murine-model-thoracic-aortic-dissection-induced-oral

Murine Model of Thoracic Aortic Dissection Induced by Oral &#946;-Aminopropionitrile and Subcutaneous Angiotensin II Infusion

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is a highly fatal cardiovascular disease that lacks efficient medical treatment. Replication of animal models of TAD ...

Tianjin Medical University General Hospital

Tianjin Medical University

Natural killer (NK) cells exhibit antifibrotic properties in liver fibrosis (LF) by suppressing activated hepatic stellate cell (HSC) populations. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays a dual role in innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we found that E-prostanoid 3 receptor (EP3) was markedly downregulated in NK cells from liver fibrosis mice and patients with liver cirrhosis. NK cell-specific deletion of EP3 aggravated hepatic fibrogenesis in mouse models of LF. Loss of EP3 selectively reduced the cytotoxicity of the CD27+CD11b+ double positive (DP) NK subset against activated HSCs. Mechanistically, deletion of EP3 impaired the adhesion and cytotoxicity of DP NK cells toward HSCs through modulation of Itga4-VCAM1 binding. EP3 upregulated Itga4 expression in NK cells through promoting Spic nuclear translocation via PKC-mediated phosphorylation of Spic at T191. Activation of EP3 by sulprostone alleviated CCL4-induced liver fibrosis in mice. Thus, EP3 is required for adhesion and cytotoxicity of NK cells toward HSCs and may serve as a therapeutic target for the management of LF.

EP3 enhances adhesion and cytotoxicity of NK cells toward hepatic stellate cells in a murine liver fibrosis model.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) functions as a thermogenic organ and is negatively associated with cardiometabolic diseases. N -methyladenosine (m A) modulation regulates the fate of stem cells. Here, we show that the prostaglandin E (PGE )-E-prostanoid receptor 3 (EP3) axis was activated during mouse interscapular BAT development. Disruption of EP3 impaired the browning process during adipocyte differentiation from pre-adipocytes. Brown adipocyte-specific depletion of EP3 compromised interscapular BAT formation and aggravated high-fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in vivo. Mechanistically, activation of EP3 stabilized the Zfp410 mRNA via WTAP-mediated m A modification, while knockdown of Zfp410 abolished the EP3-induced enhancement of brown adipogenesis. EP3 prevented ubiquitin-mediated degradation of WTAP by eliminating PKA-mediated ERK1/2 inhibition during brown adipocyte differentiation. Ablation of WTAP in brown adipocytes abrogated the protective effect of EP3 overexpression in high-fat diet-fed mice. Inhibition of EP3 also retarded human embryonic stem cell differentiation into mature brown adipocytes by reducing the WTAP levels. Thus, a conserved PGE -EP3 axis promotes BAT development by stabilizing WTAP/Zfp410 signaling in a PKA/ERK1/2-dependent manner.

PGE -EP3 axis promotes brown adipose tissue formation through stabilization of WTAP RNA methyltransferase.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of central vision loss in the elderly. Oxidative stress-induced retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell apoptosis is a crucial pathogenic hallmark in AMD. Chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on T helper type 2 cells (CRTH2), a prostaglandin (PG) D2 receptor, has been implicated in various pathophysiological events, especially inflammation and stress-induced cell apoptosis. However, its specific role in AMD is not fully understood. Here we studied the effect of CRTH2 on AMD. Our results showed that when stimulated by HO, CRTH2 mRNA expression in cells tended to increase. Flow cytometry revealed that the CRTH2 inhibitor could protect the RPE from apoptosis. After NaIO injection, a larger area of retinal degeneration was observed in wild-type mice than in CRTH2 mice. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining of retinal sections showed that sodium iodate-induced loss of photoreceptor cells was reduced in CRTH2 mice after treatment; TUNEL-positive cells were mostly found in the outer nuclear layer. In the control group, NaIO stimulation increased the number of TUNEL-positive cells, whereas the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells was significantly lower in CRTH2 mice. Similarly, the CRTH2 receptor inhibitor CAY10471 similarly inhibited sodium iodate-induced retinal damage. Our results suggest that targeting CRTH2 is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of progressive retinal degeneration in AMD.

Protective effects of CRTH2 suppression in dry age-related macular degeneration.

Chemotherapeutic agents, such as doxorubicin (DOX), may cause cardiomyopathy, even life-threatening arrhythmias in cancer patients. Ferroptosis-an iron-dependent oxidative form of programmed necrosis, plays a pivotal role in DOX-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC). Prostaglandins (PGs) are bioactive signaling molecules that profoundly modulate cardiac performance in both physiologic and pathologic conditions. Here, we found that PGE production and its E-prostanoid 1 receptor (EP1) expression were upregulated in erastin (a ferroptosis inducer) or DOX-treated cardiomyocytes. EP1 inhibition markedly aggravated erastin or DOX-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis, whereas EP1 activation exerted opposite effect. Genetic depletion of EP1 in cardiomyocytes worsens DOX-induced cardiac injury in mice, which was efficiently rescued by the ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1). Mechanistically, EP1 activation protected cardiomyocytes from DOX-induced ferroptosis by promoting nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-driven anti-oxidative gene expression, such as glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11). EP1 was coupled with G to elicit intracellular Ca flux and activate the PKC/Nrf2 cascade in ferroptotic cardiomyocytes. EP1 activation also prevents DOX-induced ferroptosis in human cardiomyocytes. Thus, PGE/EP1 axis protects cardiomyocytes from DOX-induced ferroptosis by activating PKC/Nrf2 signaling and activation of EP1 may represent an attractive strategy for DIC prevention and treatment.

EP1 activation inhibits doxorubicin-cardiomyocyte ferroptosis via Nrf2.

Aerobic training (AT), an effective form of cardiac rehabilitation, has been shown to be beneficial for cardiac repair and remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). The p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) is one of the most important lysine acetyltransferases and is involved in various biological processes. However, the role of PCAF in AT and AT-mediated cardiac remodeling post-MI has not been determined. Here, we found that the PCAF protein level was significantly increased after MI, while AT blocked the increase in PCAF. AT markedly improved cardiac remodeling in mice after MI by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). In vivo, similar to AT, pharmacological inhibition of PCAF by Embelin improved cardiac recovery and attenuated ERS in MI mice. Furthermore, we observed that both IGF-1, a simulated exercise environment, and Embelin protected from HO-induced cardiomyocyte injury, while PCAF overexpression by viruses or the sirtuin inhibitor nicotinamide eliminated the protective effect of IGF-1 in H9C2 cells. Thus, our data indicate that maintaining low PCAF levels plays an essential role in AT-mediated cardiac protection, and PCAF inhibition represents a promising therapeutic target for attenuating cardiac remodeling after MI.

Article	Year
EP3 enhances adhesion and cytotoxicity of NK cells toward hepatic stellate cells in a murine liver fibrosis model. The Journal of experimental medicine\| PubMed ID: 35420633	2022
PGE -EP3 axis promotes brown adipose tissue formation through stabilization of WTAP RNA methyltransferase. The EMBO journal\| PubMed ID: 35781818	2022
Protective effects of CRTH2 suppression in dry age-related macular degeneration. Biochemical and biophysical research communications\| PubMed ID: 35932581	2022
EP1 activation inhibits doxorubicin-cardiomyocyte ferroptosis via Nrf2. Redox biology\| PubMed ID: 37531930	2023
Aerobic training attenuates cardiac remodeling in mice post-myocardial infarction by inhibiting the p300/CBP-associated factor. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology\| PubMed ID: 38948938	2024

Shengkai Zuo

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