Mechanical Gating of Tendon Fibrogenic Transcription in Systemic Sclerosis
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE319654 | GEO | 2026/02/18
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Fibrotic changes in the myocardium and cardiac arrhythmias represent fatal complications in rheumatic disease systemic sclerosis (SSc), however the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Fos-related antigen-2 (Fosl-2) has been implicated in development of organ fibrosis. Mice overexpressing Fosl-2 (Fosl-2tg) showed interstitial cardiac fibrosis, disorganized connexin43/40 in intercalated discs and deregulated expression of genes controlling conduction system. Fosl-2tg mice developed higher heart rate (HR), prolonged QT intervals, arrhythmias with prevalence of premature ventricular contractions, ventricular tachycardias, II-degree atrio-ventricular blocks and reduced HR variability. Following stimulation with isoproterenol Fosl-2tg mice showed impaired HR response. To assess the role of inflammation in cardiac fibrosis we used Rag2-/-Fosl-2tg mice lacking T/B cells. These mice showed no myocardial fibrosis and ECG abnormalities. Transcriptomics analysis of cardiac Rag-2-/-Fosl-2wt/Rag2-/-Fosl-2tg/Fosl-2tg fibroblasts revealed that systemic inflammation triggered fibrotic and arrhythmogenic alterations while Fosl-2-overexpression mediated profibrotic signature. In human cardiac fibroblasts FOSL-2-overexpression enhanced myofibroblast signature under proinflammatory or profibrotic stimuli. These results demonstrate that under immunofibrotic conditions activator protein 1 transcription factor component Fosl-2 exaggerates myocardial fibrosis, arrhythmias and aberrant response to stress.
2022-10-27 | E-MTAB-12271 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Tendons play a critical role in the transmission of forces between muscles and bones, and chronic tendon injuries and diseases are among the leading causes of musculoskeletal disability. For many types of tendinopathies, women have worse clinical outcomes than men. It is possible that sex-based differences in tendon morphology, composition and mechanical properties may explain the greater susceptibility of women to develop tendinopathies. Our objective was to evaluate the mechanical properties, biochemical composition, transcriptome, and cellular activity of plantarflexor tendons from four month old male and female C57Bl/6 mice using in vitro biomechanics, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, genome-wide expression profiling, and cell culture techniques. Differences between groups were tested using t-tests (α=0.05). While the Achilles tendons of male mice were approximately 6% larger than female mice (P<0.05), the cell density of female mice was around 19% larger than males (P<0.05). No significant differences in the length (P=0.34), peak force (P=0.86), peak stress (P=0.52) or energy loss during stretch (P=0.94) of plantaris tendons were observed. Mass spectrometry proteomics analysis revealed no significant difference between sexes in the abundance of major extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins like collagen types I (P=0.30) and III (P=0.68), but female mice had approximately two-fold elevations (P<0.05) in different minor ECM proteins such as fibronectin, periostin, and tenascin. Using microarray analysis, there was no significant differences (P>0.05) in the expression of most major and minor ECM genes, and in the expression of genes involved in tendon fibroblast specification or proliferation. Whole tendon qPCR analysis showed significant expression differences in elastin, scleraxis, and tenomodulin. Cell culture techniques to test the effects of sex-specific extracellular environment on cellular activity show significant differences in gene expression of type I and III collagen, Ki67, scleraxis, and tenomodulin. Histologic analysis demonstrated that males have larger tendon cross-sectional area and lower cell density when compared to females. However, there were no differences between the sexes in the mechanical properties of tendons or in the majority of primary structural extracellular matrix proteins, although elevations were observed in some minor ECM proteins. Microarray analysis also showed no significant sex-based differences in the expression of major genes associated with collagen composition, extracellular components and turnover, and fibroblast proliferation. Cell culture tests of non-autonomous cellular activity show no major signals for ECM synthesis nor fibroblast proliferation. Our results indicate that while male mice expectedly had larger tendons, male and female mice have very similar mechanical properties and biochemical composition, with small increases in minor ECM proteins and proteoglycans in female tendons. The role that these minor ECM proteins and proteoglycans play in tendon repair should be evaluated in future studies. No treatment administered, study done to evaluate normal expression profiles of male and female tenocytes. This analysis is based on a Mouse Gene ST 2.1 strip that was processed in the microarray facility in May 2015 using the wt-pico kit.
