Adipogenin Dictates Adipose Tissue Expansion by Facilitating the Assembly of a Dodecameric Seipin Complex.

Adipogenin (Adig) is an evolutionarily conserved microprotein and is highly expressed in adipose tissues and testis. Here, we identify Adig as a critical regulator for lipid droplet formation in adipocytes. We determine that Adig interacts directly with seipin, leading to the formation of a rigid complex. We solve the structure of the seipin/Adig complex by Cryo-EM at 2.98Å overall resolution. Surprisingly, seipin can form two unique oligomers, undecamers and dodecamers. Adig selectively binds to the dodecameric seipin complex. We further find that Adig promotes seipin assembly by stabilizing and bridging adjacent seipin subunits. Functionally, Adig plays a key role in generating lipid droplets in adipocytes. In mice, inducible overexpression of Adig in adipocytes substantially increases fat mass, with enlarged lipid droplets. It also elevates thermogenesis during cold exposure. In contrast, inducible adipocyte-specific Adig knockout mice manifest aberrant lipid droplet formation in brown adipose tissues and impaired cold tolerance.

IRE1α Mediates the Hypertrophic Growth of Cardiomyocytes Through Facilitating the Formation of Initiation Complex to Promote the Translation of TOP-Motif Transcripts.

BACKGROUND: Cardiomyocyte growth is coupled with active protein synthesis, which is one of the basic biological processes in living cells. However, it is unclear whether the unfolded protein response transducers and effectors directly take part in the control of protein synthesis. The connection between critical functions of the unfolded protein response in cellular physiology and requirements of multiple processes for cell growth prompted us to investigate the role of the unfolded protein response in cell growth and underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Cardiomyocyte-specific inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) knockout and overexpression mouse models were generated to explore its function in vivo. Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes were isolated and cultured to evaluate the role of IRE1α in cardiomyocyte growth in vitro. Mass spectrometry was conducted to identify novel interacting proteins of IRE1α. Ribosome sequencing and polysome profiling were performed to determine the molecular basis for the function of IRE1α in translational control. RESULTS: We show that IRE1α is required for cell growth in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes under prohypertrophy treatment and in HEK293 cells in response to serum stimulation. At the molecular level, IRE1α directly interacts with eIF4G and eIF3, 2 critical components of the translation initiation complex. We demonstrate that IRE1α facilitates the formation of the translation initiation complex around the endoplasmic reticulum and preferentially initiates the translation of transcripts with 5' terminal oligopyrimidine motifs. We then reveal that IRE1α plays an important role in determining the selectivity and translation of these transcripts. We next show that IRE1α stimulates the translation of epidermal growth factor receptor through an unannotated terminal oligopyrimidine motif in its 5' untranslated region. We further demonstrate a physiological role of IRE1α-governed protein translation by showing that IRE1α is essential for cardiomyocyte growth and cardiac functional maintenance under hemodynamic stress in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: These studies suggest a noncanonical, essential role of IRE1α in orchestrating protein synthesis, which may have important implications in cardiac hypertrophy in response to pressure overload and general cell growth under other physiological and pathological conditions.

Downregulation of the kidney glucagon receptor, essential for renal function and systemic homeostasis, contributes to chronic kidney disease.

The glucagon receptor (GCGR) in the kidney is expressed in nephron tubules. In humans and animal models with chronic kidney disease, renal GCGR expression is reduced. However, the role of kidney GCGR in normal renal function and in disease development has not been addressed. Here, we examined its role by analyzing mice with constitutive or conditional kidney-specific loss of the Gcgr. Adult renal Gcgr knockout mice exhibit metabolic dysregulation and a functional impairment of the kidneys. These mice exhibit hyperaminoacidemia associated with reduced kidney glucose output, oxidative stress, enhanced inflammasome activity, and excess lipid accumulation in the kidney. Upon a lipid challenge, they display maladaptive responses with acute hypertriglyceridemia and chronic proinflammatory and profibrotic activation. In aged mice, kidney Gcgr ablation elicits widespread renal deposition of collagen and fibronectin, indicative of fibrosis. Taken together, our findings demonstrate an essential role of the renal GCGR in normal kidney metabolic and homeostatic functions. Importantly, mice deficient for kidney Gcgr recapitulate some of the key pathophysiological features of chronic kidney disease.

Hyperleptinemia contributes to antipsychotic drug-associated obesity and metabolic disorders.

