Higenamine Improves Cardiac and Renal Fibrosis in Rats With Cardiorenal Syndrome via ASK1 Signaling Pathway.

The pathogenesis of cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is very complex, and currently there is no effective treatment for CRS. Higenamine (HI) has been shown to improve cardiac function in rats with heart failure. However, the role of higenamine in CRS remains unknown. Here, in vitro, higenamine treatment markedly reduced neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast collagen synthesis and inhibited neonatal rat cardiac myocyte hypertrophy. In our study, a rat model of type 2 CRS was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation combined with 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy (STNx). Higenamine treatment decreased serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen, and brain natriuretic peptide levels and was capable of improving left ventricular remodeling and systolic function in CRS rats, accompanied with decreased expression of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I (Col1A1). Moreover, higenamine significantly inhibited the protein expression of phosphorylated apoptosis signal-regulated kinase 1 (p-ASK1) and downstream mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) (ERK, P38)/NF-κB in cardiorenal tissues of CRS rats and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast/neonatal rat cardiac myocyte cells. Our study demonstrated that higenamine improved cardiorenal function in CRS rats and attenuated heart and kidney fibrosis possibly via targeting ASK1/MAPK (ERK, P38)/NF-κB signaling pathway. This finding extends our knowledge on the role of higenamine in cardiorenal fibrosis, providing a potential target to prevent the progression of CRS.

Study on Proteomics-Based Aortic Dissection Molecular Markers Using iTRAQ Combined With Label Free Techniques.

Background: Aortic dissection refers to the separation of aortic media and extension along the long axis to form the true and false chambers of the aortic wall. 65-70% of the patients died of cardiac tamponade, arrhythmia, dissection rupture, etc. At present, echocardiography, computed tomography angiography (CTA), etc. are the main diagnosis tools for aortic dissection. To date, there is no rapid serum molecular marker that can be used for differential diagnosis and risk assessment. Objectives: To screen serum molecular markers systematically amid aortic dissection and acute coronary syndrome and to preliminarily identify the pathogenesis of acute aortic dissection. Methods: Related disputes cases of all hospitals were statistically analyzed for the AAD medical disputes ratio, early death ratio and misdiagnosis ratio from the database of Guangdong Province Medical Disputes Coordination Committee from 2013 to 2017. Serum and Aortic tissues samples were respectively quantified by iTRAQ and label-free analysis, further validated by ELISA and protein verified by immunofluorescence and Western blot from AAD and control patients enrolled from the Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University and Guangdong Province people's Hospital from 2016 to 2018. Results: AAD cases ratio accounted for 15.29% in all 150 cardiovascular disputes, 59.26% in all cardiovascular death less than 24 h, and 88.89% in the patients who remained undiagnosed at the time of death, 84 proteins (66 and 18 upregulated and downregulated, respectively) were identified by iTRAQ and 16 proteins (9 and 7 upregulated and downregulated, respectively) by Label-free. Nine proteins (Lumican, FGL1, PI16, MMP9, FBN1, MMP2, VWF, MMRN1, and PF4) related to the pathogenesis of aortic dissection were identified by David /Ease and String techniques as candidate biomarkers for verification test. Four proteins (Lumican, FGL1, PI16, and MMP9) were found to be statistically different after ELISA verification. The expression of FGL1, PI16, and MMP9 proteins was pathologically significantly increased except for Lumican. Histologically, TGF-ß1, α-SMA, and Collagen1 were also significantly higher in the aortic group. Conclusion: Lumican, FGL1, PI16, and MMP9 may be potential biomarkers in AAD patients, and the Lumican-mediated TGF-ß1 pathway is likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of aortic dissection.

[Zhenwu Decoction delays ventricular hypertrophy in rats with uremic cardiomyopathy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitory effect of Zhenwu Decoction on ventricular hypertrophy in rats with uremic cardiomyopathy and explore the mechanism. METHODS: Cardiocytes isolated from suckling rats were divided into control group and indoxyl sulfate (IS) group, and the protein synthesis was assayed with [3H]- leucine incorporation and cellular protein expressions were detected using Western blotting. Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, and low- and high-dose Zhenwu Decoction treatment groups, and except for those in the sham operation group, all the rats underwent 5/6 nephrectomy. Four weeks after the operation, the rats in low- and high-dose treatment groups were given Zhenwu Decoction via gavage at the dose of 4.5 g/kg and 13.5 g/kg, respectively; the rats in the sham-operated and model groups were given an equal volume of distilled water. After 4 weeks of treatment, serum levels of IS were determined, and cardiac and ventricular mass indexes were measured in the rats; cardiac ultrasound was performed and Western blotting was used to measure the expressions of BNP, p-ERK1/2, p-p38 and p-JNK in the myocardium. RESULTS: Rat cardiomyocytes treated with IS showed significantly enhanced protein synthesis and increased expression levels of BNP, p-erk1/2, and p-p38 as compared with the control cells (P < 0.01), but the expression of p-jnk was comparable between the two groups. In the animal experiment, the rats in the model group showed significantly increased serum creatinine (SCr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, 24-h urine protein (24 hUpro), plasma IS level, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and whole heart mass index (HMI) compared with those in the sham group (P < 0.01); Both LVESD and LVEDD were significantly reduced and LVAWS, LVAWD, LVPWS and LVPWD were significantly increased in the model rat, which also presented with obvious cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and increased myocardial expressions of BNP, p-ERK1/2, p-p38 and p-jnk (P < 0.01). Compared with the rats in the model group, the rats treated with low-dose and high-dose Zhenwu Decoction had significantly lowered levels of SCr, BUN, 24 hUpro and IS (P < 0.05) and decreased LVMI and HMI; LVESD, LVEDD, LVPWS, LVAWS, and LVAWD were improved more obviously in the high-dose group, and the myocardial expressions of BNP, p-ERK1/2, p-p38 and p-JNK was significantly downregulated after the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Zhenwu Decoctin can reduce plasma IS levels and inhibit ventricular hypertrophy to delay ventricular remodeling in rats with uremic cardiomyopathy.