Project description:Pregnancy-associated hypertensive (PAH) mice were maintained by mating females carrying the human angiotensinogen (hAGT) gene with males expressing the human renin (hRN) gene, as previously described (Takimoto E., et al., Science, 1996). Angiotensin II (AngII) has critical roles in regulation of blood pressure. In late pregnancy of PAH mice, increased AngII causes acute and severe hypertension with proteinuria. Furthermore, PAH mice show cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and apoptosis. It is known that AngII downregulates mRNA of alpha 1a-adrenergic receptor (Adra1a) in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes (Li H.T., et al., Circ. Res., 1997). Interestingly, we found that Adra1a knock out PAH (PAH/aKO) mice display more severe phenotype of cardiac hypertrophy in comparison to PAH mice. In this study, to understand the molecular basis of cardiac hypertrophy via regulation of Adra1a expression with AngII in PAH mice, we performed a comprehensive analysis of gene expression changes in cardiac remodeling of PAH and PAH/aKO mice using the next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq).
Project description:PAH was induced by 60mg/kg MCT and an aorto-caval shunt. At different timepoints of PAH progression (day 14, 21 and 28 after MCT-injection), the left lung with PAH was hemodynamically unloading by unilateral orthotopic transplatation into a syngeneic, healthy recipient. All day 14 and 7/10 day 21 transplanted lungs showed reversal of PAH after LTx. All day 28 and 3/10 day 21 transplanted lungs showed PAH progression after LTx. Lung tissue of Reversible and Irreversible PAH and normal controls, acquired at LTx, was compared using RNA-seq.
Project description:Introduction. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe cardiopulmonary disease that may be triggered by exposure to drugs such as dasatinib or facilitated by genetic predispositions. The incidence of dasatinib-associated PAH is estimated at 0.45%, suggesting individual predispositions. The mechanisms of dasatinib-associated PAH are still incomplete. This study studied the link between dasatinib and KCNK3 and the consequences of dasatinib exposure or KCNK3 knockdown in pulmonary endothelial cells (PECs) and pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC). Methods. We discovered a KCNK3 gene variant in a patient with dasatinib-associated PAH and investigated the impact of this variant on KCNK3 function using patch-clamp analysis. Additionally, we assessed the effects of dasatinib exposure on KCNK3 expression and function in human and rat pulmonary arteries. In control-human PASMCs and PECs (hPASMCs and hPECs), we evaluated the consequence of KCNK3 knockdown on cell migration, mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP production, and in vitro tube formation. Using mass spectrometry, we determined the KCNK3 interactome. Results. Patch-clamp revealed that the identified KCNK3 variant represents a loss-of-function variant. Dasatinib contributed to pulmonary artery constriction by decreasing KCNK3 function and expression. In control-hPASMCs, KCNK3 knockdown promotes mitochondrial membrane depolarization and glycolytic shift. Additionally, dasatinib exposure or KCNK3 knockdown reduced the number of caveolae in PECs. Moreover, KCNK3 knockdown in control-hPECs reduced migration, proliferation, and in vitro tubulogenesis. Lastly, using proximity ligation assay and mass spectrometry, we identified the KCNK3 interactome revealing that KCNK3 interaction with various proteins across different cellular compartments could impact these cellular functions. Conclusion. We identified a novel pathogenic variant in the KCNK3 gene, suggesting that KCNK3 gene variations could also influence the development of dasatinib-associated PAH. Our results support that one of the mechanisms of action of dasatinib-associated PAH results from the downregulation of KCNK3.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of squamous cell carcinoma of oral tongue, comparing p53 NS+ and p53 NS- tumors. Goal was to determine differentially expressed genes between them based on global gene expression.