Maternal heart exhibits metabolic and redox adaptations post-uncomplicated pregnancy.

Pregnancy may be a challenging period for the maternal systems and has been regarded as a stress test, as imperceptible/mild dysfunctions eventually present may be exacerbated during this period. The cardiovascular system is no exception, and several morphological and functional adaptations accompanying pregnancy have been described. However, long-term pregnancy-induced cardiac molecular alterations remain highly unexplored. The postpartum is marked by reverse remodeling of the pregnancy-induced cardiovascular adaptations, representing a possible critical period for assessing future maternal cardiovascular health. The current study explored the molecular and metabolic alterations in the cardiac tissue eight weeks after a physiological uncomplicated pregnancy. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a chow diet through pregnancy, lactation, and weaning and compared to their non-pregnant counterparts. Eight weeks postpartum, increased levels of the phosphorylated form of AMPKα (Thr172) and its ratio to total AMPKα indicated possible alterations in cardiac metabolic flexibility, accompanied by increased Pparα and Hif1α transcripts levels. Additionally, postpartum hearts exhibited higher mitochondrial ATP and NADH levels without major changes in mitochondrial respiratory function. Elevated Nrf2 levels in the cardiac tissue suggested potential implications for cardiac redox balance, further supported by increased levels or activity of proteins directly regulated by Nrf2. The findings herein reported suggest that at eight weeks postpartum, molecular alterations induced by pregnancy, especially regarding redox balance, are still observed in the mothers' heart. These alterations present at late postpartum may open new avenues to understand the different risk for cardiovascular complications development after normal pregnancies.

Cardiac Molecular Analysis Reveals Aging-Associated Metabolic Alterations Promoting Glycosaminoglycans Accumulation via Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway.

Age is a prominent risk factor for cardiometabolic disease, often leading to heart structural and functional changes. However, precise molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac remodeling and dysfunction exclusively resulting from physiological aging remain elusive. Previous research demonstrated age-related functional alterations in baboons, analogous to humans. The goal of this study is to identify early cardiac molecular alterations preceding functional adaptations, shedding light on the regulation of age-associated changes. Unbiased transcriptomics of left ventricle samples are performed from female baboons aged 7.5-22.1 years (human equivalent ≈30-88 years). Weighted-gene correlation network and pathway enrichment analyses are performed, with histological validation. Modules of transcripts negatively correlated with age implicated declined metabolism-oxidative phosphorylation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, and fatty-acid ß-oxidation. Transcripts positively correlated with age suggested a metabolic shift toward glucose-dependent anabolic pathways, including hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP). This shift is associated with increased glycosaminoglycan synthesis, modification, precursor synthesis via HBP, and extracellular matrix accumulation, verified histologically. Upregulated extracellular matrix-induced signaling coincided with glycosaminoglycan accumulation, followed by cardiac hypertrophy-related pathways. Overall, these findings revealed a transcriptional shift in metabolism favoring glycosaminoglycan accumulation through HBP before cardiac hypertrophy. Unveiling this metabolic shift provides potential targets for age-related cardiac diseases, offering novel insights into early age-related mechanisms.

Adipose tissue-liver cross-talk: a route to hepatic dysfunction in pregnant women with obesity.

Obesity during pregnancy has been escalating, becoming a huge problem that poses consequences not only for the health of the offspring but also for the maternal well-being. Women's adipose and hepatic tissue metabolism undergoes significant changes during the gestational period. During pregnancy, obesity is a primary instigator of steatosis, increasing the risk of non-alcholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now recognized under the updated nomenclature metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Pregnant women with obesity present higher levels of free fatty acids and glucose, reduction in insulin sensitivity, and adipose tissue endocrine dysregulation. Furthermore, obesity-induced modifications in clock genes and lipid-associated gene expression within adipose tissue disrupt crucial metabolic adaptations, potentially culminating in adipose tissue dysfunction. Thus, the liver experiences increased exposure to free fatty acids through the portal vein. Higher uptake of free fatty acids into the liver disrupts hepatic lipid oxidation while enhances lipogenesis, thereby predisposing to ectopic fat deposition within the liver. This review focuses on the obesity-induced changes during pregnancy in both liver and adipose tissue metabolism, elucidating how the metabolic crosstalk between these two organs can be dysregulated in pregnant women living with obesity.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Endothelial Progenitor Cells: Unraveling Insights from Vascular Endothelial Cells.