Despite their high degree of effectiveness in the management of psychiatric conditions, exposure to antipsychotic drugs, including olanzapine and risperidone, is frequently associated with substantial weight gain and the development of diabetes. Even before weight gain, a rapid rise in circulating leptin concentrations can be observed in most patients taking antipsychotic drugs. To date, the contribution of this hyperleptinemia to weight gain and metabolic deterioration has not been defined. Here, with an established mouse model that recapitulates antipsychotic drug-induced obesity and insulin resistance, we not only confirm that hyperleptinemia occurs before weight gain but also demonstrate that hyperleptinemia contributes directly to the development of obesity and associated metabolic disorders. By suppressing the rise in leptin through the use of a monoclonal leptin-neutralizing antibody, we effectively prevented weight gain, restored glucose tolerance, and preserved adipose tissue and liver function in antipsychotic drug-treated mice. Mechanistically, suppressing excess leptin resolved local tissue and systemic inflammation typically associated with antipsychotic drug treatment. We conclude that hyperleptinemia is a key contributor to antipsychotic drug-associated weight gain and metabolic deterioration. Leptin suppression may be an effective approach to reducing the undesirable side effects of antipsychotic drugs.

Endogenous renal adiponectin drives gluconeogenesis through enhancing pyruvate and fatty acid utilization.

Adiponectin is a secretory protein, primarily produced in adipocytes. However, low but detectable expression of adiponectin can be observed in cell types beyond adipocytes, particularly in kidney tubular cells, but its local renal role is unknown. We assessed the impact of renal adiponectin by utilizing male inducible kidney tubular cell-specific adiponectin overexpression or knockout mice. Kidney-specific adiponectin overexpression induces a doubling of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase expression and enhanced pyruvate-mediated glucose production, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and an upregulation of fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Inhibition of FAO reduces the adiponectin-induced enhancement of glucose production, highlighting the role of FAO in the induction of renal gluconeogenesis. In contrast, mice lacking adiponectin in the kidney exhibit enhanced glucose tolerance, lower utilization and greater accumulation of lipid species. Hence, renal adiponectin is an inducer of gluconeogenesis by driving enhanced local FAO and further underlines the important systemic contribution of renal gluconeogenesis.

Protective roles of adiponectin and molecular signatures of HNF4α and PPARα as downstream targets of adiponectin in pancreatic ß cells.

The disease progression of the metabolic syndrome is associated with prolonged hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance, eventually giving rise to impaired insulin secretion, often concomitant with hypoadiponectinemia. As an adipose tissue derived hormone, adiponectin is beneficial for insulin secretion and ß cell health and differentiation. However, the down-stream pathway of adiponectin in the pancreatic islets has not been studied extensively. Here, along with the overall reduction of endocrine pancreatic function in islets from adiponectin KO mice, we examine PPARα and HNF4α as additional down-regulated transcription factors during a prolonged metabolic challenge. To elucidate the function of ß cell-specific PPARα and HNF4α expression, we developed doxycycline inducible pancreatic ß cell-specific PPARα (ß-PPARα) and HNF4α (ß-HNF4α) overexpression mice. ß-PPARα mice exhibited improved protection from lipotoxicity, but elevated ß-oxidative damage in the islets, and also displayed lowered phospholipid levels and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. ß-HNF4α mice showed a more severe phenotype when compared to ß-PPARα mice, characterized by lower body weight, small islet mass and impaired insulin secretion. RNA-sequencing of the islets of these models highlights overlapping yet unique roles of ß-PPARα and ß-HNF4α. Given that ß-HNF4α potently induces PPARα expression, we define a novel adiponectin-HNF4α-PPARα cascade. We further analyzed downstream genes consistently regulated by this axis. Among them, the islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) gene is an important target and accumulates in adiponectin KO mice. We propose a new mechanism of IAPP aggregation in type 2 diabetes through reduced adiponectin action.

GPR84-mediated signal transduction affects metabolic function by promoting brown adipocyte activity.

