Project description:We examined feasibility of a unique approach towards gaining insight into heritable risk for early atherosclerosis: surveying gene expression by endothelial cells from living subjects. Subjects <50 years old (mean 37, range 22-49) without obstructive coronary artery disease underwent coronary reactivity testing that identified them as having normal (NL) or abnormal (ABNL) coronary endothelial function. Cultures of Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cells (BOEC) from 6 NLs and 13 ABNLs passed rigorous quality control and were used for microarray assessment of gene expression. Of nine genes differentially expressed at FDR<0.1%, we here focus upon ABNLs having elevated expression of HMGB1 which we unexpectedly found to be linked to low LAMC1 expression. This was corroborated by three of our past studies and confirmed bio-functionally. Compared to NL BOEC, ABNL BOEC released 13±3 fold more HMGB1 in response to LPS; and they deposited one-tenth as much LAMC1 into collagen subendothelial matrix during culture. Clinical follow-up data are provided for 4 NLs (followed 13.4±0.1 yr) and for 12 ABNLs (followed 9.1±4.5 yr). The known pathogenic effects of high-HMGB1 and low-LAMC1 predict that the combination would biologically converge upon the focal adhesion complex, to the detriment of endothelial shear responsiveness. This gene expression pattern may comprise a heritable risk state that promotes early coronary atherosclerosis. If so, the testing could be applied even in childhood, enabling early intervention. This approach offers a way to bridge the information gap between genetics and clinical phenotype.
Project description:Growing evidence correlated changes in bioactive sphingolipids, particularly sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramides, with coronary artery diseases. Furthermore, specific plasma ceramide species can predict major cardiovascular events. Dysfunction of the endothelium lining lesion-prone areas plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Yet, how sphingolipid metabolism and signaling change and contribute to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis remain poorly understood. By using a mouse model of coronary atherosclerosis, we demonstrated that hemodynamic stress induces an early metabolic rewiring of endothelial sphingolipid de novo biosynthesis favoring S1P signaling over ceramide as protective response. Furthermore, our data are paradigm shift from the current believe that ceramide accrual contributes to endothelial dysfunction. The de novo biosynthesis of sphingolipids is commenced by serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), and is downregulated by NOGO-B, an ER membrane protein. We showed that Nogo-B is upregulated by hemodynamic stress in myocardial endothelial cells (EC) of ApoE-/- mice and is expressed in the endothelium lining coronary lesions in mice and human. We demonstrated that mice lacking Nogo-B specifically in EC (Nogo-A/BECKOApoE-/-) were resistant to coronary atherosclerosis development and progression, and mortality. Fibrous cap thickness was significantly increased in Nogo-A/BECKOApoE-/- mice and correlated with reduced necrotic core and macrophage infiltration. Mechanistically, the deletion of Nogo-B in EC sustained the rewiring of sphingolipid metabolism towards S1P, imparting an atheroprotective transcriptional signature that refrain coronary atherogenesis and its progression. These findings also set forth the foundation for sphingolipid-based therapeutics to reduce the treat this condition.
Project description:Phenotypic heterogeneity among arterial ECs is particularly relevant to atherosclerosis since the disease occurs predominantly in major arteries, which vary in their atherosusceptibility. To explore EC heterogeneity, we used DNA microarrays to compare gene expression profiles of freshly harvested porcine coronary and iliac artery ECs. We demonstrate that in vivo the endothelial transcriptional profile of a coronary artery (the right coronary artery) is intrinsically different from that of a major conduit vessel (the external iliac artery), and that this difference is consistent with former vessel being more prone to atherosclerosis. Keywords: coronary atherosclerosis, endothelial heterogeneity, microarray, gene expression Endothelial cells were freshly harvest from right coronary, left and right iliac arteries from four pigs. RNA were isolated and expression profiles were obtained using olig microarrays.