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with several lifestyle-related diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and it contributes significantly to the global health burden. Recent research indicates a link between cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial impairment, and endothelial dysfunction. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are recruited into the vessel wall to maintain appropriate endothelial function, repair, and angiogenesis. After attachment, EPCs differentiate into mature endothelial cells (ECs). Like ECs, EPCs are also susceptible to CVRFs, including metabolic dysfunction and chronic inflammation. Therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction of EPCs may have long-term effects on the function of the mature ECs into which EPCs differentiate, particularly in the presence of endothelial damage. However, a link between CVRFs and impaired mitochondrial function in EPCs has hardly been investigated. In this review, we aim to consolidate existing knowledge on the development of mitochondrial and endothelial dysfunction in the vascular endothelium, place it in the context of recent studies investigating the consequences of CVRFs on EPCs, and discuss the role of mitochondrial dysfunction. Thus, we aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms involved in EPC deterioration in relation to CVRFs and address potential therapeutic interventions targeting mitochondrial health to promote endothelial function.

Cardiac Molecular Analysis Reveals Aging-Associated Metabolic Alterations Promoting Glycosaminoglycans Accumulation Via Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway.

Age is a prominent risk factor for cardiometabolic disease, and often leads to heart structural and functional changes. However, precise molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac remodeling and dysfunction resulting from physiological aging per se remain elusive. Understanding these mechanisms requires biological models with optimal translation to humans. Previous research demonstrated that baboons undergo age-related reduction in ejection fraction and increased heart sphericity, mirroring changes observed in humans. The goal of this study was to identify early cardiac molecular alterations that precede functional adaptations, shedding light on the regulation of age-associated changes. We performed unbiased transcriptomics of left ventricle (LV) samples from female baboons aged 7.5-22.1 years (human equivalent ~30-88 years). Weighted-gene correlation network and pathway enrichment analyses were performed to identify potential age-associated mechanisms in LV, with histological validation. Myocardial modules of transcripts negatively associated with age were primarily enriched for cardiac metabolism, including oxidative phosphorylation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, and fatty-acid ß-oxidation. Transcripts positively correlated with age suggest upregulation of glucose uptake, pentose phosphate pathway, and hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), indicating a metabolic shift towards glucose-dependent anabolic pathways. Upregulation of HBP commonly results in increased glycosaminoglycan precursor synthesis. Transcripts involved in glycosaminoglycan synthesis, modification, and intermediate metabolism were also upregulated in older animals, while glycosaminoglycan degradation transcripts were downregulated with age. These alterations would promote glycosaminoglycan accumulation, which was verified histologically. Upregulation of extracellular matrix (ECM)-induced signaling pathways temporally coincided with glycosaminoglycan accumulation. We found a subsequent upregulation of cardiac hypertrophy-related pathways and an increase in cardiomyocyte width. Overall, our findings revealed a transcriptional shift in metabolism from catabolic to anabolic pathways that leads to ECM glycosaminoglycan accumulation through HBP prior to upregulation of transcripts of cardiac hypertrophy-related pathways. This study illuminates cellular mechanisms that precede development of cardiac hypertrophy, providing novel potential targets to remediate age-related cardiac diseases.

Nurturing through Nutrition: Exploring the Role of Antioxidants in Maternal Diet during Pregnancy to Mitigate Developmental Programming of Chronic Diseases.

Chronic diseases represent one of the major causes of death worldwide. It has been suggested that pregnancy-related conditions, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), maternal obesity (MO), and intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) induce an adverse intrauterine environment, increasing the offspring's predisposition to chronic diseases later in life. Research has suggested that mitochondrial function and oxidative stress may play a role in the developmental programming of chronic diseases. Having this in mind, in this review, we include evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are mechanisms by which GDM, MO, and IUGR program the offspring to chronic diseases. In this specific context, we explore the promising advantages of maternal antioxidant supplementation using compounds such as resveratrol, curcumin, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and Mitoquinone (MitoQ) in addressing the metabolic dysfunction and oxidative stress associated with GDM, MO, and IUGR in fetoplacental and offspring metabolic health. This approach holds potential to mitigate developmental programming-related risk of chronic diseases, serving as a probable intervention for disease prevention.

Characterizing Early Cardiac Metabolic Programming via 30% Maternal Nutrient Reduction during Fetal Development in a Non-Human Primate Model.

Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a common cause of fetal/neonatal morbidity and mortality and is associated with increased offspring predisposition for cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Mitochondria are essential organelles in maintaining cardiac function, and thus, fetal cardiac mitochondria could be responsive to the IUGR environment. In this study, we investigated whether in utero fetal cardiac mitochondrial programming can be detectable in an early stage of IUGR pregnancy. Using a well-established nonhuman IUGR primate model, we induced IUGR by reducing by 30% the maternal diet (MNR), both in males (MNR-M) and in female (MNR-F) fetuses. Fetal cardiac left ventricle (LV) tissue and blood were collected at 90 days of gestation (0.5 gestation, 0.5 G). Blood biochemical parameters were determined and heart LV mitochondrial biology assessed. MNR fetus biochemical blood parameters confirm an early fetal response to MNR. In addition, we show that in utero cardiac mitochondrial MNR adaptations are already detectable at this early stage, in a sex-divergent way. MNR induced alterations in the cardiac gene expression of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) subunits (mostly for complex-I, III, and ATP synthase), along with increased protein content for complex-I, -III, and -IV subunits only for MNR-M in comparison with male controls, highlight the fetal cardiac sex-divergent response to MNR. At this fetal stage, no major alterations were detected in mitochondrial DNA copy number nor markers for oxidative stress. This study shows that in 90-day nonhuman primate fetuses, a 30% decrease in maternal nutrition generated early in utero adaptations in fetal blood biochemical parameters and sex-specific alterations in cardiac left ventricle gene and protein expression profiles, affecting predominantly OXPHOS subunits. Since the OXPHOS system is determinant for energy production in mitochondria, our findings suggest that these early IUGR-induced mitochondrial adaptations play a role in offspring's mitochondrial dysfunction and can increase predisposition to CVD in a sex-specific way.

Fetoplacental endothelial dysfunction in gestational diabetes mellitus and maternal obesity: A potential threat for programming cardiovascular disease.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and maternal obesity (MO) increase the risk of adverse fetal outcomes, and the incidence of cardiovascular disease later in life. Extensive research has been conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which GDM and MO program the offspring to disease. This review focuses on the role of fetoplacental endothelial dysfunction in programming the offspring for cardiovascular disease in GDM and MO pregnancies. We discuss how pre-existing maternal health conditions can lead to vascular dysfunction in the fetoplacental unit and the fetus. We also examine the role of fetoplacental endothelial dysfunction in impairing fetal cardiovascular system development and the involvement of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide in mediating fetoplacental vascular dysfunction. Furthermore, we suggest that the L-Arginine-Nitric Oxide and the Adenosine-L-Arginine-Nitric Oxide (ALANO) signaling pathways are pertinent targets for research. Despite significant progress in this area, there are still knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in future research.

Metabolic mitochondrial alterations prevail in the female rat heart 8 weeks after exercise cessation.

BACKGROUND: The consumption of high-caloric diets strongly contributes to the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Exercise (along with diet intervention) is one of the primary non-pharmacological approaches to promote a healthier lifestyle and counteract the rampant prevalence of NCDs. The present study evaluated the effects of exercise cessation after a short period training on the cardiac metabolic and mitochondrial function of female rats. METHODS: Seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control or a high-fat, high-sugar (HFHS) diet and, after 7 weeks, the animals were kept on a sedentary lifestyle or submitted to endurance exercise for 3 weeks (6 days per week, 20-60 min/day). The cardiac samples were analysed 8 weeks after exercise cessation. RESULTS: The consumption of the HFHS diet triggered impaired glucose tolerance, whereas the HFHS diet and physical exercise resulted in different responses in plasma adiponectin and leptin levels. Cardiac mitochondrial respiration efficiency was decreased by the HFHS diet consumption, which led to reduced ATP and increased NAD(P)H mitochondrial levels, which remained prevented by exercise 8 weeks after cessation. Exercise training-induced cardiac adaptations in redox balance, namely increased relative expression of Nrf2 and downstream antioxidant enzymes persist after an eight-week exercise cessation period. CONCLUSIONS: Endurance exercise modulated cardiac redox balance and mitochondrial efficiency in female rats fed a HFHS diet. These findings suggest that exercise may elicit cardiac adaptations crucial for its role as a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals at risk of developing NCDs.