The G protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84), a medium-chain fatty acid receptor, has garnered attention because of its potential involvement in a range of metabolic conditions. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this effect remain elusive. Our study has shed light on the pivotal role of GPR84, revealing its robust expression and functional significance within brown adipose tissue (BAT). Mice lacking GPR84 exhibited increased lipid accumulation in BAT, rendering them more susceptible to cold exposure and displaying reduced BAT activity compared with their WT counterparts. Our in vitro experiments with primary brown adipocytes from GPR84-KO mice revealed diminished expression of thermogenic genes and reduced O2 consumption. Furthermore, the application of the GPR84 agonist 6-n-octylaminouracil (6-OAU) counteracted these effects, effectively reinstating the brown adipocyte activity. These compelling in vivo and in vitro findings converge to highlight mitochondrial dysfunction as the primary cause of BAT anomalies in GPR84-KO mice. The activation of GPR84 induced an increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels, which intricately influenced mitochondrial respiration. By modulating mitochondrial Ca2+ levels and respiration, GPR84 acts as a potent molecule involved in BAT activity. These findings suggest that GPR84 is a potential therapeutic target for invigorating BAT and ameliorating metabolic disorders.

Boron Nitride/Polyurethane Composites with Good Thermal Conductivity and Flexibility.

Thermal insulating composites are indispensable in electronic applications; however, their poor thermal conductivity and flexibility have become bottlenecks for improving device operations. Hexagonal boron nitride (BN) has excellent thermal conductivity and insulating properties and is an ideal filler for preparing thermally insulating polymer composites. In this study, we report a method to fabricate BN/polyurethane (PU) composites using an improved nonsolvent-induced phase separation method with binary solvents to improve the thermal performance and flexibility of PU. The stress and strain of BN60/PU are 7.52 ± 0.87 MPa and 707.34 ± 38.34%, respectively. As prepared, BN60/PU composites with unordered BN exhibited high thermal conductivity and a volume resistivity of 0.653 W/(m·K) and 23.9 × 1012 Ω·cm, which are 218.71 and 39.77% higher than that of pure PU, respectively. Moreover, these composite films demonstrated a thermal diffusion ability and maintained good integrity after 1000 bending cycles, demonstrating good mechanical and thermal reliability for practical use. Our findings provide a practical route for the production of flexible materials for efficient thermal management.

Fabrication of Silane-Grafted Cellulose Nanocrystals and Their Effects on the Structural, Thermal, Mechanical, and Hysteretic Behavior of Thermoplastic Polyurethane.

Reinforcement of polymer nanocomposites can be achieved by the selection of the appropriate fabrication method, surface modification, and orientation of the filler. Herein, we present a nonsolvent-induced phase separation method with ternary solvents to prepare thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composite films with excellent mechanical properties using 3-Glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane-modified cellulose nanocrystals (GLCNCs). ATR-IR and SEM analyses of the GLCNCs confirmed that GL was successfully coated on the surface of the nanocrystals. The incorporation of GLCNCs in TPU resulted in the enhancement of the tensile strain and toughness of pure TPU owing to the enhanced interfacial interactions between them. The GLCNC-TPU composite film had tensile strain and toughness values of 1740.42% and 90.01 MJ/m3, respectively. Additionally, GLCNC-TPU exhibited a good elastic recovery rate. CNCs were readily aligned along the fiber axis after the spinning and drawing of the composites into fibers, which further improved the mechanical properties of the composites. The stress, strain, and toughness of the GLCNC-TPU composite fiber increased by 72.60%, 10.25%, and 103.61%, respectively, compared to those of the pure TPU film. This study demonstrates a facile and effective strategy for fabricating mechanically enhanced TPU composites.

GPR92 activation in islet macrophages controls ß cell function in a diet-induced obesity model.

The molecular mechanisms underlying obesity-induced increases in ß cell mass and the resulting ß cell dysfunction need to be elucidated further. Our study revealed that GPR92, expressed in islet macrophages, is modulated by dietary interventions in metabolic tissues. Therefore, we aimed to define the role of GPR92 in islet inflammation by using a high-fat diet-induced (HFD-induced) obese mouse model. GPR92-KO mice exhibited glucose intolerance and reduced insulin levels - despite the enlarged pancreatic islets - as well as increased islet macrophage content and inflammation level compared with WT mice. These results indicate that the lack of GPR92 in islet macrophages can cause ß cell dysfunction, leading to disrupted glucose homeostasis. Alternatively, stimulation with the GPR92 agonist farnesyl pyrophosphate results in the inhibition of HFD-induced islet inflammation and increased insulin secretion in WT mice, but not in GPR92-KO mice. Thus, our study suggests that GPR92 can be a potential target to alleviate ß cell dysfunction via the inhibition of islet inflammation associated with the progression of diabetes.

