modules by WGCNA, of which 8 significantly differed between CKD5, PD and KTx. Seven were specifically related to KTx and one module to PD. Four out of seven KTx specific modules resulted in significant GO terms summarized as fatty acid biosynthesis, negative regulation of RNA metabolism, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. The PD specific module was associated with muscle cell proliferation, detoxification and complement activation (with thrombospondin as most interconnected gene). Multi-omics analysis of KTx vs. PD demonstrated concordant upregulation of lipid and fatty acid biosynthesis with the hub gene fatty acid synthase (FASN) and downregulation of positive cell cycle regulation. In independent, matched cohorts, arteriolar abundance of thrombospondin and terminal complement complex were higher in children on PD, arterioles from children after KTx had levels comparable to arterioles from children with CKD5. Key drivers of fibrotic process, arteriolar TGF-ß and pSMAD2/3, were also higher in PD arterioles compared to CKD5 and persistently high after KTx. Arteriolar cell cycle arrest marker p16 and apoptosis marker cleaved Casp3 were higher after KTx as compared to PD and CKD5. FASN was abundant in intima and media layers of all arterioles, and three-fold higher after KTx then in children with PD and CKD5, respectively. Neutral lipids (oil red staining) were present in all three groups, more abundant in the media than in the intima, and two-fold increased in the media of children after KTx compared to children on PD (p = 0.018) and with CKD5 (p = 0.002). In vitro, methylprednisolone and tacrolimus, but not mycophenolate mofetil increased FASN abundance and activity in human umbilical arterial endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells compared to media controls. Conclusion We for the first time comprehensively describe molecular pathways activated after KTx in children following a standard immunosuppressive regime. After KTx, arteriolar fatty acid biosynthesis, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest markers are increased as compared to arterioles from children with PD and CKD5; profibrotic pathways induced by PD are persistently activated. Arteriolar hubgene FASN is three-fold more abundant after KTx and neutral lipid deposition is increased, presumably due to the induction of FASN activity by methylprednisolone and tacrolimus.

(091) RNAseq and Pathway Analysis of Rat Penis with Cavernous Nerve Injury and Sonic Hedgehog Treatment by Peptide Amphiphile

Abstract Introduction Erectile dysfunction (ED) treatments are minimally effective in prostatectomy and diabetic patients due to injury to the cavernous nerve (CN). When the CN is injured, loss of innervation initiates penile remodeling, which includes abundant apoptosis in corpora cavernosal smooth muscle, followed by fibrosis. Decreased smooth muscle makes the erectile tissue less able to respond to normal neurotransmitter signaling, and ED results. When developing novel therapies, the goal is to prevent the apoptotic response and penile remodeling, to preserve erectile function. Our previous studies identify Sonic hedgehog (SHH) as a key mediator of penile remodeling. We examine what signaling mechanisms are altered with CN injury, and how SHH impacts changes in signaling to prevent penile remodeling and ED. Objective We performed RNA seq analysis and subsequent pathway analysis, to identify changes in gene expression and signaling pathways that are altered in response to cavernous nerve injury and with SHH treatment by peptide amphiphile (PA), in a rat prostatectomy model of ED. Methods Corpora cavernosa were obtained from Sprague Dawley rats (n=36) that underwent bilateral CN crush, CN crush plus SHH treatment of the penis by PA, or sham surgery (controls). Rats were sacrificed 1, 2 and 4 days after surgery. RNA was extracted using TRIzol, DNase treated, and purified by Qiagen mini kit. RNAseq analysis was performed, and subsequent directional pathway enrichment analysis was examined using Ingenuity software. A two-fold change with a q-value <0.05 was used as a threshold for differential expression. Z value measures were used to predict altered activity for the identified enrichments. Results mRNA representing 523 genes were significantly differentially expressed (>2 fold; Q<0.05) in CN crushed corpora cavernosal tissue relative to sham controls. Ingenuity analysis showed altered activity in canonical signaling and disease-function enrichments. These changes include increased necrosis and netrin, and decreased Integrin linked kinase, integrin, actin cytoskeleton, acute phase response signaling, cell movement, angiogenesis, and myeloid cell movement activity. With SHH PA treatment at the time of CN injury, these changes were reversed or significantly diminished. In addition, SHH PA impacted known mediators of ED by reducing apoptosis, and increasing cell survival, cell viability, muscle cell proliferation, VEGF, p38 MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways. Conclusions RNAseq and pathway analysis identified changes in gene expression and pathway signaling that is associated with CN injury in a rat prostatectomy model. Pathway analysis showed increases in processes associated with cell death and a loss of functions necessary for maintenance of corpora cavernosal architecture. Most of the CN injury associated changes were reversed or greatly diminished with SHH treatment of the penis at the time of CN injury by PA. These results support the significant potential of SHH PA to be developed as a preventative treatment for ED in prostatectomy patients. The miriad of altered signaling pathways that were identified with CN injury offer multiple, novel avenues for intervention independently and in combination with SHH PA treatment. Disclosure No

