Project description:The aim of this study was to assess the relative gene expression in human AAA and AOD. Genome-wide expression analysis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and aortic occlusive disease (AOD) specimens obtained from 20 patients with small AAA (mean maximum aortic diameter=54.3±2.3 mm), 29 patients with large AAA (mean maximum aortic diameter=68.4±14.3 mm), and 9 AOD patients (mean maximum aortic diameter=19.6±2.6 mm). Relative aortic gene expression was compared with that of 10 control aortic specimen of organ donors.
Project description:An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a pathological dilatation of the aortic wall and it is a life-threatening disease due to the risk of rupture. Currently, surgical intervention remains the only definitive treatment recommended for large or rapidly expanding aneurysms. No pharmacological therapy is currently available to prevent AAA progression, as no drug has been proven effective. Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in general. However, many studies over the last decade show that type 2 diabetes patients have a lower incidence of AAA and a slower aneurysm growth rate, which has been correlated with metformin use. We performed a proteomics analysis on resected aortic tissue from controls, non-diabetic (ND) and diabetic (D) AAA patients.
Project description:Analysis of differential gene expression for rutured vs stable abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and for intermediate size (≤55mm) vs large (>70mm) AAA.
Project description:Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common degenerative cardiovascular disease without clear understanding of its pathobiology. To detect AAA associated variants that may affect gene regulation, we generated H3K27ac HiChIP data for aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMC) and aortic endothelia cells (HAEC), the two cell types most relevant to the AAA disease. We further implemented cell type-specific REs defined from HiChIP experiments, and observed the consistency between the chromatin accessibility of REs and the expression levels of their target genes. Moreover, the cell type-specific REs contributed to detect the AAA most relevant cell type, AoSMC, and locate the important AAA-related TFs, ERG and KLF family.
Project description:There is no effective pharmacotherapy to prevent the growth and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), a leading cause of death. We developed a novel preclinical model showing that the interaction of bona fide risk factors (i.e., cigarette smoke (CS) and hypercholesterolemia) induced AAA formation, rupture, and death. Elastin fragmentation resulted from CS-induced exacerbation of the atherosclerotic process, significant given atherosclerosis is a disease of the inner intimal layer of the artery, with the media remaining largely intact. Importantly, arterial injury was driven by CSF-1-dependent macrophages (Mφ) accumulating within developing atherosclerotic plaques that exhibited tissue degrading proteolytic activity in vivo. Single-cell RNA sequencing further demonstrated conservation of Mφ responses in atherosclerotic plaque from murine and human AAA. Our findings advance understanding of the pathological sequelae of atherosclerosis, establishing plaque Mφ as important mediators of tissue damage and a potential target for prevention of AAA growth and rupture.
Project description:Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a permanent segmental dilatation of the abdominal aorta, contributing to a high mortality once rupture. We performed RNA-sequencing analysis of abdominal aorta tissues from 14 participants, including seven patients with AAA and seven control individuals.
Project description:Abstract: The pathogenesis of AAA involves vascular inflammation and oxidative stress. Astragali Radix contains cycloastragenol (CAG) known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. We hypothesized that CAG supplement impairs AAA progression. AAA was induced in male rats by intraluminal elastase infusion in the infrarenal aorta and treated daily with CAG (125 mg/kg/day). Aortic expansion was followed weekly by ultrasound, with euthanization at day 28. Changes in AAA wall composition were analyzed at mRNA levels, histology, zymography and explorative proteomic analyses. At day 28, mean AAA diameter was 37% lower in CAG group (p<0.0001). In aneurysm cross sections, elastin content was insignificantly higher in CAG group (10.5% ± 5.9% vs 19.9% ± 16.8%, p=0.20) with more preserved elastin lamellae structures (p=0.0003) and with no microcalcifications. Aneurysmal matrix metalloprotease-2 activity was reduced by CAG treatment (p=0.022), and mRNA levels of inflammatory- and antioxidative markers showed no difference between groups. Explorative proteomic analysis showed no difference in protein levels when adjustment for multiple testing. Amongst unadjusted affected proteins were fibulin-5 (p=0.02), aquaporin-1 (p=0.02) and prostacyclin synthase (p=0.006). CAG impairs experimental AAA progression by reduction of elastin degradation through decreased MMP-2 activity, thus CAG could be considered tested in AAA patients.
Project description:There is no effective pharmacotherapy to prevent the growth and rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), a leading cause of death. We developed a novel preclinical model showing that the interaction of bona fide risk factors (i.e., cigarette smoke (CS) and hypercholesterolemia) induced AAA formation, rupture, and death. Elastin fragmentation resulted from CS-induced exacerbation of the atherosclerotic process, significant given atherosclerosis is a disease of the inner intimal layer of the artery, with the media remaining largely intact. Importantly, arterial injury was driven by CSF-1-dependent macrophages (Mφ) accumulating within developing atherosclerotic plaques that exhibited tissue degrading proteolytic activity in vivo. Single-cell RNA sequencing further demonstrated conservation of Mφ responses in atherosclerotic plaque from murine and human AAA. Our findings advance understanding of the pathological sequelae of atherosclerosis, establishing plaque Mφ as important mediators of tissue damage and a potential target for prevention of AAA growth and rupture.
Project description:The aim of this study was to assess the gene expression profile of biopsies obtained from the neck of human AAAs. Genome-wide expression analysis of AAA neck specimen obtained from 14 patients with AAA (mean maximum aortic diameter=62.6±18.0 mm). Relative aortic gene expression was compared with that of 8 control aortic specimen of organ donors.