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Upregulation of Robo4 expression by SMAD signaling suppresses vascular permeability and mortality in endotoxemia and COVID-19 models.

ABSTRACT: There is an urgent need to develop novel drugs to reduce the mortality from severe infectious diseases with the emergence of new pathogens, including Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although current drugs effectively suppress the proliferation of pathogens, immune cell activation, and inflammatory cytokine functions, they cannot completely reduce mortality from severe infections and sepsis. In this study, we focused on the endothelial cell-specific protein, Roundabout 4 (Robo4), which suppresses vascular permeability by stabilizing endothelial cells, and investigated whether enhanced Robo4 expression could be a novel therapeutic strategy against severe infectious diseases. Endothelial-specific overexpression of Robo4 suppresses vascular permeability and reduces mortality in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice. Screening of small molecules that regulate Robo4 expression and subsequent analysis revealed that two competitive small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) signaling pathways, activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK5)-SMAD2/3 and ALK1-SMAD1/5, positively and negatively regulate Robo4 expression, respectively. An ALK1 inhibitor was found to increase Robo4 expression in mouse lungs, suppress vascular permeability, prevent extravasation of melanoma cells, and decrease mortality in LPS-treated mice. The inhibitor suppressed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced endothelial barrier disruption and decreased mortality in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. These results indicate that enhancing Robo4 expression is an efficient strategy to suppress vascular permeability and mortality in severe infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and that small molecules that upregulate Robo4 can be potential therapeutic agents against these diseases.

SUBMITTER: Morita M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9934020 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Upregulation of Robo4 expression by SMAD signaling suppresses vascular permeability and mortality in endotoxemia and COVID-19 models.

Morita Maaya M Yoneda Aki A Tokunoh Nagisa N Masaki Tatsumi T Shirakura Keisuke K Kinoshita Mayumi M Hashimoto Rina R Shigesada Naoya N Takahashi Junya J Tachibana Masashi M Tanaka Shota S Obana Masanori M Hino Nobumasa N Ikawa Masahito M Tsujikawa Kazutake K Ono Chikako C Matsuura Yoshiharu Y Kidoya Hiroyasu H Takakura Nobuyuki N Kubota Yoshiaki Y Doi Takefumi T Takayama Kazuo K Yoshioka Yasuo Y Fujio Yasushi Y Okada Yoshiaki Y

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20230112 3

There is an urgent need to develop novel drugs to reduce the mortality from severe infectious diseases with the emergence of new pathogens, including Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although current drugs effectively suppress the proliferation of pathogens, immune cell activation, and inflammatory cytokine functions, they cannot completely reduce mortality from severe infections and sepsis. In this study, we focused on the endothelial cell-specific protein, Roundabout 4 (Robo4), which suppr ...[more]

PMID: 36634143

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Project description:Renal fibrosis denotes a common complication of diabetic nephropathy and is a predominant cause of end-stage renal disease. Despite the association between microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) and renal fibrosis, miRNAs have been reported to play a vital role in the development of chronic renal fibrosis. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible function of miR-101a in chronic renal fibrosis. Initially, microarray-based gene expression profiling of renal fibrosis was employed to screen the differentially expressed genes. An in vivo mouse model of chronic renal fibrosis induced by a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and an in vitro cell model induced by aristolochic acid (AA) were constructed. miR-101a expression was examined using a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, the interaction between miR-101a and KDM3A was identified using an online website combined with a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, gain- and loss-of-function experiments were conducted to elucidate the effect of miR-101a on the expression of Col1a1, fibronectin, ?-smooth muscle actin (?-SMA), and YAP-TGF-? (transforming growth factor ?)-Smad signaling pathway-related genes, as well as the degree of renal fibrosis. miR-101a was poorly expressed while KDM3A was robustly induced in chronic renal fibrosis tissues and cells. In addition, miR-101a could target and downregulate KDM3A expression, which led to elevated TGIF1, inhibited expression of Collagen I (Col1a1), fibronectin, ?-SMA, YAP1, and TGF-?2 along with the extent of Smad2/3 phosphorylation, as well as delayed renal fibrosis degree. Besides, overexpressed YAP/TGF-?2 or inhibited TGIF1 partially restored the inhibitory effect of miR-101a on chronic renal fibrosis. Taken together, miR-101a could potentially slow down chronic renal fibrosis by the inactivation of the YAP-TGF-?-Smad signaling pathway via KDM3A, highlighting the potential of miR-101a as a therapeutic target for chronic renal fibrosis treatment.

Dataset Information

Upregulation of Robo4 expression by SMAD signaling suppresses vascular permeability and mortality in endotoxemia and COVID-19 models.

Publications

Upregulation of Robo4 expression by SMAD signaling suppresses vascular permeability and mortality in endotoxemia and COVID-19 models.

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