MP27-03 RNASEQ AND PATHWAY ANALYSIS OF RAT PENIS WITH CAVERNOUS NERVE INJURY AND SONIC HEDGEHOG TREATMENT BY PEPTIDE AMPHIPHILE

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP27-03 RNASEQ AND PATHWAY ANALYSIS OF RAT PENIS WITH CAVERNOUS NERVE INJURY AND SONIC HEDGEHOG TREATMENT BY PEPTIDE AMPHIPHILE Timothy Searl, Sarah Martin, Daniel Harrington, Samuel Stupp, Samuel Ohlander, Kevin Mcvary, and Carol Podlasek Timothy SearlTimothy Searl More articles by this author , Sarah MartinSarah Martin More articles by this author , Daniel HarringtonDaniel Harrington More articles by this author , Samuel StuppSamuel Stupp More articles by this author , Samuel OhlanderSamuel Ohlander More articles by this author , Kevin McvaryKevin Mcvary More articles by this author , and Carol PodlasekCarol Podlasek More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003255.03AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Erectile dysfunction (ED) treatments are minimally effective in prostatectomy and diabetic patients due to injury to the cavernous nerve (CN). CN injury causes loss of innervation, apoptosis of smooth muscle, fibrosis in the penis and ED. When developing novel therapies, the goal is to prevent the apoptotic response and penile remodeling, to preserve erectile function. Our previous studies found Sonic hedgehog (SHH) is a key mediator of penile remodeling. Our objective was to use RNA seq and pathway analysis, to identify changes in gene expression and signaling pathways that are altered in response to CN injury and the effect of SHH treatment by peptide amphiphile (PA), in a rat prostatectomy model of ED. METHODS: Corpora cavernosal (CC) tissue was obtained from Sprague Dawley rats (n=36) that underwent bilateral CN crush, CN crush plus SHH PA treatment of the penis, or sham surgery. Rats were sacrificed 1, 2 and 4 days after surgery. RNA was extracted using TRIzol, DNase treated, and purified by Qiagen mini kit. RNAseq analysis was performed, and directional pathway analysis was examined with Ingenuity. A 2-fold change with a q-value <0.05 was used as a threshold for differential expression. RESULTS: mRNA representing 523 genes had significant differential expression in CN crushed CC tissue relative to sham. Ingenuity analysis predicted increased necrosis, and decreased actin cytoskeleton, acute phase response signaling, cell movement, angiogenesis, and myeloid cell movement activity. With SHH PA treatment at the time of CN injury, these changes were reversed or significantly diminished. In addition, SHH PA impacted known mediators of ED by reducing apoptosis, and increasing cell survival, cell viability, muscle cell proliferation, VEGF, p38 MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways. CONCLUSIONS: RNAseq and pathway analysis identified changes in gene expression and pathway signaling associated with CN injury in a rat prostatectomy model. Pathway analysis predicted increases in processes associated with cell death and a loss of functions necessary for maintenance of CC architecture. Most CN injury associated changes were reversed or greatly diminished with SHH PA treatment of the penis at the time of injury. The results support the significant potential of SHH PA as a preventative treatment for ED in prostatectomy patients. Signaling pathways identified with CN injury provide many new avenues for intervention independently and in combination with SHH PA treatment. Source of Funding: DK101536 © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e362 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Timothy Searl More articles by this author Sarah Martin More articles by this author Daniel Harrington More articles by this author Samuel Stupp More articles by this author Samuel Ohlander More articles by this author Kevin Mcvary More articles by this author Carol Podlasek More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat in the palette of modern specific therapy for precapillary pulmonary hypertension: from the pathophysiological basis to the results of current research

