Investigation of the impact of bromodomain inhibition on cytoskeleton stability and contraction.

BACKGROUND: Injury to contractile organs such as the heart, vasculature, urinary bladder and gut can stimulate a pathological response that results in loss of normal contractility. PDGF and TGFß are among the most well studied initiators of the injury response and have been shown to induce aberrant contraction in mechanically active cells of hollow organs including smooth muscle cells (SMC) and fibroblasts. However, the mechanisms driving contractile alterations downstream of PDGF and TGFß in SMC and fibroblasts are incompletely understood, limiting therapeutic interventions. METHODS: To identify potential molecular targets, we have leveraged the analysis of publicly available data, comparing transcriptomic changes in mechanically active cells stimulated with PDGF and TGFß. Additional Analysis of publicly available data sets were performed on SMC and fibroblasts treated in the presence or absence of the MYC inhibitor JQ1. Validation of in silico findings were performed with qPCR, immunoblots, and collagen gel contraction assays measure the effect of JQ1 on cytoskeleton associated genes, proteins and contractility in mechanically active cells. Likelihood ratio test and FDR adjusted p-values were used to determine significant differentially expressed genes. Student ttest were used to calculate statistical significance of qPCR and contractility analyses. RESULTS: Comparing PDGF and TGFß stimulated SMC and fibroblasts identified a shared molecular profile regulated by MYC and members of the AP-1 transcription factor complex. Additional in silico analysis revealed a unique set of cytoskeleton-associated genes that were sensitive to MYC inhibition with JQ1. In vitro validation demonstrated JQ1 was also able to attenuate TGFß and PDGF induced changes to the cytoskeleton and contraction of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify MYC as a key driver of aberrant cytoskeletal and contractile changes in fibroblasts and SMC, and suggest that JQ1 could be used to restore normal contractile function in hollow organs.

Neuropilin 2 Is a Novel Regulator of Distal Colon Contractility.

Appropriate coordination of smooth muscle contraction and relaxation is essential for normal colonic motility. The impact of perturbed motility ranges from moderate, in conditions such as colitis, to potentially fatal in the case of pseudo-obstruction. The mechanisms underlying aberrant motility and the extent to which they can be targeted pharmacologically are incompletely understood. This study identified colonic smooth muscle as a major site of expression of neuropilin 2 (Nrp2) in mice and humans. Mice with inducible smooth muscle-specific knockout of Nrp2 had an increase in evoked contraction of colonic rings in response to carbachol at 1 and 4 weeks following initiation of deletion. KCl-induced contractions were also increased at 4 weeks. Colonic motility was similarly enhanced, as evidenced by faster bead expulsion in Nrp2-deleted mice versus Nrp2-intact controls. In length-tension analysis of the distal colon, passive tension was similar in Nrp2-deficient and Nrp2-intact mice, but at low strains, active stiffness was greater in Nrp2-deficient animals. Consistent with the findings in conditional Nrp2 mice, Nrp2-null mice showed increased contractility in response to carbachol and KCl. Evaluation of selected proteins implicated in smooth muscle contraction revealed no significant differences in the level of α-smooth muscle actin, myosin light chain, calponin, or RhoA. Together, these findings identify Nrp2 as a novel regulator of colonic contractility that may be targetable in conditions characterized by dysmotility.

Systems analysis of benign bladder disorders: insights from omics analysis.

The signaling pathways and effectors that drive the response of the bladder to nonmalignant insults or injury are incompletely defined. Interrogation of biological systems has been revolutionized by the ability to generate high-content data sets that capture information on a variety of biomolecules in cells and tissues, from DNA to RNA to proteins. In oncology, such an approach has led to the identification of cancer subtypes, improved prognostic capability, and has provided a basis for precision treatment of patients. In contrast, systematic molecular characterization of benign bladder disorders has lagged behind, such that our ability to uncover novel therapeutic interventions or increase our mechanistic understanding of such conditions is limited. Here, we discuss existing literature on the application of omics approaches, including transcriptomics and proteomics, to urinary tract conditions characterized by pathological tissue remodeling. We discuss molecular pathways implicated in remodeling, challenges in the field, and aspirations for omics-based research in the future.

Characterization of cells from patient-derived fibrovascular membranes in proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: Epiretinal fibrovascular membranes (FVMs) are a hallmark of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Surgical removal of FVMs is often indicated to treat tractional retinal detachment. This potentially informative pathological tissue is usually disposed of after surgery without further examination. We developed a method for isolating and characterizing cells derived from FVMs and correlated their expression of specific markers in culture with that in tissue. METHODS: FVMs were obtained from 11 patients with PDR during diabetic vitrectomy surgery and were analyzed with electron microscopy (EM), comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), immunohistochemistry, and/or digested with collagenase II for cell isolation and culture. Antibody arrays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to profile secreted angiogenesis-related proteins in cell culture supernatants. RESULTS: EM analysis of the FVMs showed abnormal vessels composed of endothelial cells with large nuclei and plasma membrane infoldings, loosely attached perivascular cells, and stromal cells. The cellular constituents of the FVMs lacked major chromosomal aberrations as shown with CGH. Cells derived from FVMs (C-FVMs) could be isolated and maintained in culture. The C-FVMs retained the expression of markers of cell identity in primary culture, which define specific cell populations including CD31-positive, alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive (SMA), and glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive (GFAP) cells. In primary culture, secretion of angiopoietin-1 and thrombospondin-1 was significantly decreased in culture conditions that resemble a diabetic environment in SMA-positive C-FVMs compared to human retinal pericytes derived from a non-diabetic donor. CONCLUSIONS: C-FVMs obtained from individuals with PDR can be isolated, cultured, and profiled in vitro and may constitute a unique resource for the discovery of cell signaling mechanisms underlying PDR that extends beyond current animal and cell culture models.