Mineralocorticoid receptor deficiency in Treg cells ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in a gut microbiota-dependent manner.

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a classic nuclear receptor and an effective drug target in the cardiovascular system. The function of MR in immune cells such as macrophages and T cells has been increasingly appreciated. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of Treg MR in the process of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We treated Treg MR-deficient (MRflox/flox Foxp3YFP-Cre , KO) mice and control (Foxp3YFP-Cre , WT) mice with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) to induce colitis and found that the severity of DSS-induced colitis was markedly alleviated in Treg MR-deficient mice, accompanied by reduced production of inflammatory cytokines, and relieved infiltration of monocytes, neutrophils and interferon γ+ T cells in colon lamina propria. Faecal microbiota of mice with colitis was analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the composition of gut microbiota was vastly changed in Treg MR-deficient mice. Furthermore, depletion of gut microbiota by antibiotics abolished the protective effects of Treg MR deficiency and resulted in similar severity of DSS-induced colitis in WT and KO mice. Faecal microbiota transplantation from KO mice attenuated DSS-induced colitis characterized by alleviated inflammatory infiltration compared to that from WT mice. Hence, our study demonstrates that Treg MR deficiency protects against DSS-induced colitis by attenuation of colonic inflammatory infiltration. Gut microbiota is both sufficient and necessary for Treg MR deficiency to exert the beneficial effects.

Crosstalk Between Adipose Tissue and the Heart: An Update.

It is important to understand how different human organs coordinate and interact with each other. Since obesity and cardiac disease frequently coincide, the crosstalk between adipose tissues and heart has drawn attention. We appreciate that specific peptides/proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and even organelles shuttle between the adipose tissues and heart. These bioactive components can profoundly affect the metabolism of cells in distal organs, including heart. Importantly, this process can be dysregulated under pathophysiological conditions. This also opens the door to efforts targeting these mediators as potential therapeutic strategies to treat patients who manifest diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Here, we summarize the recent progress toward a better understanding of how the adipose tissues and heart interact with each other.

Metabolic Functions of G Protein-Coupled Receptors and ß-Arrestin-Mediated Signaling Pathways in the Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity.

Seven transmembrane receptors (7TMRs), often termed G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are the most common target of therapeutic drugs used today. Many studies suggest that distinct members of the GPCR superfamily represent potential targets for the treatment of various metabolic disorders including obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). GPCRs typically activate different classes of heterotrimeric G proteins, which can be subgrouped into four major functional types: Gαs, Gαi, Gαq/11, and G12/13, in response to agonist binding. Accumulating evidence suggests that GPCRs can also initiate ß-arrestin-dependent, G protein-independent signaling. Thus, the physiological outcome of activating a certain GPCR in a particular tissue may also be modulated by ß-arrestin-dependent, but G protein-independent signaling pathways. In this review, we will focus on the role of G protein- and ß-arrestin-dependent signaling pathways in the development of obesity and T2D-related metabolic disorders.

Nuclear receptor corepressor 1 represses cardiac hypertrophy.

The function of nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCoR1) in cardiomyocytes is unclear, and its physiological and pathological implications are unknown. Here, we found that cardiomyocyte-specific NCoR1 knockout (CMNKO) mice manifested cardiac hypertrophy at baseline and had more severe cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction after pressure overload. Knockdown of NCoR1 exacerbated whereas overexpression mitigated phenylephrine-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Mechanistic studies revealed that myocyte enhancer factor 2a (MEF2a) and MEF2d mediated the effects of NCoR1 on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The receptor interaction domains (RIDs) of NCoR1 interacted with MEF2a to repress its transcriptional activity. Furthermore, NCoR1 formed a complex with MEF2a and class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) to suppress hypertrophy-related genes. Finally, overexpression of RIDs of NCoR1 in the heart attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction induced by pressure overload. In conclusion, NCoR1 cooperates with MEF2 and HDACs to repress cardiac hypertrophy. Targeting NCoR1 and the MEF2/HDACs complex may be an attractive therapeutic strategy to tackle pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Mineralocorticoid receptor negatively regulates angiogenesis through repression of STAT3 activity in endothelial cells.