Maternal hepatic adaptations during obese pregnancy encompass lobe-specific mitochondrial alterations and oxidative stress.

Maternal obesity (MO) is rising worldwide, affecting half of all gestations, constituting a possible risk-factor for some pregnancy-associated liver diseases (PALD) and hepatic diseases. PALD occur in approximately 3% of pregnancies and are characterized by maternal hepatic oxidative stress (OS) and mitochondrial dysfunction. Maternal hepatic disease increases maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Understanding the role of MO on liver function and pathophysiology could be crucial for better understanding the altered pathways leading to PALD and liver disease, possibly paving the way to prevention and adequate management of disease. We investigated specific hepatic metabolic alterations in mitochondria and oxidative stress during MO at late-gestation. Maternal hepatic tissue was collected at 90% gestation in Control and MO ewes (fed 150% of recommended nutrition starting 60 days before conception). Maternal hepatic redox state, mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC), and OS markers were investigated. MO decreased MRC complex-II activity and its subunits SDHA and SDHB protein expression, increased complex-I and complex-IV activities despite reduced complex-IV subunit mtCO1 protein expression, and increased ATP synthase ATP5A subunit. Hepatic MO-metabolic remodeling was characterized by decreased adenine nucleotide translocator 1 and 2 (ANT-1/2) and voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) protein expression and protein kinase A (PKA) activity (P<0.01), and augmented NAD+/NADH ratio due to reduced NADH levels (P<0.01). MO showed an altered redox state with increased OS, increased lipid peroxidation (P<0.01), decreased GSH/GSSG ratio (P=0.005), increased superoxide dismutase (P=0.03) and decreased catalase (P=0.03) antioxidant enzymatic activities, lower catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX)-4 and glutathione reductase protein expression (P<0.05), and increased GPX-1 abundance (P=0.03). MO-related hepatic changes were more evident in the right lobe, corroborated by the integrative data analysis. Hepatic tissue from obese pregnant ewes showed alterations in the redox state, consistent with OS and MRC and metabolism remodeling. These are hallmarks of PALD and hepatic disease, supporting MO as a risk-factor and highlighting OS and mitochondrial dysfunction as mechanisms responsible for liver disease predisposition.

Made in the Womb: Maternal Programming of Offspring Cardiovascular Function by an Obesogenic Womb.

Obesity incidence has been increasing at an alarming rate, especially in women of reproductive age. It is estimated that 50% of pregnancies occur in overweight or obese women. It has been described that maternal obesity (MO) predisposes the offspring to an increased risk of developing many chronic diseases in an early stage of life, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the main cause of death worldwide among men and women, and it is manifested in a sex-divergent way. Maternal nutrition and MO during gestation could prompt CVD development in the offspring through adaptations of the offspring's cardiovascular system in the womb, including cardiac epigenetic and persistent metabolic programming of signaling pathways and modulation of mitochondrial metabolic function. Currently, despite diet supplementation, effective therapeutical solutions to prevent the deleterious cardiac offspring function programming by an obesogenic womb are lacking. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which an obesogenic intrauterine environment could program the offspring's cardiovascular metabolism in a sex-divergent way, with a special focus on cardiac mitochondrial function, and debate possible strategies to implement during MO pregnancy that could ameliorate, revert, or even prevent deleterious effects of MO on the offspring's cardiovascular system. The impact of maternal physical exercise during an obesogenic pregnancy, nutritional interventions, and supplementation on offspring's cardiac metabolism are discussed, highlighting changes that may be favorable to MO offspring's cardiovascular health, which might result in the attenuation or even prevention of the development of CVD in MO offspring. The objectives of this manuscript are to comprehensively examine the various aspects of MO during pregnancy and explore the underlying mechanisms that contribute to an increased CVD risk in the offspring. We review the current literature on MO and its impact on the offspring's cardiometabolic health. Furthermore, we discuss the potential long-term consequences for the offspring. Understanding the multifaceted effects of MO on the offspring's health is crucial for healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to develop effective strategies for prevention and intervention to improve care.

Comparison of toxicity of silver nanomaterials and silver nitrate on developing zebrafish embryos: Bioavailability, osmoregulatory and oxidative stress.