Investigation of the impact of bromodomain inhibition on cytoskeleton stability and contraction.

Injury to contractile organs such as the heart, vasculature, urinary bladder and gut can stimulate a pathological response that results in loss of normal contractility. PDGF and TGFß are among the most well studied initiators of the injury response and have been shown to induce aberrant contraction in mechanically active cells of hollow organs including smooth muscle cells (SMC) and fibroblasts. However the mechanisms driving contractile alterations downstream of PDGF and TGFß in SMC and fibroblasts are incompletely understood, limiting therapeutic interventions. To identify potential molecular targets, we have leveraged the analysis of publicly available data, comparing transcriptomic changes in mechanically active cells stimulated with PDGF and TGFß and identified a shared molecular profile regulated by MYC and members of the AP-1 transcription factor complex. We also analyzed data sets from SMC and fibroblasts treated in the presence or absence of the MYC inhibitor JQ1. This analysis revealed a unique set of cytoskeleton-associated genes that were sensitive to MYC inhibition. JQ1 was also able to attenuate TGFß and PDGF induced changes to the cytoskeleton and contraction of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in vitro. These findings identify MYC as a key driver of aberrant cytoskeletal and contractile changes in fibroblasts and SMC, and suggest that JQ1 could be used to restore normal contractile function in hollow organs.

Concordant miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in humans and mice with bladder outlet obstruction.

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) leads to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and urodynamic changes of the bladder function. Previously we identified microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA expression profiles associated with different states of BOO-induced LUTD in human patients. Bladder wall remodeling resulting from obstruction is widely studied in animal models of experimentally-induced partial BOO (pBOO). Here we determined the expression profiles of miRNAs and selected mRNAs in pBOO mice and compared the observed changes to human patients. Similar to results from human patients, we observed a down-regulation of smooth muscle-associated miRNAs mmu-miR-1, mmu-miR-143, mmu-miR-145, mmu-miR-486 and mmu-miR-133a in pBOO mouse bladders. Pro-fibrotic miRNAs mmu-miR-142-3p and mmu-miR-21 were up-regulated, and anti-fibrotic miRNA mmu-miR-29c was down-regulated. Pathway analysis in human BOO patients identified TNF-alpha as the top upstream regulator. Although there was evidence of hypertrophic changes in pBOO mice, contrary to human data, we observed no regulation of TNF-responsive genes in the mouse model. Experimentally-induced pBOO in mice led to significant gene expression changes, including alteration of pro-fibrotic mRNAs and miRNAs resembling human BOO patients. Gene expression changes were also validated in a mouse model of bladder inflammation. Lack of evidence of TNF-alpha-induced miRNA and mRNA regulation might indicate a different pathophysiological mechanism of organ remodeling in pBOO model compared to the human disease.

Therapeutic antibody targeting of Notch3 signaling prevents mural cell loss in CADASIL.

Cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a neurological syndrome characterized by small vessel disease (SVD), stroke, and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia caused by mutations in NOTCH3 No therapies are available for this condition. Loss of mural cells, which encompass pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, is a hallmark of CADASIL and other SVDs, including diabetic retinopathy, resulting in vascular instability. Here, we showed that Notch3 signaling is both necessary and sufficient to support mural cell coverage in arteries using genetic rescue in Notch3 knockout mice. Furthermore, we show that systemic administration of an agonist Notch3 antibody prevents mural cell loss and modifies plasma proteins associated with Notch3 activity, including endostatin/collagen 18α1 and Notch3 extracellular domain in mice with the C455R mutation, a CADASIL variant associated with Notch3 loss of function. These findings open opportunities for the treatment of CADASIL and other SVDs by modulating Notch3 signaling.

Blood biomarkers in a mouse model of CADASIL.

Mutations in NOTCH 3 are the cause of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), a neurological disorder characterized by stroke, and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and accumulation of granular osmiophilic material (GOM) deposits are hallmarks of CADASIL. There are no therapies for CADASIL and experimental endpoints to examine the preclinical efficacy of potential drugs are lacking. This study aims to use a mouse carrying the C455R mutation in Notch 3 to identify biomarkers associated with CADASIL. Mass spectrometry and antibody arrays were used to explore the aorta and blood proteomes of CADASIL mice, ELISA assays were utilized for biomarker validation, a ligand-dependent assay was applied to examine the relationship between Notch signaling and biomarker expression, and retinal histology was performed for quantification of VSMC loss in arteries. Two-hundred day-old mice with the C455R CADASIL mutation in Notch 3 mice display robust VSMC loss in retinal arteries and had increased plasma levels of collagen18α1/endostatin (col18α1) and high-temperature requirement A serine peptidase 1 (HTRA1) and reduced levels of Notch 3 extracellular domain (N3ECD), compared to control wild type mice. Measurements of plasma endostatin, HTRA1 and N3ECD, along with VSMC quantification in retinal arteries, may serve as surrogate endpoints for assessing efficacy in preclinical therapeutic studies of CADASIL using mice.