Among the forms of precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) are pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH) with a diagnostic triad of hemodynamic parameters: mean pulmonary artery pressure &gt; 25 mm Hg (&gt; 20 mm Hg according to the new version of European guidelines 2022), pulmonary artery wedge pressure ≥ 15 mm Hg; pulmonary vascular resistance &gt; 3 Wood units (&gt; 2 Wood units in the new version of European guidelines 2022) by right heart catheterization at rest. The leading factors in the pathogenesis of PAH are an endothelial dysfunction with an imbalance between vasodilating and vasoconstrictor substances, activation of endothelial/smooth muscle cell proliferation and the blood coagulation system, which lead to remodeling of the vessels of the pulmonary circulation. In CTEPH there is a morphological substrate as a chronic obstruction of large and medium branches of pulmonary arteries, as well as secondary changes in the microcirculatory bed of the lungs, and chronic/organized thrombi/emboli in the elastic type of pulmonary arteries are detected after three months of effective anticoagulant therapy.As a result of a significant progress in the study of the pathophysiological aspects of PAH in recent years, specific therapy has been introduced into clinical practice with an impact on key targets of the pathogenesis of the disease. In CTEPH pulmonary endarterectomy remains the treatment of choice for all operable patients. In case of inoperable and residual forms of CTEPH, if technically feasible, pulmonary artery balloon angioplasty is performed while taking PAH-specific drugs, in particular, the only officially approved stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) riociguat.The most important aspects of PAH-specific therapy of patients with PAH, inoperable and residual forms of CTEPH; the targets of therapy are indicated, promising approaches to therapy with a focus on the sGC stimulator riociguat, the possibilities of combination therapy and switching strategies are discussed in the article. The optimal safety and efficacy profile of riociguat, demonstrated in large international studies and routine clinical practice, allows the drug to be widely used in the treatment of patients with PAH and CTEPH. Switching from phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors to riociguat is safe and appropriate, which is emphasized in the Eurasian and Russian clinical guidelines, in 2022. the strategy of switching to riociguat is approved in case of failure of PDE5 inhibitors as part of combination therapy with endothelin receptor antagonists in the new version of the European document.The originality of riociguat due to the presence of a dual mechanism of action by direct stimulation of sGC and sensitization of the enzyme to endogenous NO, allows its use not only as a long-term monotherapy, but also as part of a combination therapy, with the implementation of a switching strategy in case of clinical failure of PDE5 inhibitors.

Expression patterns of platinum resistance-related genes in lung adenocarcinoma and related clinical value models.

The purpose of this study was to explore platinum resistance-related biomarkers and mechanisms in lung adenocarcinoma. Through the analysis of gene expression data of lung adenocarcinoma patients and normal patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus database, and A database of genes related to platinum resistance, platinum resistance genes in lung adenocarcinoma and platinum resistance-related differentially expressed genes were obtained. After screening by a statistical significance threshold, a total of 252 genes were defined as platinum resistance genes with significant differential expression, of which 161 were up-regulated and 91 were down-regulated. The enrichment results of up-regulated gene Gene Ontology (GO) showed that TOP3 entries related to biological processes (BP) were double-strand break repair, DNA recombination, DNA replication, the down-regulated gene GO enriches the TOP3 items about biological processes (BP) as a response to lipopolysaccharide, muscle cell proliferation, response to molecule of bacterial origin. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed that the top three were e2f targets, g2m checkpoint, and rgf beta signaling. A prognostic model based on non-negative matrix factorization classification showed the characteristics of high- and low-risk groups. The prognostic model established by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and risk factor analysis showed that genes such as HOXB7, NT5E, and KRT18 were positively correlated with risk score. By analyzing the differences in m6A regulatory factors between high- and low-risk groups, it was found that FTO, GPM6A, METTL3, and YTHDC2 were higher in the low-risk group, while HNRNPA2B1, HNRNPC, TGF2BP1, IGF2BP2, IGF2BP3, and RBM15B were higher in the high-risk group. Immune infiltration and drug sensitivity analysis also showed the gene characteristics of the platinum-resistant population in lung adenocarcinoma. ceRNA analysis showed that has-miR-374a-5p and RP6-24A23.7 were lower in the tumor expression group, and that the survival of the low expression group was worse than that of the high expression group. In conclusion, the results of this study show that platinum resistance-related differentially expressed genes in lung adenocarcinoma are mainly concentrated in biological processes such as DNA recombination and response to lipopolysaccharide. The validation set proved that the high-risk group of our prognostic model had poor survival. M6A regulatory factor analysis, immune infiltration, and drug sensitivity analysis all showed differences between high and low-risk groups. ceRNA analysis showed that has-miR-374a-5p and RP6-24A23.7 could be protective factors. Further exploration of the potential impact of these genes on the risk and prognosis of drug-resistant patients with lung adenocarcinoma would provide theoretical support for future research.