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) plays important roles in cardiovascular pathogenesis. The function of MR in angiogenesis is still controversial. This study aimed to explore the role of endothelial MR in angiogenesis and to delineate the underlying mechanism. Endothelial-hematopoietic MR knockout (EMRKO) mice were generated and subjected to hindlimb ischemia and injection of melanoma cells. Laser Doppler measurements showed that EMRKO mice had improved blood flow recovery and increased vessel density in ischemic limbs. In addition, EMRKO accelerated growth and increased the vessel density of tumors. Matrigel implantation, aortic ring assays, and tube formation assays demonstrated that MRKO endothelial cells (ECs) manifested increased angiogenic potential. MRKO ECs also displayed increased migration ability and proliferation. MRKO and MR knockdown both upregulated gene expression, protein level, and phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Stattic, a selective STAT3 inhibitor, attenuated the effects of MRKO on tube formation, migration, and proliferation of ECs. At the molecular level, MR interacted with CCAAT enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPß) to suppress the transcription of STAT3. Furthermore, interactions between MR and STAT3 blocked the phosphorylation of STAT3. Finally, stattic abolished the pro-angiogenic phenotype of EMRKO mice. Taken together, endothelial MR is a negative regulator of angiogenesis, likely in a ligand-independent manner. Mechanistically, MR downregulates STAT3 that mediates the impacts of MR deficiency on the angiogenic activity of ECs and angiogenesis. Targeting endothelial MR may be a potential pro-angiogenic strategy for ischemic diseases. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Regulation of Atrial Fibrosis by the Bone.

MR (mineralocorticoid receptor) antagonists have been demonstrated to provide beneficial effects on preventing atrial fibrosis. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We aim to determine the role of osteoblast MR in atrial fibrosis and to explore the underlying mechanism. Using osteoblast MR knockout mouse in combination with mutant TGF (transforming growth factor)-ß1 transgenic mouse, we demonstrated that MR deficiency in osteoblasts significantly attenuated atrial fibrosis. Mechanistically, MR directly regulated expression of OCN (osteocalcin) in osteoblasts. Both carboxylated and undercarboxylated OCNs (ucOC) were less secreted in osteoblast MR knockout mice. Mutant TGF-ß1 transgenic mice supplemented with recombinant ucOC showed aggravated atrial fibrosis. In cultured atrial fibroblasts, ucOC treatment promoted proliferation and migration of atrial fibroblasts, whereas cotreatment with an antagonist for a GPRC6A (G-protein-coupled receptor, family C, group 6, member A) abolished these effects. Western blotting analysis revealed upregulation of PKA (protein kinase A) and CREB (cAMP-response element-binding protein) phosphorylation after ucOC treatment. Inhibition of PKA with its antagonist reduced ucOC-induced proliferation and migration of atrial fibroblasts. Finally, the impact of osteoblast MR deficiency on atrial fibrosis was abolished by ucOC administration in mutant TGF-ß1 transgenic mice. Taken together, MR deficiency in osteoblasts attenuated atrial fibrosis by downregulation of OCN to promote proliferation and migration of atrial fibroblasts.

Myeloid peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma deficiency aggravates myocardial infarction in mice.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparγ) have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in clinical trials and animal experiments. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. We aimed to reveal the functions of myeloid Pparγ in MI and explore the potential mechanisms in this study. METHODS: Myeloid Pparγ knockout (MPGKO) mice (n = 12) and control mice (n = 8) underwent coronary artery ligation to induce MI. Another cohort of MPGKO mice and control mice underwent coronary artery ligation and were then treated with IgG or neutralizing antibodies against interleukin (IL)-1ß. Infarct size was determined by TTC staining and cardiac function was measured using echocardiography. Conditioned media from GW9662- or vehicle-treated macrophages were used to treat H9C2 cardiomyocyte cell line. Gene expression was analyzed using quantitative PCR. Reactive oxygen species were measured using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Myeloid Pparγ deficiency significantly increased myocardial infarct size. Cardiac hypertrophy was also exacerbated in MPGKO mice, with upregulation of ß-myosin heavy chain (Mhc) and brain natriuretic peptide (Bnp) and downregulation of α-Mhc in the non-infarcted zone. Conditioned media from GW9662-treated macrophages increased expression of ß-Mhc and Bnp in H9C2 cells. Echocardiographic measurements showed that MPGKO mice had worsen cardiac dysfunction after MI. Myeloid Pparγ deficiency increased gene expression of NADPH oxidase subunits (Nox2 and Nox4) in the non-infarcted zone after MI. Conditioned media from GW9662-treated macrophages increased reactive oxygen species in H9C2 cells. Expression of inflammatory genes such as IL-1ß and IL-6 was upregulated in the non-infarcted zone of MPGKO mice after MI. With the injection of neutralizing antibodies against IL-1ß, control mice and MPGKO mice had comparable cardiac function and expression of inflammatory genes after MI. CONCLUSIONS: Myeloid Pparγ deficiency exacerbates MI, likely through increased oxidative stress and cardiac inflammation.