2016-08-11 | E-GEOD-85415 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Mechanical Gating of Tendon Fibrogenic Transcription in Systemic Sclerosis
| PRJNA1424922 | ENA
Project description:Impaired healing of adult tendons with fibrosis remains clinical challenges while neonatal tendons have full functional restoration. However, age-associated cellular and molecular changes in tendon cells and tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) remain unknown. Here, comparative single cell transcriptomics of early postnatal (2-week-old) and adult (20-week-old) mouse tendons revealed that adult tendons have reduced number of TSPCs, decreased gene expression in tendon and cartilage development, and a greater population of fibro-tenogenic cells. Notably, adult TSPCs and tenocytes exhibit increased expression of immune-response and oxidative-stress genes with higher EGFR but decreased IGF signaling. Adult tendon cells show increased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo. In contrast, antioxidant treatment of adult tendons significantly reduces intracellular ROS of TSPCs and improves tendon strength in vivo. Hence, these findings suggest that increased inflammation and ROS during tendon aging deteriorates tendon function and regeneration that can be mitigated by antioxidant treatment.
2025-03-03 | GSE290020 | GEO
Project description:Fra-2tg mice develop spontaneous lung fibrosis. We carried out this sequencing with tissue from young animals before they develop the tissue fibrosis, to explore the early gene expression changes that might contribute to the phenotype.
2019-01-01 | GSE103355 | GEO
Project description:Vascular inflammation and activation of myofibroblasts play crucial roles in the progression of fibrosis. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) has been identified as a driver of adhesion formation in various tissues, including tendons. However, the mechanisms underlying fibrotic peritendinous adhesions remain poorly understood resulting in a lack of effective therapies. To address this, we developed a novel human Tendon-on-a-Chip (hToC) model, which combines a vascular compartment, with endothelial cells and monocytes, with a tissue compartment containing fibroblasts and tissue-resident macrophages, all in serum-free conditions. Our hToC successfully replicates inflammatory and fibrotic phenotypes observed in mouse models and clinical human samples including myofibroblast differentiation and senescence, tissue contraction, excessive extracellular matrix deposition, and secretion of inflammatory cytokines. We show that fibrosis-on-a-chip is driven by the interaction between the vascular and tissue compartments, including the infiltration of monocytes. Transcriptomics validate the hToC as disease model of diseased human tendon and shows the upregulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway—a regulatory nexus of fibrosis in tendon injury. Consistent with this finding, treatment with the mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin suppresses the fibrotic phenotype. Our findings validate the hToC as a tool for investigating human fibrosis and illuminate the underappreciated vascular contribution to tendon pathophysiology.
2024-01-10 | GSE244543 | GEO
Project description:We have reported that loss of Tnmd leads to inferior early tendon repair characterized by fibrovascular scaring and therefore hypothesized that its lack will persistently cause deficient repair during later stages. Tnmd knockout (Tnmd-/-) and wild-type (WT) animals were subjected to complete Achilles tendon surgical transection followed by end-to-end suture. Lineage tracing revealed a reduction in tendon-lineage cells marked by ScleraxisGFP, but an increase in alpha smooth muscle actin myofibroblasts in Tnmd-/- tendon scars. At the proliferative stage, more pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and larger collagen II cartilaginous template were detected in this group. At the remodeling stage, histological scoring revealed lower repair quality in the injured Tnmd-/- tendons, which was coupled with higher HO quantified by micro-CT. Tendon biomechanical properties were compromised in both groups upon injury, however we identified an abnormal stiffening of non-injured Tnmd-/- tendons, which possessed higher static and dynamic E-moduli. Pathologically thicker and abnormally shaped collagen fibrils were observed by TEM in Tnmd-/- tendons and this together with augmented HO resulted in diminished running capacity of Tnmd-/- mice. These novel findings demonstrate that Tnmd plays a protecting role against trauma-induced endochondral HO and can inspire the generation of novel therapeutics to accelerate repair.