Project description:Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified gene variants associated with coronary artery disease including ADAMTS7, PHACTR1, KIAA1462/JCAD (Junctional Protein Associated with Coronary Artery Disease) and many others. JCAD has been identified as a novel component of endothelial cell-cell junctions (Akashi et al., 2011, BBRC) and regulates angiogenesis (Hara et al, ATVB, 2017). In our study, we observed that JCAD is a 148-KDa protein identified by mass spectrometry, but display a band shift to around 180-200 KDa, suggesting that JCAD is subject to multiple post-translatinonal modification. We also observed that JCAD well colocalized with adheren junction VE-cadherin, tight junction ZO-1 and desmosome junction plakoglobin (also known as gamma-catenin). However, the functional role of JCAD in endothelial function and the etiology of vascular disease remains unknown. In view of the critical role of junctional proteins in regulating endothelial function including vascular permeability, angiogenesis, and monocyte adhesion, we hypothesized that JCAD may play a crucial role in regulating endothelial function. To better understand the function of JCAD in endothelial cells, we performed RNA-sequencing based transcriptomic profiling in JCAD depleted (by transfection with by JCAD siRNA) human coronary artery endothelial cells, to identify critical genes and pathways associated with JCAD. We found that multiple atherosclerosis related genes and pathways are modulated by JCAD. Further studies are needed to characterize the biological function of JCAD in the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Project description:Phenotypic heterogeneity among arterial ECs is particularly relevant to atherosclerosis since the disease occurs predominantly in major arteries, which vary in their atherosusceptibility. To explore EC heterogeneity, we used DNA microarrays to compare gene expression profiles of freshly harvested porcine coronary and iliac artery ECs. We demonstrate that in vivo the endothelial transcriptional profile of a coronary artery (the right coronary artery) is intrinsically different from that of a major conduit vessel (the external iliac artery), and that this difference is consistent with former vessel being more prone to atherosclerosis. Keywords: coronary atherosclerosis, endothelial heterogeneity, microarray, gene expression
Project description:This study aims at identifying gene expression patterns in the whole blood that could differentiate patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis from subjects without detectable coronary artery disease (CAD), and assess associations of gene expression patterns with plaque features at coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Patients undergoing CCTA for suspected CAD, with no cardiovascular history, were enrolled. Coronary stenosis was quantified and CCTA plaque features were assessed. The whole-blood transcriptome was analyzed by RNA-Sequencing. We detected highly significant differences in the circulating transcriptome between patients with high-degree coronary stenosis (> 70%) at CCTA and subjects with the absence of coronary plaques. Noteworthy, regression analysis revealed expression signatures associated with Leaman score, segment involved score, segment-stenosis score, and plaque volume with density <150 HU at CCTA. This pilot study shows that patients with significant coronary stenosis are characterized by whole blood transcriptome profiles that may discriminate them from patients without CAD. Furthermore, our results suggest that whole blood transcriptional profiles may predict plaque characteristics.
Project description:Vascular endothelial cells play an important role in the development of coronary artery disease, their injury leads to coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. This study aimed to elucidate the role of FOXO3-regulated target gene expression and alternative splicing in vascular endothelial cell injury in coronary artery disease
Project description:Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease involving multiple biological mechanisms. A study aimed to identify changes in miRNA expression at early stages using a large swine model. 18 female pigs were studied, 9 with familial hypercholesterolemia and 9 normal controls. Plasma was collected at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. In vivo imaging and histopathology were performed to document the presence of coronary atherosclerosis. miRNA sequencing was carried out on plasma cell-free RNA. Results showed that circulating miRNA dynamics change over time during atherosclerosis development and specific DE miRNAs may be promising biomarkers for early detection of coronary atherosclerosis.
Project description:Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a naturally occurring inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis that accumulates in wide range of diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction and enhanced atherosclerosis. Plasma ADMA has been implicated as a major novel cardiovascular risk factor, but the mechanisms by which low concentrations of ADMA produce adverse effects on the cardiovascular system are unclear. We have treated human coronary artery endothelial cells with ADMA at 2uM (a pathophysiological dose) and 100uM (a pharmacological dose), for 24h.
Project description:Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs)-derived circular RNAs (circRNAs) could regulate gene expression in recipient cells, and dysregulation of sEVs-derived circRNAs has been implicated in several diseases. However, the expression and function of sEVs-derived circRNAs in coronary atherosclerosis (CAD) remain unknown. In this study, we investigated global changes in the expression patterns of circRNAs in sEVs from coronary atherosclerosis-related monocytes.