Project description:Vascular calcification is the ectopic deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite minerals in arterial wall. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms regulating vascular calcification remain incompletely understood. In this study, we applied RNA sequencing to explore the mechanism of vascular calcificaiton in both medial and atherosclerotic vascular calcification models.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that impact protein expression, regulating a variety of physiological processes. To date, a few miRNAs have been implicated in the process of vascular calcification; however, our understanding of the miRNAs involved and their regulatory mechanisms remains incomplete.The analysis showed differences of microRNAs in the aortas after CKD induced vascular calcification.
Project description:SGLT-2 inhibitors, such as empagliflozin, have been shown to reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events and delay the progression of atherosclerosis. However, its role in atherosclerotic calcification remains unclear. In this research, ApoE-/- mice were fed with western diet and empagliflozin was added to the drinking water for 24 weeks. Empagliflozin treatment significantly alleviated arterial calcification assessed by alizarin red and von kossa staining in aortic roots and reduced the lipid levels, while had little effect on body weight and blood glucose levels in ApoE-/- mice. In vitro studies, empagliflozin significantly inhibits calcification of primary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and aortic rings induced by osteogenic media (OM) or inorganic phosphorus (Pi). RNA sequencing of VSMCs cultured in OM with or without empagliflozin showed that empagliflozin negatively regulated the osteogenic differentiation of VSMCs. And further studies confirmed that empagliflozin significantly inhibited osteogenic differentiation of VSMCs via qRT-PCR. Our study demonstrates that empagliflozin alleviates atherosclerotic calcification by inhibiting osteogenic differentiation of VSMCs, which addressed a critical need for the discovery of a drug-based therapeutic approach in the treatment of atherosclerotic calcification.
Project description:We report the single cell transcriptome of CD4+ T cells from atherosclerotic aortas from ApoE-deficient mice that have been fed a western diet (WD) with aggravated atherosclerosis or with a standard chow diet (CD) with moderate atherosclerosis. We show that aortic T cells have a unique transcriptome with a mixed phenotype overlapping with T-regulatory and pathogenic T-helper type -1 and -17 cells.
Project description:We have applied 10X single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technique to examine the cell type specific transcriptomes of heterogeneous cell populations in atherosclerotic aortas isolated from Oasl1+/+Apoe-/- and Oasl1-/-Apoe-/- mice.
Project description:Hyperglycemia accelerates calcification of atherosclerotic plaques in diabetic patients, and the prolonged accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) induced by hyperglycemia may be closely related to the pathogenesis of aortic calcification. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. In the current study, we investigated the role of vascular smooth muscle cell nuclear factor 90/110 (NF90/110) in mediating AGEs accumulation and accelerating diabetic atherosclerotic calcification. Using vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), human samples, and mouse models, we found that hyperglycemia-mediated AGEs markedly increased VSMC NF90/110 activation both in human and mouse atherosclerotic calcified tissues with diabetes. Silencing of NF90/110 in vitro and genetic deletion of VSMC NF90/110 in mice decreased obviously AGEs-induced arteriosclerotic calcification. Mechanistically, AGEs increased the activity of NF90, which then enhanced ubiquitination and degradation of AGE receptor 1 (AGER1) by stabilizing the mRNA of E3 ubiquitin ligase, F-box, and WD repeat domain 7 (FBXW7), thus causing the accumulation of more AGEs. Furthermore, AGEs accumulation accelerated diabetic atherosclerotic calcification by inducing VSMC phenotypic changes to osteoblast-like cells, apoptosis, and matrix vesicle release. Collectively, our study demonstrated the effects of VSMC NF90 in mediating the metabolic imbalance of AGEs to accelerate diabetic arteriosclerotic calcification. These novel findings elucidate a pivotal mechanism underlying AGE-induced diabetic atherosclerotic calcification and provide a framework for potential interventions against diabetic vascular complications.
Project description:The aim of this study was to analyze the transcriptome of diverse Nrf2-deficient macrophage subpopulations from murine atherosclerotic aortas. Mice with transcriptionally inactive Nrf2 in Cdh5-expressing cells (Nrf2Cdh5tKO) were used in the experiments. These mice lack transcriptional Nrf2 activity in endothelial cells, but also in a proportion of leukocytes. We confirmed that the bone marrow-derived and tissue-resident macrophages isolated from Nrf2Cdh5tKO mice exhibit a significant decline in Nrf2 activity. Atherosclerosis was induced in Nrf2Cdh5tKO and appropriate control mice via adeno-associated viral vector (AAV)-mediated overexpression of murine proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (Pcsk9) in the liver and high-fat diet feeding. After 21 weeks, live aortic cells were sorted on FACS and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed. Our findings indicate that Nrf2 deficiency in aortic macrophages leads to subtype-specific transcriptomic changes associated with inflammation, iron homeostasis, cell injury or death pathways. This may help understanding the role of aging-associated decline of Nrf2 activity and the function of specific macrophage subtypes in atherosclerotic lesion development.