2021-11-08 | GSE179454 | GEO
Project description:Tendons play a critical role in the transmission of forces between muscles and bones, and chronic tendon injuries and diseases are among the leading causes of musculoskeletal disability. For many types of tendinopathies, women have worse clinical outcomes than men. It is possible that sex-based differences in tendon morphology, composition and mechanical properties may explain the greater susceptibility of women to develop tendinopathies. Our objective was to evaluate the mechanical properties, biochemical composition, transcriptome, and cellular activity of plantarflexor tendons from four month old male and female C57Bl/6 mice using in vitro biomechanics, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, genome-wide expression profiling, and cell culture techniques. Differences between groups were tested using t-tests (α=0.05). While the Achilles tendons of male mice were approximately 6% larger than female mice (P<0.05), the cell density of female mice was around 19% larger than males (P<0.05). No significant differences in the length (P=0.34), peak force (P=0.86), peak stress (P=0.52) or energy loss during stretch (P=0.94) of plantaris tendons were observed. Mass spectrometry proteomics analysis revealed no significant difference between sexes in the abundance of major extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins like collagen types I (P=0.30) and III (P=0.68), but female mice had approximately two-fold elevations (P<0.05) in different minor ECM proteins such as fibronectin, periostin, and tenascin. Using microarray analysis, there was no significant differences (P>0.05) in the expression of most major and minor ECM genes, and in the expression of genes involved in tendon fibroblast specification or proliferation. Whole tendon qPCR analysis showed significant expression differences in elastin, scleraxis, and tenomodulin. Cell culture techniques to test the effects of sex-specific extracellular environment on cellular activity show significant differences in gene expression of type I and III collagen, Ki67, scleraxis, and tenomodulin. Histologic analysis demonstrated that males have larger tendon cross-sectional area and lower cell density when compared to females. However, there were no differences between the sexes in the mechanical properties of tendons or in the majority of primary structural extracellular matrix proteins, although elevations were observed in some minor ECM proteins. Microarray analysis also showed no significant sex-based differences in the expression of major genes associated with collagen composition, extracellular components and turnover, and fibroblast proliferation. Cell culture tests of non-autonomous cellular activity show no major signals for ECM synthesis nor fibroblast proliferation. Our results indicate that while male mice expectedly had larger tendons, male and female mice have very similar mechanical properties and biochemical composition, with small increases in minor ECM proteins and proteoglycans in female tendons. The role that these minor ECM proteins and proteoglycans play in tendon repair should be evaluated in future studies.
2016-08-11 | GSE85415 | GEO
Project description:Purpose: The goal of this study is to compare transcriptional profiles of flexor tendon healing in wild-type (WT, C57Bl/6J) to superhealer (MRL/MpJ) miceto gain insights in the biological drivers of the tendon injury response between the C57 and MRL mice. Methods: RNA was isolated from patially lacerated or uninjured flexor tendon 7 days post-injury. Results: Transcriptional analysis of biological drivers showed positive enrichment of TGFB1 in both C57 and MRL healing tendons. only MRL tendons exhibited downstream transcriptional effects of cell cycle regulatory genes, with negative enrichment of the cell senescence-related regulators, compared to the positively-enriched inflammatory and ECM organization pathways in the C57 tendons. Conclusions: There is altered TGFB1 regulated inflammatory, fibrosis, and cell cycle pathways in flexor tendon repair.
2022-01-04 | GSE175912 | GEO
Project description:We identify a PI3K-Akt signaling pathway which is specifically upregulated in neonatal murine injured Achilles tendons. PI3K-Akt signaling inhibition in neonatal murine Achilles tendon rupture model decreases cell proliferation and cell migration to the regenerating tendons in both Scx-lineage intrinsic tenocytes and Tppp3-lineage extrinsic tendon sheath synovial cells. Moreover, PI3K-Akt signaling inhibition decreases stemness and promotes mature tenogenic differentiation in both Scx-lineage and Tppp3-lineage cells. Collectively, PI3K-Akt signaling plays an important role in physiological tendon regeneration.
2025-03-15 | GSE236106 | GEO