Project description:Aging is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Aging could impact the extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) miRNA profile and impair redox homeostasis, contributing to chronic age-related diseases. We aimed to investigate the microRNA profiles of circulating total EVPs from aged and young adult animals. Plasma from 3- and 21-month-old male Wistar rats was collected and circulating total EVPs were isolated. MicroRNA isolation and microarray expression analysis were performed on EVPs to determine the predicted regulation of targeted mRNAs. 31 mature miRNAs in circulating EVPs were impacted by age and predicted to target molecules in canonical pathways directly related to cardiovascular diseases and oxidative status. Our data show that circulating total EVP cargo, specifically microRNAs, are involved in redox imbalance in the aging process and can potentially drive cardiovascular aging and consequently cardiac disease.
Project description:Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading causes of death worldwide. Endothelial dysfunction is a critical initiating factor contributing to CVDs, which progression involves the gut microbiome-derived metabolite Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Here, we aim to clarify the time-dependent pathways by which TMAO mediates endothelial dysfunction.
Project description:Left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial disarray and interstitital fibrosis are the hallmarks of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Access to the myocardium for diagnostic purposes is limited. Circulating biomolecules reflecting the myocardial disease processes could improve early detection of HCM. Circulating miRNAs have been found to reflect disease processes in several cardiovascular diseases. Circulating miR-1, miR-495-3p and miR-4454 levels are elevated in plasma of HCM patients. miR-4454 is suggested as a potential biomarker for fibrosis in these patients.
Project description:Association between the microbiome, IBD and liver diseases are known, yet cause and effect remain elusive. By connecting human microphysiological systems of the gut, liver and circulating Treg/Th17 cells, we modeled progression of ulcerative colitis (UC) ex vivo. We show that microbiome-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) may either improve or worsen disease severity, depending on the activation state of CD4 T cells. Employing a multiomic approach, we found SCFA reduced innate activation of the UC gut and increased hepatic metabolism. However, during acute T cell-mediated inflammation, SCFA exacerbate CD4 T cell effector function leading to gut barrier disruption and liver damage. These paradoxical findings underscore the emerging utility of human physiomimetic technology in combination with systems immunology to study causality and temporal facets of gut-liver axis related diseases where animal models might leave ambiguity.