Integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveals CD9/ITGA4/PI3K-Akt axis mediates trabecular meshwork cell apoptosis in human glaucoma.

Glaucoma has been the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is a high-risk factor of glaucoma, repression of which has been the important treatment of glaucoma in clinic. Trabecular meshwork is crucial for maintaining IOP in aqueous humour out-flow system. It is urgent to reveal the molecular mechanism of trabecular meshwork in glaucoma. Previous studies found that some pathways were related to glaucoma, such as extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) and apoptosis. To identify novel molecules in glaucoma, we performed high-throughput transcriptome and proteome analysis to immortal human trabecular meshwork cells (iHTM) and glaucomatous human trabecular meshwork cells (GTM3 ), respectively. Twenty-six up-regulated genes/proteins and 59 down-regulated genes/proteins were identified as the high-risk factors based on differential analysis, including some known factors of glaucoma. Furthermore, a glaucoma-related protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for investigating the function roles of risk factors. Some genes were identified as potential regulator in the pathogenesis of glaucoma based on the topology analysis and module analysis to the network. Importantly, we identified and demonstrated that CD9 played key roles in glaucoma by biological experiment. CD9 is down-regulated in glaucoma, overexpression of CD9 can active integrin α4 (ITGA4), PI3K and Akt, which lead to the decreased apoptosis and attenuate glaucoma. All these results provide a novel molecular therapy of glaucoma.

Visual Outcome of Carotid Endarterectomy in Patients with Carotid Artery Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is deemed to restore the blood flow of the carotid and ophthalmic arteries in patients with carotid artery stenosis. However, specific changes in visual function before and after CEA are not well understood; hence, this observational study aimed to investigate the functional and structural changes in vision after CEA in those patients. METHODS: Patients with severe carotid artery stenosis (>70% with standard carotid duplex scanning or arteriography) scheduled to undergo CEA were consecutively recruited for the study between September 2015 and July 2016. All patients underwent a standardized ophthalmic examination, including intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, slit-lamp examination, and fundus examination. Visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and kinetic and static visual fields (VFs) were tested to evaluate subjective visual function. Flash and pattern visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and an electroretinogram (ERG) were measured for objective visual function. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was scanned using optical coherence tomography for structural evaluation. RESULTS: The study involved 15 patients (11 male and 4 female, corresponding to 30 eyes; mean age 62.8 ± 5.0 years). After CEA, both uncorrected visual acuity and BCVA improved, and IOP significantly decreased from 17.41 ± 2.59 to 15.95 ± 2.50 mm Hg (P = 0.0022). Kinetic VF range increased significantly (P = 0.0126) as did mean sensitivity from 18.8 ± 5.5 to 20.6 ± 4.3 dB (P = 0.0208), whereas mean defect decreased from 8.2 ± 5.3 to 6.5 ± 4.2 dB (P = 0.025). RNFL thickness was not significantly altered. Latency of the P2 wave on flash VEP reduced significantly after CEA (P = 0.0151), whereas the oscillatory potential amplitude of waveform 3 in the ERG significantly increased after CEA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that an improvement in carotid artery and ophthalmic artery blood flow after CEA does indeed enhance subjective and objective assessments of visual function in patients with carotid artery stenosis, including visual acuity, kinetic and static VF, P2 latency, and ocular pressure amplitude; however, it did not affect RNFL thickness.