Remodelling landscape of tissue-engineered bladder with porcine small intestine submucosa using single-cell RNA sequencing.

Bioscaffolds are widely used for tissue engineering, but failed and inconsistent preclinical results have hampered the clinical use of bioscaffolds for tissue engineering. We aimed to construct a cellular remodelling landscape and to identify the key cell subpopulations and important genes driving bladder remodelling. Twenty-four reconstructed mouse bladders using porcine small intestinal submucosa (PSIS) were harvested at 1, 3, and 6 weeks to perform single-cell RNA sequencing. Cell types were identified and their differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at each stage were used for functional analysis. Immunofluorescence was used to validate the specific cell type. The remodelling landscape included 13 cell types. Among them, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells (SMCs), endothelial cells, and macrophages had the most communications with other cells. In the process of regeneration, DEGs of fibroblasts at 1, 3, and 6 weeks were mainly involved in wound healing, extracellular matrix organization, and regulation of development growth, respectively. Among these cells, Saa3+ fibroblasts might mediate tissue remodelling. The DEGs of SMCs at 1, 3, and 6 weeks were mainly involved in the inflammatory response, muscle cell proliferation, and mesenchyme development, respectively. Moreover, we found that Notch3+ SMCs potentially modulated contractility. From 1 to 6 weeks, synchronous development of endothelial cells was observed by trajectory analysis. A remoulding landscape was successfully constructed and findings might help surficial modifications of PSIS and find a better alternative. However, more in vivo and in vitro studies are needed to further validate these results.

Inhibition of TNF-α Restores Muscle Force, Inhibits Inflammation, and Reduces Apoptosis of Traumatized Skeletal Muscles.

Background: Muscle injuries are common in humans and are often associated with irrecoverable damage and disability. Upon muscle injury, TNF-α signaling pathways modulate the healing process and are predominantly associated with tissue degradation. In this study we assumed that TNF-α inhibition could reduce the TNF-α-associated tissue degradation after muscle injury. Materials and methods: Therefore, the left soleus muscle of 42 male Wistar rats was injured using a standardized open muscle injury model. All rats were treated immediately after injury either with infliximab (single i.p. injection; 10 mg/kg b.w.) or saline solution i.p. Final measurements were conducted at day one, four, and 14 post injury. The muscle force, the muscle cell proliferation, the muscle cell coverage as well as the myofiber diameter served as read out parameters of our experiment. Results: Systemic application of infliximab could significantly reduce the TNF-α levels in the injured muscle at day four upon trauma compared to saline treated animals. The ratio of muscle weight to body weight was increased and the twitch muscle force showed a significant rise 14 days after trauma and TNF-α inhibition. Quantification of myofiber diameter in the penumbra zone showed a significant difference between both groups at day one and four after injury, indicated by muscle hypertrophy in the infliximab group. Planimetric analysis of the injured muscle at day 14 revealed increased muscle tissue fraction in the infliximab group compared to the control animals. Muscle cell proliferation did not differ between both groups. Conclusions: These data provide evidence that the TNF-α blockade positively regulates the restauration of skeletal muscles upon injury.

