Project description:Aortic dissection (AD) is a medical emergency that leads to sudden death. Effective medical therapy is not available because molecular mechanism of AD is poorly understood. We performed the transcriptome analysis in mouse AD model that was created by infusion of beta-aminopropionitrile, a collagen crosslink inhibitor, and angiotensin II. Bayesian network analysis of the transcriptome revealed several distinct gene clusters that were tightly co-regulated during AD development. Functional annotation analysis revealed that each gene cluster has distinct function, namely, cell proliferation, inflammation, cell locomotion and adhesion, and muscle differentiation. Among the gene clusters, cell proliferation cluster was the first to be activated during AD development. Cell proliferation before AD development was confirmed by immunoblotting of G1 cyclins. Immunostaining for Ki67 and cell markers revealed the proliferation of smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and monocytes in aortic tissue before AD development. Treatment of mice with rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, suppressed cell proliferative response in AD model. Rapamycin completely prevented AD when given before AD development, and effectively suppressed progression when given after AD development. Interestingly, transcriptome analysis showed that rapamycin strongly suppressed cell proliferation and muscle differentiation clusters, but its effect on inflammation cluster was modest. We concluded that mTOR constitutes an essential part of the molecular pathogenesis of AD by regulating cell proliferation, and represents a new therapeutic target.
Project description:Aneurysmatic and dissection cells show a specific alteration of gene expression, which allow a disease specific distinction. We used microarrays to analyse the cellular gene expression of controls, thoracic aortic aneurysm, and aortic dissection.
Project description:Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is associated with a high mortality rate. Despite the existence of different mouse models for TAD, the underlying disease mechanisms remain elusive. Treatment options are limited and mainly consist of surgical repair at critical diameters as current pharmacological interventions are unable to stop disease progression. In humans, loss of function (LOF) of SMAD3 and SMAD6 impair vascular homeostasis, increasing the risk for TAD. We developed a zebrafish model for thoracic aortic dissection/rupture by targeting both ohnologs of smad3 and smad6. We discovered an increased diameter of the ventral aorta in smad3a-/-;smad3b-/- double knockout zebrafish larvae, while smad6a-/-;smad6b-/- double knockout zebrafish have a reduced diameter associated with early mortality. Surprisingly, the smad3a-/-;smad3b-/-;smad6a-/-;smad6b-/- quadruple knockout (qKO) zebrafish model is viable and survives to adulthood, although exposure to stress leads to sudden death. Histological analysis of the adult ventral aorta showed medial elastolysis and aortic dissections and ruptures at sites exposed to high hemodynamic stress. RNA-sequencing of qKO larvae indicated a profile of reduced negative regulation of proteolysis and upregulation of melanogenesis, a previously unaddressed pathway in this pathology. We confirmed that pharmacological modulation of tyrosinase has an effect on aortic morphology. Our study shows that dysregulation of SMAD3/6-dependent signaling has an important impact on thoracic aortic homeostasis, and that using the qKO zebrafish model, thus far the only known model of aortic dissection and rupture in this species, can identify novel pathophysiological pathways leading to TAD.
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of ascending aorta tissue samples from normal, aortic dissection and bicuspid aortic valve patients with aortic dilation. The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across more than 450,000 CpGs in ascending aorta samples. Samples included 6 normal donors, 12 patients with aortic dissection and 6 patients with bicuspid aortic valve and dilated aorta.
Project description:The mechanisms of acute aortic dissection are not well understood. Transcriptomic strategy has been proven to be an effective way to find the potential mechanisms and also the reliable biomarkers for a specific disease. The whole-genome expression profiling was assayed in a panel of aortic tissues from 4 male acute aortic dissection patients and 4 male healthy controls.
Project description:We investigated the relationship between a developemnt of aortic dissection and inflammatory cells. Il-1b high expression macrophage contributed to developing an aortic dissection.
Project description:Colchicine is an alkaloid found in the plant Colchicum, which is currently used for the treatment of acute gout and familial Mediterranean fever, and is being considered for the treatment of a variety of cardiovascular diseases such as pericarditis, atrial fibrillation, and coronary syndromes due to its significant anti-inflammatory effects. Aortic dissection is a cardiovascular disease characterised by a tear in the intima and congestion of the vessel wall leading to vessel wall delamination, with a rapid onset and high lethality. This study investigated the role of colchicine in BAPN-induced aortic dissection in mice. Gavage administration of colchicine along with BAPN modelling for three weeks showed a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality, indicating that colchicine can inhibit the occurrence of aortic dissection in mice.
Project description:Purpose: The aim of this study is to have a fullscape of molecular pathology of Stanford type A aortic dissection Methods: All TAAD patients under consideration underwent an ascending aortic replacement surgery during a cardiopulmonary bypass. The normal ascending aortic tissue samples were obtained from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) without any aortic diseases. We selected 20 samples (10 TAAD and 10 normal) for the whole transcriptome sequencing. Total RNA was extracted from each sample using TRIzol Reagent (ThermoFisher) and was stored in 1 mL of 75% ethanol at -80 ℃ until further usage. Conclusions: We identified exaggerated autophagy as a molecular biomarker for aortic dissection. We also predicted 10 hub genes and an HIF1A-ATG3 axis which could provide new insights in understanding aortic dissection.