The mechanisms of toxicity of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to the early life stages of freshwater fish, and the relative hazard compared to dissolved metals, is only partially understood. In the present study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to lethal concentrations of silver nitrate (AgNO3) or silver (Ag) ENMs (primary size 42.5 ± 10.2 nm). The 96 h-LC50 for AgNO3 was 32.8 ± 0.72 µg Ag L-1 (mean ± 95% CI) compared to 6.5 ± 0.4 mg L-1 of the whole material for Ag ENMs; with the ENMs being orders of magnitude less toxic than the metal salt. The EC50 for hatching success was 30.5 ± 1.4 µg Ag L-1 and 6.04 ± 0.4 mg L-1 for AgNO3 and Ag ENMs, respectively. Further sub-lethal exposures were performed with the estimated LC10 concentrations for both AgNO3 or Ag ENMs over 96 h, where about 3.7% of the total Ag as AgNO3 was internalised, as measured by Ag accumulation in the dechorionated embryos. However, for the ENM exposures, nearly all (99.8%) of the total Ag was associated with chorion; indicating the chorion as an effective barrier to protect the embryo in the short term. Calcium (Ca2+) and sodium (Na+) depletion was induced in embryos by both forms of Ag, but hyponatremia was more pronounced in the nano form. Total glutathione (tGSH) levels declined in embryos exposed to both Ag forms, but a superior depletion occurred with the nano form. Nevertheless, oxidative stress was mild as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity stayed uniform and the sodium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase) activity had no appreciable inhibition compared to the control. In conclusion, AgNO3 was more toxic to the early life stage zebrafish than the Ag ENMs, still differences were found in the exposure and toxic mechanisms of both Ag forms.

Exposure to Obesogenic Environments during Perinatal Development Modulates Offspring Energy Balance Pathways in Adipose Tissue and Liver of Rodent Models.

Obesogenic environments such as Westernized diets, overnutrition, and exposure to glycation during gestation and lactation can alter peripheral neuroendocrine factors in offspring, predisposing for metabolic diseases in adulthood. Thus, we hypothesized that exposure to obesogenic environments during the perinatal period reprograms offspring energy balance mechanisms. Four rat obesogenic models were studied: maternal diet-induced obesity (DIO); early-life obesity induced by postnatal overfeeding; maternal glycation; and postnatal overfeeding combined with maternal glycation. Metabolic parameters, energy expenditure, and storage pathways in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and the liver were analyzed. Maternal DIO increased VAT lipogenic [NPY receptor-1 (NPY1R), NPY receptor-2 (NPY2R), and ghrelin receptor], but also lipolytic/catabolic mechanisms [dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) and p-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)] in male offspring, while reducing NPY1R in females. Postnatally overfed male animals only exhibited higher NPY2R levels in VAT, while females also presented NPY1R and NPY2R downregulation. Maternal glycation reduces VAT expandability by decreasing NPY2R in overfed animals. Regarding the liver, D1R was decreased in all obesogenic models, while overfeeding induced fat accumulation in both sexes and glycation the inflammatory infiltration. The VAT response to maternal DIO and overfeeding showed a sexual dysmorphism, and exposure to glycotoxins led to a thin-outside-fat-inside phenotype in overfeeding conditions and impaired energy balance, increasing the metabolic risk in adulthood.

Differences in toxicity and accumulation of metal from copper oxide nanomaterials compared to copper sulphate in zebrafish embryos: Delayed hatching, the chorion barrier and physiological effects.

The mechanisms of toxicity of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to the early life stages of freshwater fish, and the relative hazard compared to dissolved metals, is only partially understood. In the present study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to lethal concentrations of copper sulphate (CuSO4) or copper oxide (CuO) ENMs (primary size ∼15 nm), and then the sub-lethal effects investigated at the LC10 concentrations over 96 h. The 96 h-LC50 (mean ± 95% CI) for CuSO4 was 303 ± 14 µg Cu L-1 compared to 53 ± 9.9 mg L-1 of the whole material for CuO ENMs; with the ENMs being orders of magnitude less toxic than the metal salt. The EC50 for hatching success was 76 ± 11 µg Cu L-1 and 0.34 ± 0.78 mg L-1 for CuSO4 and CuO ENMs respectively. Failure to hatch was associated with bubbles and foam-looking perivitelline fluid (CuSO4), or particulate material smothering the chorion (CuO ENMs). In the sub-lethal exposures, about 42% of the total Cu as CuSO4 was internalised, as measured by Cu accumulation in the de-chorionated embryos, but for the ENMs exposures, nearly all (94%) of the total Cu was associated with chorion; indicating the chorion as an effective barrier to protect the embryo from the ENMs in the short term. Both forms of Cu exposure caused sodium (Na+) and calcium (Ca2+), but not magnesium (Mg2+), depletion from the embryos; and CuSO4 caused some inhibition of the sodium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase) activity. Both forms of Cu exposure caused some loss of total glutathione (tGSH) in the embryos, but without induction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. In conclusion, CuSO4 was much more toxic than CuO ENMs to early life stage zebrafish, but there are subtle differences in the exposure and toxic mechanisms for each substance.