The Effect of Laminaria japonica on Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Its Efficacy and Mechanism of Action.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a medical condition characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. An increase in the incidence of MetS provokes an escalation in health care costs and a downturn in quality of life. However, there is currently no cure for MetS, and the absence of immediate treatment for MetS has prompted the development of novel therapies. In accordance with recent studies, the brown seaweed Laminaria japonica (LJP) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and so forth. LJP contains bioactive compounds used as food globally, and it has been used as a medicine in East Asian countries. We conducted a systematic review to examine whether LJP could potentially be a useful therapeutic drug for MetS. The following databases were searched from initiation to September 2021: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Library. Clinical trials and in vivo studies evaluating the effects of LJP on MetS were included. LJP reduces the oxidative stress-related lipid mechanisms, inflammatory cytokines and macrophage-related chemokines, muscle cell proliferation, and migration. Bioactive-glucosidase inhibitors reduce diabetic complications, a therapeutic target in obesity and type 2 diabetes. In obesity, LJP increases AMP-activated protein kinase and decreases acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Based on our findings, we suggest that LJP could treat MetS, as it has pharmacological effects on MetS.

Photobiomodulation Using Different Infrared Light Sources Promotes Muscle Precursor Cells Migration and Proliferation

Photobiomodulation (PBM) has demonstrated positive effects on the muscle repair process. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of infrared PBM using different light sources—low-level laser (LLL) at 780 nm (40 or 70 mW, 10 J/cm2, 0.4 J) or LED at 850 nm (40 or 70 mW, 0.13 J/cm2, 0.4 J)—and dosimetric parameters on the proliferation and migration of muscle cells. The results showed that LLL 40 mW and 70 mW, with the same radiation exposure, led to an increase in proliferation after 24 h, but no differences at 48 and 72 h. Cells irradiated with LED 70 mW exhibited an increase in proliferation in comparison to the control group and 40mW after 24 and 48 h, but not at 72 h. Moreover, cell migration was greater in comparison to the control after 6 and 24 h, and no differences were found at 12 h when LLL was used with an output power of 70 mW. Furthermore, no differences were found at 6 and 12 h with the 70 mW output power-LED, but an increase was observed in the cell migration after 24 h. In conclusion, PBM using different light sources and dosimetric parameters was able to modulate the proliferation of C2C12 myoblasts, but only PBM at 70 mW was able to modulate the migration of these cells.

Anti-colon Cancer Effects of Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo Revealed by Network Pharmacology Integrated With Molecular Docking and Metabolomics Studies.

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate the potential mechanism of Dendrobium officinale (D. officinale) on colorectal cancer and the relevant targets in the pathway using a network pharmacological approach.Methods(1) We identified the major bioactive components of D. officinale by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and established the in-house library by using the literature mining method. (2) Target prediction was performed by SwissADME and SwissTargetPrediction. (3) A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and component–target–pathway network (C-T-P network) were constructed. (4) The GO pathways and the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were carried out by the Metascape database. (5) Molecular docking was performed by AutoDock software. (6) A series of experimental assays including cell proliferation, cell invasion and migration, and TUNEL staining in CRC were performed in CRC cell lines (HT-29, Lovo, SW-620, and HCT-116) to confirm the inhibitory effects of D. officinale.Results(1) In total, 396 candidate active components of D. officinale were identified by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and selected from the database. (2) From OMIM, GeneCards, DrugBank, and TTD databases, 1,666 gene symbols related to CRC were gathered, and (3) 34 overlapping gene symbols related to CRC and drugs were obtained. (4) These results suggested that the anti-CRC components of D. officinale were mainly apigenin, naringenin, caffeic acid, γ-linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid, cis-10-heptadecenoic acid, etc., and the core targets of action were mainly ESR1, EGFR, PTGS2, MMP9, MMP2, PPARG, etc. (5) The proliferation of muscle cells, the regulation of inflammatory response, the response of cells to organic cyclic compounds, and the apoptotic signaling pathway might serve as principal pathways for CRC treatment. (6) The reliability of some important active components and targets was further validated by molecular docking. The molecular docking analysis suggested an important role of apigenin, naringenin, PTGS2, and MMP9 in delivering the pharmacological activity of D. officinale against CRC. (7) These results of the evaluation experiment in vitro suggested that D. officinale had a strong inhibitory effect on CRC cell lines, and it exerted anti-CRC activity by activating CRC cell apoptosis and inhibiting CRC cell migration and invasion.ConclusionThis study may provide valuable insights into exploring the mechanism of action of D. officinale against CRC.