Elevated sodium chloride drives type I interferon signaling in macrophages and increases antiviral resistance.

Type I IFN production and signaling in macrophages play critical roles in innate immune responses. High salt (i.e. high concentrations of NaCl) has been proposed to be an important environmental factor that influences immune responses in multiple ways. However, it remains unknown whether high salt regulates type I IFN production and signaling in macrophages. Here, we demonstrated that high salt promoted IFNß production and its signaling in both human and mouse macrophages, and consequentially primed macrophages for strengthened immune sensing and signaling when challenged with viruses or viral nucleic acid analogues. Using both pharmacological inhibitors and RNA interference we showed that these effects of high salt on IFNß signaling were mediated by the p38 MAPK/ATF2/AP1 signaling pathway. Consistently, high salt increased resistance to vesicle stomatitis virus (VSV) infection in vitro. In vivo data indicated that a high-salt diet protected mice from lethal VSV infection. Taken together, these results identify high salt as a crucial regulator of type I IFN production and signaling, shedding important new light on the regulation of innate immune responses.

Inhibition of neddylation by MLN4924 improves neointimal hyperplasia and promotes apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells through p53 and p62.

Targeting apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) represents an attractive approach to diminish the occurrence of restenosis. Neddylation is a highly conserved post-translational modification process and inhibition of neddylation has been shown to regulate apoptosis of other cells. However, the impacts of neddylation inhibition on VSMCs and neointimal hyperplasia have not been studied. In our present study, we have shown that MLN4924, a selective inhibitor of NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE), markedly inhibited neointimal hyperplasia and accumulation of VSMCs, whereas increased apoptosis in the vascular wall. In vitro studies revealed that MLN4924 induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis of human VSMCs. Knockdown of NAE1 had similar effects. MLN4924 upregulated p53 and p62 in human VSMCs. Knockdown of either p53 or p62 mitigated the impacts of MLN4924 on G2/M arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, p53 knockdown abolished MLN4924-induced upregulation of p62. Finally, smooth muscle p53 knockout mice were generated and subjected to femoral artery injury and MLN4924 treatment. Deficiency of p53 in smooth muscle blocked the effects of MLN4924 on neointimal hyperplasia and apoptosis. Together, our results revealed that neddylation inhibition induces apoptosis through p53 and p62 in VSMCs and improves neointimal hyperplasia mainly by promoting apoptosis through smooth muscle p53 in mice. These pre-clinical data provide strong translational implications for targeting restenosis by perturbation of neddylation using MLN4924.

Mineralocorticoid Receptor Deficiency in T Cells Attenuates Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy and Dysfunction Through Modulating T-Cell Activation.

Although antagonists of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) have been widely used to treat heart failure, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Recent reports show that T cells play important roles in pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, it is unclear whether and how MR functions in T cells under these pathologic conditions. We found that MR antagonist suppressed abdominal aortic constriction-induced cardiac hypertrophy and decreased the accumulation and activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in mouse heart. T-cell MR knockout mice manifested suppressed cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction compared with littermate control mice after abdominal aortic constriction. T-cell MR knockout mice had less cardiac inflammatory response, which was illustrated by decreased accumulation of myeloid cells and reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines. Less amounts and activation of T cells were observed in the heart of T-cell MR knockout mice after abdominal aortic constriction. In vitro studies showed that both MR antagonism and deficiency repressed activation of T cells, whereas MR overexpression elevated activation of T cells. These results demonstrated that MR blockade in T cells protected against abdominal aortic constriction-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. Mechanistically, MR directly regulated T-cell activation and modulated cardiac inflammation. Targeting MR in T cells specifically may be a feasible strategy for more effective treatment of pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.