Exercise-Boosted Mitochondrial Remodeling in Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons resulting in dopamine deficiency in the striatum. Given the estimated escalation in the number of people with PD in the coming decades, interventions aimed at minimizing morbidity and improving quality of life are crucial. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are intrinsic factors related to PD pathogenesis. Accumulating evidence suggests that patients with PD might benefit from various forms of exercise in diverse ways, from general health improvements to disease-specific effects and, potentially, disease-modifying effects. However, the signaling and mechanism connecting skeletal muscle-increased activity and brain remodeling are poorly elucidated. In this review, we describe skeletal muscle-brain crosstalk in PD, with a special focus on mitochondrial effects, proposing mitochondrial dysfunction as a linker in the muscle-brain axis in this neurodegenerative disease and as a promising therapeutic target. Moreover, we outline how exercise secretome can improve mitochondrial health and impact the nervous system to slow down PD progression. Understanding the regulation of the mitochondrial function by exercise in PD may be beneficial in defining interventions to delay the onset of this neurodegenerative disease.

Mitochondria-targeted anti-oxidant AntiOxCIN4 improved liver steatosis in Western diet-fed mice by preventing lipid accumulation due to upregulation of fatty acid oxidation, quality control mechanism and antioxidant defense systems.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a health concern affecting 24% of the population worldwide. Although the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying disease are not fully clarified, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are key players in disease progression. Consequently, efforts to develop more efficient pharmacologic strategies targeting mitochondria for NAFLD prevention/treatment are underway. The conjugation of caffeic acid anti-oxidant moiety with an alkyl linker and a triphenylphosphonium cation (TPP+), guided by structure-activity relationships, led to the development of a mitochondria-targeted anti-oxidant (AntiOxCIN4) with remarkable anti-oxidant properties. Recently, we described that AntiOxCIN4 improved mitochondrial function, upregulated anti-oxidant defense systems, and cellular quality control mechanisms (mitophagy/autophagy) via activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway, preventing fatty acid-induced cell damage. Despite the data obtained, AntiOxCIN4 effects on cellular and mitochondrial energy metabolism in vivo were not studied. In the present work, we proposed that AntiOxCIN4 (2.5 mg/day/animal) may prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) phenotype development in a C57BL/6J mice fed with 30% high-fat, 30% high-sucrose diet for 16 weeks. HepG2 cells treated with AntiOxCIN4 (100 µM, 48 h) before the exposure to supraphysiologic free fatty acids (FFAs) (250 µM, 24 h) were used for complementary studies. AntiOxCIN4 decreased body (by 43%), liver weight (by 39%), and plasma hepatocyte damage markers in WD-fed mice. Hepatic-related parameters associated with a reduction of fat liver accumulation (by 600%) and the remodeling of fatty acyl chain composition compared with the WD-fed group were improved. Data from human HepG2 cells confirmed that a reduction of lipid droplets size and number can be a result from AntiOxCIN4-induced stimulation of fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial OXPHOS remodeling. In WD-fed mice, AntiOxCIN4 also induced a hepatic metabolism remodeling by upregulating mitochondrial OXPHOS, anti-oxidant defense system and phospholipid membrane composition, which is mediated by the PGC-1α-SIRT3 axis. AntiOxCIN4 prevented lipid accumulation-driven autophagic flux impairment, by increasing lysosomal proteolytic capacity. AntiOxCIN4 improved NAFL phenotype of WD-fed mice, via three main mechanisms: a) increase mitochondrial function (fatty acid oxidation); b) stimulation anti-oxidant defense system (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) and; c) prevent the impairment in autophagy. Together, the findings support the potential use of AntiOxCIN4 in the prevention/treatment of NAFLD.