Genistein Inhibited Estradiol-Induced Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury by Downregulating the FAK/Focal Adhesion Pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of genistein on the focal adhesion signaling pathway through its regulation of FAK. Genistein ultimately restored and alleviated estradiol-induced vascular endothelial injury. METHODS: Microarray analysis was used to select differentially expressed genes. MTT assay was performed to detect the cell activity, and ROS test and NO test were performed to detect the degree of damage to HUVECs (human umbilical vein endothelial cells). The relative mRNA expression levels and protein expression levels of FAK were tested by western blot and qRT-PCR. GO functional analysis and KEGG pathway analysis were applied to predict the possible relationship between functions and related pathways, and transwell assay was used to detect cell invasion and migration. RESULTS: FAK was highly expressed in the HUVECs treated with estradiol (HU-ESTs). Cell viability and NO level decreased, whereas ROS level increased in the HU-ESTs. Effective knockdown of FAK in HU-ESTs elevated cell viability and NO levels while suppressing ROS levels. In addition, inhibition of FAK greatly decreased cell invasion and migration, while the overexpression of FAK enhanced cell invasion and migration. KEGG further indicated focal adhesion pathways were activated. Genistein elevated HU-EST viability, and NO and ROS level increased in a concentration dependent manner. Transwell and western blot assays revealed that genistein could reduce the FAK expression levels and alleviate the damage to the HU-ESTs. CONCLUSION: FAK overexpression promoted invasion and migration of the HU-ESTs. However, genistein greatly suppressed FAK and estradiol-induced vascular endothelial cell injury.

Trimethylamine N-oxide induces inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells via activating ROS-TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome.

Recent research demonstrates that the choline-derived metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) levels are strongly associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks. The NLRP3 inflammasome responds to exogenous and endogenous danger signals involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Moreover, thioredoxin-interactive protein (TXNIP) activation is a key event linked to NLRP3 inflammasome via reactive oxygen species (ROS). Whether TMAO prime NLRP3 inflammasome via ROS-TXNIP pathway remains unclear. This study observed the expression of TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome stimulated by TMAO in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), aiming to elucidate the mechanism by which the TMAO may contribute to inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Our data showed that TMAO significantly triggered oxidative stress and activated TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome whereat inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18 were released in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and production of nitric oxide (NO) were inhibited. Moreover, TMAO-mediated effects were observably reversed by ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment or siRNA-mediated knockdown TXPIN and NLRP3. Taken together, our results firstly reveal that TMAO induces inflammation and endothelial dysfunction via activating ROS-TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome, suggest a likely mechanism for TMAO-dependent enhancement in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks.

Lycopene Alleviates Hepatic Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury Through Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway in AML12 Cell.

[Figure: see text] Lycopene (lyc) has an effect on preventing cancer, yet its effects on hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury remained obscure. The study aimed at discovering its role in preventing hepatic cells against H/R injury. Hepatic cells were incubated in hypoxia incubator to simulate ischemia/reperfusion injury in vitro. Cell viability was detected using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay after Lycopene treatment with or without ML385 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 [Nrf2] inhibitor). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were detected. Cellular cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α; interleukin-6, IL-6) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatic cell apoptosis and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content was detected by flow cytometry. Nrf2 transfer was observed using immunofluorescence staining. Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expressions were detected with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot as needed. In hepatic cells, after H/R, the viability was dropped, TNF-α and IL-6 levels and LDH and MDA content were increased, with high apoptosis rate and ROS content. Lycopene led to a reversed effect, with promotion on Nrf2 transfer from cytoplasm into nucleus and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway activation. Further experiments showed that ML385 could reverse the effects of Lycopene. Lycopene could activate Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to protect hepatic cells against H/R injury.

Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis in the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis: A novel one-stop endovascular strategy.

Objective This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE) and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (LEDVT). Methods In total, 20 consecutive patients with APE and LEDVT were prospectively selected for PMT combined with CDT. Mechanical thrombus fragmentation and aspiration using a pigtail rotation catheter followed by CDT was performed in each patient. Details regarding the patients' clinical presentation and outcome, pulmonary status parameters (pulmonary arterial pressure, partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood, Miller score, thigh and calf circumference, and shock index), and lower extremity parameters (thrombus-lysis grade and Villalta scale score) were recorded. Results All 20 patients' clinical manifestations significantly improved. Both the clinical success rate and technical success rate were 100%. No major adverse events occurred during hospitalization. Four patients developed iliac vein compression syndrome and underwent stent implantation in the iliac vein. No pulmonary embolism recurred within 16.5±6.8 months of follow-up. Conclusions The combination of PMT and CDT is a safe and effective treatment for APE and LEDVT with good short- and intermediate-term clinical outcomes.