The birth of cardiac disease: Mechanisms linking gestational diabetes mellitus and early onset of cardiovascular disease in offspring.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the biggest killer worldwide, composing a major economic burden for health care systems. Obesity and diabetes are dual epidemics on the rise and major risk factors predisposing for CVD. Increased obesity- and diabetes-related incidence is now observed among children, adolescents, and young adults. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic pregnancy disorder, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. During pregnancies complicated by GDM, the offspring are exposed to a compromised intrauterine environment characterized by hyperglycemic periods. Unfavorable in utero conditions at critical periods of fetal cardiac development can produce developmental adaptations that remodel the cardiovascular system in a way that can contribute to adult-onset of heart disease due to the programming during fetal life. Epidemiological studies have reported increased cardiovascular complications among GDM-descendants, highlighting the urgent need to investigate and understand the mechanisms modulated during fetal development of in utero GDM-exposed offspring that predispose an individual to increased CVD during life. In this manuscript, we overview previous studies in this area and gather evidence linking GDM and CVD development in the offspring, providing new insights on novel mechanisms contributing to offspring CVD programming by GDM, from the role of maternal-fetal interactions to their impact on fetal cardiovascular development, how the perpetuation of cardiac programming is maintained in postnatal life, and advance the intergenerational implications contributing to increased CVD premature origin. Understanding the perpetuation of CVD can be the first step to manage and reverse this leading cause of morbidity and mortality. This article is categorized under: Reproductive System Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Cardiovascular Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Metabolic Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics.

The Alterations of Mitochondrial Function during NAFLD Progression-An Independent Effect of Mitochondrial ROS Production.

The progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis implicates multiple mechanisms, chief of which is mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the sequence of events underlying mitochondrial failure are still poorly clarified. In this work, male C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high-fat plus high-sucrose diet for 16, 20, 22, and 24 weeks to induce NAFL. Up to the 20th week, an early mitochondrial remodeling with increased OXPHOS subunits levels and higher mitochondrial respiration occurred. Interestingly, a progressive loss of mitochondrial respiration along "Western diet" feeding was identified, accompanied by higher susceptibility to mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Importantly, our findings prove that mitochondrial alterations and subsequent impairment are independent of an excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which was found to be progressively diminished along with disease progression. Instead, increased peroxisomal abundance and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation-related pathway suggest that peroxisomes may contribute to hepatic ROS generation and oxidative damage, which may accelerate hepatic injury and disease progression. We show here for the first time the sequential events of mitochondrial alterations involved in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression and demonstrate that mitochondrial ROS are not one of the first hits that cause NAFLD progression.

A mitochondria-targeted caffeic acid derivative reverts cellular and mitochondrial defects in human skin fibroblasts from male sporadic Parkinson's disease patients.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 10 million people worldwide. Currently, PD has no cure and no early diagnostics methods exist. Mitochondrial dysfunction is presented in the early stages of PD, and it is considered an important pathophysiology component. We have previously developed mitochondria-targeted hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, presenting antioxidant and iron-chelating properties, and preventing oxidative stress in several biological models of disease. We have also demonstrated that skin fibroblasts from male sporadic PD patients (sPD) presented cellular and mitochondrial alterations, including increased oxidative stress, hyperpolarized and elongated mitochondria and decreased respiration and ATP levels. We also showed that forcing mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in sPD fibroblasts uncovers metabolic defects that were otherwise hidden. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that a lead mitochondria-targeted hydroxycinnamic acid derivative would revert the phenotype found in skin fibroblasts from sPD patients. Our results demonstrated that treating human skin fibroblasts from sPD patients with non-toxic concentrations of AntiOxCIN4 restored mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial fission, decreased autophagic flux, and enhanced cellular responses to stress by improving the cellular redox state and decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Besides, fibroblasts from sPD patients treated with AntiOxCIN4 showed increased maximal respiration and metabolic activity, converting sPD fibroblasts physiologically more similar to their sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The positive compound effect was reinforced using a supervised machine learning model, confirming that AntiOxCIN4 treatment converted treated fibroblasts from sPD patients closer to the phenotype of control fibroblasts. Our data points out a possible mechanism of AntiOxCIN4 action contributing to a deeper understanding of how the use of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants based on a polyphenol scaffold can be used as potential drug candidates for delaying PD progression, validating the use of fibroblasts from sPD patients with more active OXPHOS as platforms for mitochondria-based drug development.